BJGP Life – Page 28

Poor choices

If a patient has an Adverse Childhood Experiences score of 4 or higher then the risk of multiple health problems, such as cancer, obesity, and heart disease, increases. Giles Dawnay asks, how much, then, of our hard and well-intentioned work is no

2 September 2022

3 mins read

Bright Ideas and Innovation

Environmentally friendly inhalers: issues for the general practice consultation

Medicines make up 25% of the NHS’ carbon footprint, with some metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) being 3320 times more powerful than CO2. How then can primary care help to reduce emissions caused by inhalers? Joshua Parker explores some options, such as reducing reliability

1 September 2022

6 mins read

Opinion

Medically Explained Symptoms

It may therefore be that the best way to spot the symptoms of serious disease is not always to be looking for them, argues Ben Hoban

31 August 2022

2 mins read

Bright Ideas and Innovation

Frome’s contribution to wellbeing, biodiversity and closing the loop

The Staff Wellbeing Garden at Frome Medical Practice shows the value of local green spaces, enriching the local biodiversity while providing a relaxing environment for both staff and patients. Here, Charlotte Carson, Green Health Connector, describes recent developments to the garden, including

30 August 2022

2 mins read

Clinical

What GPs need to know about non-directed altruistic kidney donation

Though it is widely known that kidney donation is common among living donors who are family or friends, there appears to be lower awareness of kidney donation along a non-directed pathway. Here, Rich Armitage describes the process of becoming a non-directed altruistic

29 August 2022

7 mins read

1

Arts

The Milk of Dreams, Biennale Arte 2022: A Surreal Awakening

"It’s the best show we have seen in years ... " — Polyester elephants on 6 foot plinths, grotesque life-sized cloth dolls, and robotic snakes — it's the return of the Venice Biennale, reviewed by Will Norman

28 August 2022

4 mins read

BJGP Long Read·Opinion

A sinking cornerstone: the vanishing of personal continuity of care

Doctors who find more human sense, belonging and fulfilment in their work are, almost certainly, able to provide better care. But our serial reforms have disregarded, then abandoned, a time-honoured cornerstone of practice. David Zigmond explores the tragic revival of continuity of

27 August 2022

5 mins read

Stories

A seagull with a sore leg: How having a shared focus improves staff wellbeing

Serena Strickland reflects on the effect of an avian visitor on a GP practice

26 August 2022

2 mins read

BJGP Long Read·Bright Ideas and Innovation·Opinion

Finding meaning, locating hope

What Rupal Shah & colleagues are proposing is not whimsical or theoretical. We need to address the broader context or practice so that connection, meaning & values can flourish. The next generation of GPs needs to be inspired & adequately resourced to

23 August 2022

6 mins read

BJGP Long Read·Opinion

Cyber-attacks and primary care: the need for digital health resilience

Richard Armitage argues that cyber-attack pose an apocalyptic risk to UK primary healthcare

22 August 2022

5 mins read

Book review

Book review: Finance Aspects for Medical Doctors, 2022 Edition

Can any guide to financial aspects of medical practice from the doctor’s perspective ever claim to be ‘friendly'? Andrew Papanikitas finds this book to be useful. The book collects an up-to-date set of facts about things such as what a set of

21 August 2022

2 mins read

Book review

Book review: Diagnostic Dermoscopy: The Illustrated Guide. 2nd Edn

"I strongly recommend this book to my colleagues both in primary and secondary care" – George C Moncrieff, Chair of the Dermatology Council for England until 2018, reviews the second edition of Jonathan Bowling's Diagnostic Dermoscopy: The Illustrated Guide

20 August 2022

1 min read

Opinion

“Tenner tantrums” — An opinion on fining patients

Joel Brown argues that charging patients £10 for missed appointments in UK general practice is misguided, unfair, and harmful to both patients and health service.

19 August 2022

2 mins read

2

Opinion

The Women’s Health Strategy for England – Goals for general practice

Nada Khan reviews the 'Women’s Health Strategy for England,' which contains ambitious goals for general practice. Are these goals sustainable and sincere?

18 August 2022

3 mins read

1

Clinical·Opinion

An introduction to the mental health practitioner in general practice

Peter McNelly provides an introduction to the role of the mental health practitioner in general practice, and how they can help reduce the workload of GPs.

17 August 2022

6 mins read

BJGP Long Read·Opinion

The health risks of going viral: social media influencers and the harms of digital stardom

It is important that GPs are able to recognise this phenomenon, and to not dismiss the SMI lifestyle as a harmless pursuit for frivolous Gen-Z-ers. Richard Armitage unpacks the health implications.

15 August 2022

6 mins read

Arts·Stories

Tea at 4:30, with milk?

‘Yes dad, a little dash like normal.’ I never knew how to reply. Was he asking a question? Was he just making a statement, did he even want milk in it? Had he forgotten how he had his tea? I never knew

13 August 2022

3 mins read

Clinical·Opinion

The challenge of medically unexplained symptoms, overlooked diseases and forgotten patients

Some patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) suffer years of referrals and inconclusive tests. Others find themselves overlooked by health care services and feel forgotten. However, diagnostic delay may be due to a disease being rare. Stephen Walker and colleagues offer a

12 August 2022

5 mins read

1

Clinical·Opinion

The serotonin theory of depression and why we use antidepressants

New research into the serotonin theory of depression raises two separate, but related issues. The first is our understanding about the aetiology of depression. The second is understanding why we prescribe antidepressants. Nada Khan reflects on what this means for general practice.

