Clicky

BJGP Life

BJGP Life

The BJGP is the world-leading primary care journal. At BJGP Life we add multi-media comment and opinion for the primary care community.

Book review: The Elements

"As GPs we are the naturalists of the human jungle. This is where we practice, not the controlled and tidy spaces of the secondary care zoo. Our jungle has dark and hidden thickets. How are we to help those caught up in
11 October 2025
2 mins read

Tackling the problem of quality in peer review

"Peer review remains central to maintaining quality and standards in scientific research. Despite its vital gatekeeping role in academic publishing, peer review itself has only recently become the subject of serious scrutiny, with growing efforts to guide its ethical practice. Less attention,
9 October 2025
3 mins read
··

Are we judging GP registrars on their outfits?

Professionalism may not be a discrete domain on the mark scheme, yet it shapes how registrars are assessed, creating a standard that remains open to personal interpretation. And when that interpretation is shaped by assumptions about religion, culture, gender, or identity, attire
8 October 2025
3 mins read
1

The anxiety engine

...there’s often this powerful driver behind our consultations that pushes people to present to us, maybe in words that are too frightening to say out loud, maybe in a nebulous wordless sense of angst... Tim Senior examines the anxiety engine.
6 October 2025
2 mins read
1
·

Complexity, demand, and those little white spots

Any system for managing seasonal illness makes certain assumptions, primarily that we are dealing with a seasonal illness rather than something superficially similar but more serious. What are we to do, then, in the face of such uncertainty, especially when general practice
1 October 2025
5 mins read

It’s not the antidepressants, it’s the keys

That’s not to dismiss the value of treatment, but to acknowledge that in some lives, the most potent prescription we can help facilitate isn’t 20 mg of citalopram — it’s a tenancy agreement.
19 September 2025
3 mins read
···

Shaking hands again

"We tended to turn door knobs with our elbow or to press elevator’s buttons using our house keys. As time passes, these somehow obsessive behaviours have been gradually abated, but I feel some subconscious concern still remains. In my personal experience, I
17 September 2025
3 mins read
3
·

Getting back in the fight

'It’s just that you’ve been here for a while already and as you say, we’ve covered several things, and I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed by your list of problems.' A consultation through the allegorical lens of science fiction battle armour!
13 September 2025
3 mins read
··

Space-Dreaming in Lambeth

To commemorate 'Composed upon Westminster Bridge,' (3rd September 1802), Dave Mummery shares a Lambeth reverie with suggestions for musical accompaniment.
3 September 2025
4 mins read
·

Knocking for help: a hidden strain of GP-training

In clinical scenarios that are unfamiliar or require in-person review, trainees are often forced to leave their patients mid-consultation to seek help. The act of “door knocking” i.e interrupting a colleague who is themselves consulting - can feel burdensome. Hana Esack reflects.
1 September 2025
2 mins read

Book review: Intervals

"... I found this an inspiring account of what it means to care and to be cared for by a loving relative. Brooker’s brilliant book blends care ethics, philosophy, grief, and practical wisdom, offering GPs and primary care teams a different perspective
30 August 2025
1 min read
·

A Poem : Beyond The Extra Mile.

A poem for the beleaguered, the determined or the stubborn amongst us, who go to work each day and just do the best we can. Rest assured, despite the clamour and noise of unmet expectation, it is enough.
28 August 2025
1 min read
1

Ulysses and the GP consultation

"Would I recommend Ulysses to a GP colleague? As a challenging read and a slow antidote to the nature of our rapid and fragmented working days; and maybe to serve as a reminder of how much goes unspoken during those precious 15
25 August 2025
1 min read
1 2 3 4 … 48