Bill Reith reflects on a hundred years of "Panic, Hysteria and Hubris" as he reviews this timely book.
"The Virus" sets out to provide answers to the key question, “It’s 15,000 times smaller than a flea and we can kill it with a bar of soap – so how did a tiny, fragile virus change the world?” Lesley Morrison reviews
Claire Vicary gives a very personal account of her year with bowel cancer. There was more to getting better than she had realised......
Chloe Webster, a trainee, reflects on a "Formula One speed" surgical ward round where she suddenly rediscovered the magic of General Practice.
The RCGP's annual Research Paper of the Year (RPY) award gives recognition to researchers who have undertaken and published an exceptional piece of research relating to general practice or primary care. Here, Carolyn Chew-Graham, Chair of the RPY, presents the three winning
Many former GPs may want to move along a different career pathway, but when they retire from clinical work they encounter barriers. Mona Aquilina argues that we need to harness and leverage the skills and energy of these doctors and she gives
Advances in medicine have led to major improvements in end-of-life care. But when a patient dies should doctors be aware of any factors in funeral care that can help the relatives? Dr Sarah Jones, a doctor turned Funeral Director, and Dr Julie
Dr Daniel Stow talks about research into end-of-life recognition in older people.
Community palliative care delivery is changing dramatically in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. But what of the unintended consequences of such rapid change? Ben Bowers and his co-authors examine key issues.
Primary care is changing at an unprecedented pace and the COVID19 pandemic has shown how being adaptable is vital to the future of general practice. Ria Agarwal and Sarah Mitchell ask whether Physician Associates may provide a way forward for end-of-life care
There has been an increasing awareness of the toll that medicine takes upon the mental health of NHS staff, especially GPs. general practitioners. Paul Main reflects on a novel that depicts mental illness - and healing.
Fiona Baskett reviews a fascinating and highly acclaimed book by a forensic anthropologist.
In the UK, at the centre of our crucial battle against Covid-19s, our NHS has been, lionised and eulogised in heroic terms. But David Zigmond questions whether this recent praise for NHS staff in fact covers up a longstanding malaise, the destabilising
Dr Sian Russell talks about research into the use of NEWS in care homes.
Are GPs prepared for a future dominated by remote consultations? Ruth Chambers and her colleagues present results from their survey into the effectiveness of learning sets that help GPs to develop their video-consultation skills.
Why is it that risk is perceived differently by different people? During the COVID-19 pandemic there have been largely conflicting responses, both on an individual and national scale. Samar Razaq explores this question in light of the current pandemic and argues that
This year Covid-19 has been a backdrop to profound human loss. Anupma Parihar reflects on the role of patients' narratives in preserving the dignity of our our patients within the consultation.
Richard Churchill reviews a remarkable memoir from a remarkable doctor. Don't expect comfortable nostalgia!
The COVID 19 pandemic has resulted in a dramatic shift from face- to-face to remote consulting within general practice. But how will this impact ongoing patient care? Victoria Tzortziou Brown, Simon Gregory and Denis Pereira Gray examine the evidence.
As doctors we are committed to justice and an end to discrimination. So surely sex discrimination in medicine is a thing of the past? These four medical students from Kings are not so sure.
Afrosa Ahmed reflects on a telephone consultation that will change her patient's life forever. She missed the ability to reach out physically to her patient as she took in the news. We are human beings, who support one another in the consultation.
What a year we have had! BJGP Life is the GP's coffee lounge - let's talk together about our world and our ideas. BJGP Life invites you to join in the conversation. Here's how....
The reputation of general practice, once seen as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the NHS, is under threat. James Hibberd looks at the evidence.
Professor Simon de Lusignan talks about the factors found to be associated with excess mortality in England in this large study.
We know that cycling makes for a healthier commute for all, but GPs need evidence to help them allay patient's concerns if we are to incorporate active travel into our standard health promotion toolkit. Bethan Jones gives us the evidence.
A medical student reflects on their own anxieties, a patient that changed their practice, and mental illness in the medical profession.
Phanida Fung finds that "as a female GP, gynaecological problems are the number-one topic my non-medic friends seek advice for. However, help is here." Phanida reviews "The Gynae Geek" by Anita Mitra.
Might a better understanding of the history of medicine and an evolutionary perspective of disease actually improve our medical practice? Pearce Cusack reviews "Scattered Limbs: A Medical Dream-Book" by Iain Bamforth.
In this episode Dr Elizabeth Lovegrove talks about research into ACE inhibitors and ARBs and the risk they pose in pregnancy.
We are all hoping for a Covid vaccine that works. But even if we get one, will it be that simple? Ramiro Gilardino and Victoria Malek-Pascha consider five critical issues.
Why is the injustice of racism still an open sore in western culture? Paul Main takes our exploration forward with his review of two forceful books.
For a patient, time with their GP is everything; time to explain, connect, and trust. For the GP, time is just as essential. Not only for improved patient care, but for reflection on the enormous and constant changes to the profession. In
We are embodied social beings. We thrive on nurturing relationships. Touch forms a key part of those relationships in everyday life but is also a powerful form of communication for clinicians, allowing for wordless dialogue, presence and embodied empathy. Paquita de Zulueta
30 years ago we were told we were not treating pain adequately. There was a push to give people more analgesia. So, armed with our opioids and gabapentinoids we went and we medicated. But peoples' pain got worse. Katie Barnett examines what
Loneliness is a serious public health challenge facing the UK. David Jeffrey reviews a book describing the impact of an innovative community project in Somerset.
In this episode Dr Carol Sinnott talks about research into operational failures in primary care and how they impact on the daily stresses of being a GP.
It has been well reported that those in the community and end-of-life care have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, but little attention has been given to GPs and district nurses working in end-of-life care and the positive stories they have
Asthma treatment has improved markedly over recent years. But James Oxley wonders why we are not taking action to reduce environmental pollution from discarded inhalers.
Health care has seen a seismic shift to the utilisation of telehealth. Through the use of this technology many practices have seen a significant reduction in home visits, an acceleration of existing trends. However, at the boundaries of such acceleration we find
Aiman Aslam won the SAPC medical student essay prize for her piece reflecting on a consultation that changed her practice. She considers an elderly patient with dementia and the impact of her culture alongside the evidence base.