General Practitioner News and Research

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RCPA’s new factsheets to breakdown the mystery of pathology

Pathology is a section of the healthcare system that takes place behind the scenes, tucked away in laboratories and, as a result, is an area of medicine that is largely misunderstood. Often pathology can open up a plethora of questions such as: why do I need a pathology test; where can I have a test; how safe is the testing; how is a pathology test fee calculated; and how should I go about genetic testing?

7 Aug 2012

Migrant access to GPs lacking

Migrants newly arriving in the UK need better access to GPs and primary care services, say experts from the Health Protection Agency.

7 Aug 2012

GPs urged to publicise patient rights

Patients have ‘very limited’ knowledge of their rights as laid out in the NHS Constitution, the Patients Association says.

6 Aug 2012

NICE commissioning targets unveiled

NICE has released the full menu of Commissioning Outcomes Framework indicators that it is proposing CCG performance should be judged on from 2013.

1 Aug 2012

GP cancer referrals ‘vary widely’

Cancer referral rates vary markedly across England, reveal data published today by the National Cancer Intelligence Network.

31 Jul 2012

University of York researchers launch major study of lymphoma and myeloma

Researchers at the University of York are launching a major study of lymphoma and myeloma aimed at promoting earlier diagnosis and improving survival for patients with these cancers, which are among the most common in the UK.

27 Jul 2012

Physios to get prescribing powers

Physiotherapists and podiatrists are set to gain independent prescribing powers from 2014, under proposals unveiled by the Department of Health this week.

26 Jul 2012

RCGP: GPs ‘crucial’ in personal budget plans

The RCGP is calling for GPs to review personal health budget care plans, warning that patients’ health needs may not be met if their allocated funds run out.

25 Jul 2012

Asda to sell OTC asthma inhalers

From today, asthma patients will be able to buy salbutamol inhalers from Asda supermarkets, without seeing their GP.

24 Jul 2012

Middle-aged female back pain sufferers commonly use CAM

Middle-aged women with back pain are commonly using both conventional and complementary and alternative medicine, Australian study findings show.

24 Jul 2012

New UC M program to test comprehensive care physician model

Patients who are frequently hospitalized account for a disproportionate amount of health care spending in the United States. Working with a $6.1 million grant, a new University of Chicago Medicine program will test whether an updated version of the traditional general practitioner can reduce spending while also improving care for these patients.

19 Jul 2012

Bid to cut unnecessary GP visits

The NHS has launched a national survey to investigate why people go to their doctor about common ailments, as part of a campaign aimed at cutting down on unnecessary GP appointments.

13 Jul 2012

AF care ‘inadequate’

Cardiology experts are supporting a call for greater attention to diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation in primary care to prevent strokes.

10 Jul 2012

Dementia diagnosis plan unveiled

GP training, improved access to memory clinics and a public campaign for awareness are necessary to improve the diagnosis of dementia in the UK, says the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia.

10 Jul 2012

Booklet simplifies dizziness care

Giving patients with chronic dizziness a simple booklet to help them learn vestibular rehabilitation exercises is a highly cost-effective alternative to the usual way of treating them, report researchers in the BMJ.

10 Jul 2012

Exercise-based treatment effective in treating persistent dizziness

A professor from the University of Southampton has called on doctors around the world to give patients with persistent dizziness a booklet of simple exercises, after new research has shown that it is a very cost effective treatment for common causes of the condition.

5 Jul 2012

Signs that a child is seriously ill: Interview with Professor Middleton

There are several signs that indicate that a child is seriously ill. These can be spotted by parents, teachers and carers as well as by me or any other doctor or nurse.

4 Jul 2012

Nanosphere receives FDA marketing approval for Verigene GP Blood Culture Nucleic Acid Test

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today allowed marketing of the first nucleic acid test that can identify 12 different bacterial types known to cause bloodstream infections.

28 Jun 2012

Structure of human P-glycoprotein in a moving 3D computer model

A picture is worth 1,000 words when it comes to understanding how things work, but 3D moving pictures are even better. That's especially true for scientists trying to stop cancer by better understanding the proteins that make some chemotherapies unsuccessful.

21 Jun 2012

Addition of physical activity intervention to usual care does not reduce depressive symptoms

Current clinical guidance recommends physical activity to alleviate the symptoms of depression. However, new research published in the BMJ, suggests that adding a physical activity intervention to usual care did not reduce symptoms of depression more than usual care alone, even though it increased levels of physical activity.

16 Jun 2012