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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.

GPs are far more than gatekeepers…

So, is the description of the GP as a ‘gatekeeper’ outdated? I would argue it is. GPs are not trying to block access to specialists. Rather, through their distinct expertise, they provide a safety net for patients who could risk further harm
15 February 2023
5 mins read

Repetition breeds contempt not continuity

Imagine having to relive the moment you are told that you have a life-limiting illness every time you need support; every time you feel vulnerable because of a physical or mental complaint that needs attention. Emilie Couchman argues for meaningful informational continuity.
13 February 2023
2 mins read
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Don’t pass me the drink

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), in new guidelines endorsed by Health Canada, recommend that Canadians should have no more than two alcohol-containing drinks per week. Nada Khan explores alcohol advice in primary care.
6 February 2023
5 mins read

Doing too much of nothing?

Is it because people are getting older and sicker, developing more and more chronic diseases as they age and then expecting a magic cure-all that doesn’t exist? Expectations for such, we have all likely fed into.
5 February 2023
3 mins read

Book review: Fibromyalgia

"While undoubtedly fibromyalgia may not be adequately covered in the medical curriculum, I am not sure that this book fills the gap." – Carolyn Chew-Graham reviews Fibromyalgia by Thanthullu Vasu ...
4 February 2023
2 mins read

Making it real

When someone asks you whether you’re telling them it’s all in their head, the most accurate answer is: Yes, but isn’t everything?
3 February 2023
5 mins read

How to attract good partners and hold on to them

Finding the right partner is critical. With a generation of senior and capable partners retiring and not being replaced at the same rate, there is a huge concern of seeing this post continue to diminish. Here, Adnan Saad outlines how best to
2 February 2023
3 mins read

Why barbers have ‘an edge’ on GPs

"When a patient who happens to be a barber comes to see me for a consultation, that is precisely what – and only what – he gets.  When I go to see my barber for a haircut, however, not only do I
23 January 2023
5 mins read
2

Book review: Cut by Hibo Wardere

At six-years-of-age, Hibo Wardere was forcibly held down and brutally subjected to Type III female genital mutilation (FGM). This book tells her story, a riveting, personal, and candid account of her journey...
21 January 2023
1 min read

Be lucky

Ask yourself ‘Do I feel lucky?’ This often-misquoted line from Dirty Harry, said by Clint Eastwood in role, serves to introduce the notion of moral luck. Gratifyingly, we do not often find ourselves staring down the barrel of a violent cop wielding
20 January 2023
6 mins read
1

General practice cannot be piecework

Piecework is advantageous for production where output volume is a reliable proxy for productivity and monitoring and incentivising output volume does not compromise quality. Lara Shemtob and colleagues argue this is inappropriate for general practice.
19 January 2023
5 mins read

Flag-waving and learning to dance

Ben Hoban suggests that GPs can keep track of more in the consultation by not worrying about keeping track of so much, but instead choosing what to focus on.
13 January 2023
3 mins read

A world without general practice

Tim Senior argues that without GPs we systemically remove the part of the health system that has researched and trained in handling relationships and complexity, and is capable of doing this well. We need to be able to describe what health systems
12 January 2023
2 mins read

Book review: 36 Hours

"Last night, after the three hours it took to get to the toilet and back, to change the bed, to negotiate the medication, he told me I’m very irritating." - Karen Chumberley reviews Fiona Mason's 36 Hours, a reflection on the last
8 January 2023
3 mins read
2

Reflections on remote consulting

I am trying to patch a clinical web over your problem ...Empathetically. Communicating blind. Flushing the darkness systematically with questions ...That dredge the deep... A poem by Rebecca Quinn.
6 January 2023
1 min read

Scientists after all

...despite all that science has to tells us in general terms about people and how to care for them, it is often harder to pin down on specifics...
5 January 2023
5 mins read
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