11 August 2022

4 mins read

Bright Ideas and Innovation·Opinion

Bridging the child health gap between primary and secondary care

Lisa Broom, Frances Dutton (GPs), and Chris Bird (Paediatric A&E Consultant) reflect on a fellowship that allowed both GPs to have one foot in Birmingham Children's Hospital's busy emergency department and the other in primary care in the city, with time to

10 August 2022

3 mins read

Podcast·Videos

Episode 083: Summer 2022 – a quick update from the editor

We have a quick update from the Editor, Euan Lawson.

9 August 2022

1 min read

BJGP Long Read·Opinion

Celebrities, cancer, and population health

Richard Armitage examines the 'Deborah James effect' on cancer awareness. How should we enhance the benefits and mitigate any harms of publicly shared celebrity cancer stories?

8 August 2022

10 mins read

Book review

Book review: What Seems To Be The Problem?

"What I am increasingly aware of the longer I practice medicine is that traditional models of care are not working" — Maryan Naeem reviews 'What Seems To Be The Problem?', the new memoir by Laura Marshall-Andrews

7 August 2022

3 mins read

Arts

A lockdown literary festival in medicine

During the UK pandemic lockdowns of 2020–21 an online literary festival was held by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London, and the talks are freely available online. Andrew Papanikitas invites readers online and back in time!

6 August 2022

3 mins read

Opinion

Health Perception

People living in more affluent parts of the world with better healthcare and less disease tend to have a lower view of their health than people in poorer areas, where disease is more prevalent and healthcare less well-developed. Ben Hoban asks what

5 August 2022

2 mins read

Opinion

Labels

"We have talked to friends, colleagues, teachers and other adopters and have concluded that we should go ahead with an assessment. We will access resources and advice, buy a new genre of books, try to think of different parenting strategies to help our child..."

4 August 2022

3 mins read

Podcast·Videos

Episode 082: Perspectives of GPs on diagnosing childhood urinary tract infections

Professor Jan Verbakel talks about a study that explored the experiences of GPs when diagnosing childhood UTIs.

2 August 2022

1 min read

BJGP Long Read·Clinical·Opinion

Health of those working away from home: is general practice doing enough?

Richard Armitage looks at the health needs of people who work away from home, be they itinerant telecommuters or contract-workers in haulage and construction - should general practice be evolving to meet the access needs of this group? Join the discussion!

1 August 2022

5 mins read

Book review

Book review: Mend the Living

"a filmic, memorable story that will leave its traces on the reader as the coastline is shaped by the sea" — Jane H Roberts reviews Mend the Living, the award-winning novel by Maylis de Kerangal

31 July 2022

3 mins read

Arts·Bright Ideas and Innovation

Found poetry: a creative approach to illuminate the findings of qualitative research

Found poetry is created by taking words and phrases from other sources and reframing them - the literary equivalent of a collage. Jessica Watson and Fiona Hamilton demonstrate how the approach can be applied to qualitative research to capture and share experiences

30 July 2022

3 mins read

Bright Ideas and Innovation·Opinion

Medical Semantics – What’s in a word?

One of medicine’s great strengths is the precise use of language it employs to describe what and where it is diagnosing the issue in hand. This, of course, would be fine if we only spoke amongst ourselves in a professional capacity.

29 July 2022

3 mins read

Opinion

Revitalising primary care and public health -the Doctors in Unite vision

Pamela Martin shares the Doctors for Unite vision for the future of primary healthcare in the UK - a call to action!

28 July 2022

2 mins read

1

BJGP Long Read·Clinical

Supporting the ‘Multi’ in Multi-agency working for child safeguarding

Sharon Dixon and colleagues contend that a deeper understanding of safeguarding practices (and how these look and feel on the front-line of multi-agency encounters) is needed if future child safeguarding tragedies are to be avoided.

27 July 2022

7 mins read

1

Podcast·Videos

Episode 081: Inflammatory marker blood tests suggest a diagnostic window to help earlier Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis

Dr Meena Rafiq talks about a recent research paper suggesting a diagnostic window for Hodgkin lymphoma that could help us find strategies for earlier diagnosis.

26 July 2022

1 min read

BJGP Long Read·Opinion

What makes a public health problem?

How and why do we define something as a public health problem? Richard Armitage reflects on the complexities.

25 July 2022

6 mins read

Book review

Book Review: An ordinary doctor: General practice & beyond, by Susie West

Paul Hepple reviews 'An ordinary doctor' by Susie West, and is captivated, inspired and angered

24 July 2022

3 mins read

Bright Ideas and Innovation·International·Opinion

The levels of generalist practice

There are three levels of general practice: generalist practice approach, general generalist practice and expert generalist practice. Koki Kato explains how they can help GPs explain what they do.

23 July 2022

2 mins read

2

Opinion·Random

Life-work balance – a brief reflection on why the order matters

Bakula Patel asks is cracking work-life balance is as simple as considering life-work balance? Comments welcome!

22 July 2022

1 min read

2

Opinion

Promoting self-care interventions is crucial in primary care

Around 80% of all care in the UK is self-care, but despite people's willingness to initially self-treat, minor ailments contribute to 57 million GP consultations a year. How then can GPs promote continued self-care to patients?

21 July 2022

4 mins read

1

Opinion

Ambulance response times: the NHS’ falling house of cards

Nada Khan examines the increasing waiting times for ambulances, finding a system under pressure and dilemmas for clinical staff.

20 July 2022

4 mins read

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.