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Opinion - Page 4

Every gap is an educational gap

"Recently I saw Ted and Rachel. They were living temporarily in a share house as they had recently been made homeless. Ted is a happy man despite his current circumstances, but has diabetes that is not well controlled. He takes his medication,
9 January 2026
2 mins read

A new GP feeling at sea

Alongside the elation and excitement of reaching Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) however, is a feeling of being somewhat cast adrift.  There is a distinct lack of celebration and more importantly perhaps, a distinct lack of support.
19 May 2025
3 mins read
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The psychosomatic self

If the only reason a doctor labels symptoms as psychosomatic is that they can’t come up with a better explanation, they might as well blame the fairies at the bottom of the garden... Ben Hoban will make you think!
14 May 2025
5 mins read
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Clinical courage

Clinical courage is a term that has emerged in the field of rural general practice, particularly in Canada and Australia. Caroline McCarthy reflects on how it manifested for her.
8 May 2025
3 mins read
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The days of small things

...I sensed that they also lived in a different dimension of time. The soft chattering of the patients waiting and sitting on the grass outside the clinic had an unhurried acceptance of just waiting. Storied reflection from rural general practice in South
5 May 2025
5 mins read

It is time we talk about the duties of a patient

"... while patients' rights have been well-defined, the corresponding duties of a patient are rarely articulated [...] Just as doctors must adhere to professional standards, patients should be expected to fulfil certain duties — to themselves, healthcare professionals, the health system, society,
24 April 2025
5 mins read
1
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An Easter egg from BJGP Life

'To find the Easter egg in a movie you often have to wade through the credits, which lengthen in proportion to the CGI special effects and lavish locations...' Some Easter reflections and highlights.
20 April 2025
2 mins read
1

How long does general practice take?

"... to my surprise, I’ve become the sort of doctor that has been in the same clinic for 20 years. I’ve never been bored, I’ve often been anxious, and I’ve been privileged to witness some of the most amazing and some of the
8 April 2025
2 mins read
1
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Access to general practice

The Health Foundation has recently identified that the public’s first big priority across the NHS is to make it easier to get an appointment at their GP practice. Nada Khan explores what meaningful access looks like in general practice.
7 April 2025
6 mins read
1
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What is Illness?

Peter Toon considers how public debates inform why we define a condition as illness rather than another type of problem, and the implications of this.
4 April 2025
10 mins read
3
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Getting an upgrade

Taking a look at her consultation model feels like the least painful of her goals to try and get done, and so she takes hold of the flaking metal handrail, slowly breathes in and out to centre herself, and walks down the
3 April 2025
4 mins read
2
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Write for (BJGP) Life

I reflect on the journey to (and from) the BJGP conference. Sometimes the writing is already there, and only needs a home. Sometimes it needs an invitation... Writers for (BJGP) Life, I look forward to hearing from you!
22 March 2025
6 mins read
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Narrative failure

Something shifted in my head, and I heard the sound of a penny dropping in a bank vault deep underground. I rummaged around in my desk for the Campbell-Frank Analyser and applied the scalp electrodes and mask with trembling hands.
10 March 2025
4 mins read
1
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Illusions of control

Ponder this: The causal link between our actions and any outcome may be dubious, but the relief we feel at having done something, especially when there is an improvement of some kind, is so strongly reinforcing that we tend to ignore this.
7 March 2025
5 mins read
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