A campaign has been launched to increase public awareness of professionals other than doctors working in general practice. The campaign aims to help patients know which health workers, such as physiotherapists, they may be able to seek direct appointments with or “self refer”. NHS England says it wants to raise awareness of the physiotherapists, pharmacists,…

When I used to think of Davina McCall, I’d conjure up an image of an over-enthusiastic MTV VJ (Video Jockey for the youngsters among us) or an excitable host of Big Brother. Now I associate the menopause with her for several reasons – mainly for speaking out about it and removing the stigma. But, also,…

A team-based approach can be effective in providing continuity of care for hypertension in general practice, according to a new study. Dr Esther Yee Tak Yu at the University of Hong Kong, and colleagues explain in the British Journal of General Practice that continuity of care has previously been linked to improved health outcomes in…

General practice needs a “safety alert” system to provide back up for practices that cannot cope, the Royal College of GPs has said. The call comes after a survey of college members found that almost half of GPs now believe they do not have enough time to ensure safe outcomes for patients. The survey also…

October is Speak Up Month, a time to raise awareness about the NHS “Speak Up / Listen Up” goals, and to highlight the important role that Freedom to Speak Up Guardians play in the NHS. What is speaking up? Speaking up is simply sharing something that’s causing you problems while you’re trying to do your…

Growing numbers of GP trainees are planning to quit medicine because of the “unsustainable” workload they have seen experienced by fully qualified GPs, according to a new survey. Many others are planning to work less than full time as they believe that reduced hours will still be the equivalent of full time work, according to…

October is the month when, annually, we celebrate World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme is ‘Mental health is a universal human right’. The aim of the day is to raise awareness and make positive changes. It’s also a specific date in our diaries to make time to talk about mental health – looking after…