Data explosion leading to more “worried well”
A SURVEY of GPs has found that over eight out of 10 agreed that the mass of data available to patients from the internet and "home readings" will lead to an increase in the "worried well" seeking appointments.
GPs to be audited on sepsis
EVERY GP practice in England is to be audited by March as part of a new campaign to reduce sepsis.
Risk reduction: prioritisation, delegation and communication
Winter is always a busy time for the NHS. However, this year seems to be particularly bad and the public are bombarded with news of over-crowded A&E departments and patients waiting for hours in ambulances and corridors to be seen by a doctor.
Persistent heartburn patients urged to see GP
ONLY 55 per cent of patients have said they would visit their GP with persistent heartburn over three weeks – a potential sign of stomach or oesophageal cancer.
Call for pause in medical training reforms
FIFTEEN organisations representing trainee doctors are calling for a pause in a major programme of reforms to medical training.
High demand for £160k private medical degree
MORE than 500 people have applied for just 70 places on the UK’s first private university medical degree, at a cost of £36,000 a year.
New time limit on provisional registration
TRAINEE doctors will be able to hold provisional registration with the General Medical Council for a maximum of three years and 30 days under new rules that come into effect on April 1.
Letter urges doctors to become GPs
A LETTER urging doctors to consider an “exciting” career in general practice has been sent out to more than 20,000 trainees in England by the chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Risk reduction: stopping medicines when patients default from review
In a previous blog I illustrated the importance of robust processes that ensure any patient with a condition requiring clinical monitoring is added to practice recall systems, so that an alert is prompted should they fail to attend for review.
Does your practice have a bad weather policy?
Medical and dental practices should have a bad weather policy to ensure they are fully prepared for any staff disruptions caused by the harsh winter weather.