Category: Opinion

John Brooks takes us to a little known Gaudi building, El Capricho in Comillas, northern Spain. But were Gaudi’s amazing powers of observation and creativity partly a result of his childhood arthritis?

In Oncology clinics, during Covid-19, patients usually have only one person with them and may be asked to make treatment decisions in a few minutes, often in a corridor. Alistair Appleby makes the case for “enhanced consent” with time, counselling and additional information. All patients deserve treatment that ascertains what is important to them and puts this at the heart of their care.

Once the urgency of Covid is over, let us remember our core skill as GPs – listening to our patients. Charles Todd reminds us that every patient encounter is unique.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK was a dramatic reduction in both the number of Two Week Wait referrals being made by general practitioners, and the number of patients being diagnosed with and treated for cancer. The return now to baseline of the 2WW referral and new cancer diagnosis rates suggests the imminent arrival of an influx of undiagnosed cancer into the health service.

We all want 2021 to be a better year! It’s not too late to make a new year’s resolution. Prithvi Dixit and David Salman help us to get into a better exercise regime.

We hope for better things in 2021. But not everyone in our society is so hopeful. Mo Stewart argues that austerity measures, added to social policy reforms, are leading to those in greatest need now living in fear.

Why do we continue to examine GP trainees at 10 minutes when the RCGP itself has called for longer GP consultations? Greg Irving and colleagues question the status quo.

Jonathan Wells has had a busy and stressful year. He tells us how thinking differently about his time off has helped him to manage the stress of work.