COVID-19 vaccine booster programme: JCVI advice
With autumn and winter approaching, COVID-19 continues to circulate in the UK. In England, the infection rate appears relatively stable, reflecting the remarkable success of the vaccination programme to date. Over 80% of people are now fully vaccinated, with a high...
Proposed changes in the Health and Care Bill: Impact for primary care and GPs
GPs are stretched to the limit, experiencing pressure from escalating workloads and a shortage of staff. This may feel a difficult time to overhaul the way that the NHS runs. However, the Health and Care Bill was introduced to Parliament on 6 July, which sets out...
Advice for locum GPs – How to access the Welsh state-backed indemnity scheme
Since 2019, GPs providing NHS services in England and Wales have been automatically covered against clinical negligence claims by state-backed indemnity schemes. However, from December 2020, locum GPs working in Wales have been required to sign up to the Locum Hub...
Recognition and management of sepsis in General Practice
Although sepsis is rare, it is a life-threatening condition and patients can deteriorate rapidly. GPs must be vigilant for signs and symptoms, and know what to do when they encounter it. When sepsis is suspected in a patient at high risk, they must be referred to...
Telephone triage systems: how to avoid the pitfalls
Telephone triage has been defined as ‘prioritising client’s health problems according to their urgency, educating and advising clients and making safe, effective and appropriate decisions’. It is a complex clinical skill. As GP practices moved rapidly to a ‘total...
GP practice requirements for safeguarding information disclosure
Patients need confidence that they can trust their doctors, not only with their health, but also with their personal data. Any breach of patients’ confidential information is likely to be damaging for public trust. However, appropriate sharing of patient information...
Reducing risk when prescribing controlled drugs
Updated guidance from the General Medical Council (GMC) on Good practice in prescribing and managing medicines and devices came into force in April, which emphasises limits on the prescribing of controlled drugs to reduce the risk of harm. This guidance is important...
Professional recognition of European GP qualifications after Brexit
The UK formally left the EU on 31 January 2020, entering into a tense transition period during which a long-term trade relationship was negotiated. After much uncertainty, the two sides eventually struck a deal and the EU-UK trade and co-operation agreement took...
Expanding your GP Practice team – Update on the additional roles reimbursement scheme
The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) is designed to expand the primary care work force and enable more proactive, personalised and integrated health and social care. Through the scheme, Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are entitled to access funding to recruit...
Mental health impacts of COVID-19 and lockdown intensify pressure on GPs
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, GPs were under pressure to deal with rising numbers of patients with mental health concerns. A survey by MIND in 2018 found that 40% of all GP appointments were about mental health. But COVID-19 and the resulting lockdowns are now...
COVID-19 vaccination programme: Is the UK on track?
The global COVID-19 vaccine roll-out started in the UK on 8 December 2020, with a 91-year-old grandmother receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech jab at University Hospital, Coventry. Roll-out of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine followed at Churchill Hospital in Oxford on 4...
Delivery of mass vaccination programmes during the pandemic
Monday 9th November brought encouraging, preliminary reports that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine provided more than 90% protection against COVID-19. Only a week later, Moderna announced efficacy of 94.5% for their COVID-19 vaccine candidate. With first results from Phase...