Category: Opinion

Under the Prevent policy, NHS Trust staff are trained to spot signs of radicalisation and refer cases to the government. Within a systemically racist social system this policy succeeds only in targeting minority groups and those who are most vulnerable. The abolishment of this policy must be sought; GPs must begin to speak out.

Ed Warren is a retired GP. He notes that a feature of getting older is that you have more opinions and are convinced that others want to hear them. He reflects on the ageing process, cognitive biases, coming to terms with his “own journey into dotage and oblivion”.

The opportunities to treat more and more patients in less and less time is the unspoken aim of the improving of technology. But as we move into this future, we must continue to courageously ask both ourselves and our employers; is this really doctoring and who is really benefitting?

The Cumberledge report puts forward the case for radical reform. Dealing with those who have by our actions sustained loss and pain, even as a recognised complication of a necessary procedure, can be exceptionally challenging. It is important to be able to identify and recognise the feelings that we experience in response to this scenario in order to be able to cope with them and avoid transference to the patient.

Baroness Cumberlege’s report describes suffering that was “entirely avoidable, caused and compounded by failings in the health system itself” and her report advocates for radical reform. Let us be forever proud of the response to COVID. Let us urgently examine the collateral damage that resulted from disruption to care and intervene quickly to reduce further harm.

If general practice becomes unsustainable, we will lose the most effective and efficient health service we have, and it will not be easily replaced. It’s time we involved GPs in the critical analysis of the holes in the system, before our capacity for volunteer labour drains away.

So why am I more exhausted from a full day in practice when I have only seen four patients face-to-face, dealt with 30 or so patients over the phone and conducted a MS Teams practice meeting? The ambience around appears calmer – so why the fatigue?

Most clinicians will encounter cases of self-neglect during their career, which will vary from mild presentations to really disturbing cases where the self-neglect becomes extreme. What drives such behaviour and how do we manage it?

Described as the ‘cornerstone of safe and effective practice’, the physical examination has always been an integral part of what makes a competent GP. With recent evidence presenting a decline in GPs’ physical examination skills over recent years, GP Simon Morgan reflects on his own experiences during his career.

Might a headlong rush to implement ICSs erode the trust that those who have to work in and implement ICSs have for those who drive this agenda? When there is such fragility and strain across an entire service, a natural pause in proceedings at this point may over the longer term, create lasting success.

The effect of being stopped and searched by the police can be psychologically traumatic and leave one feeling scared, powerless and humiliated. I thought about my patients. A lot of patients I look after are black and I wondered about how negative interactions with police could affect their psychological health and wellbeing.