Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Locum Consultant Dr Caitriona MacDermott about assessing and managing constipation in Palliative Patients. A common symptom with a significant impact on people’s quality of life, the episode aims to get across the importance of the topic, the often multifactorial nature of clinical scenarios, the red flags not to miss and arm you with a logical and holistic approach to management. We discuss how management might differ for patients with certain conditions such as partial bowel obstruction, neurological causes, or liver disease. An important listen for those of us ..read more

As requested by GP Trainees, this week's episode is on tips to pass the Simulated Consultation Assessment exam; the final exam for GP trainees in the UK. We spoke to Dr Anne Hawkridge who was a GP trainer in Bolton for over 20 years and has been a MRCGP examiner since 2007 when the CSA (Clinical Skills Assessment) started, the predecessor to the pandemic RCA and now the SCA. She is also the co-founder of the successful exam support programme here in the North West; the SOX programme (Support on Exams) and co-author of the North West England Consultation Toolkit which is published in full on th ..read more

Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Respiratory Physiotherapist Thomas James about COPD. We start with what COPD is, when to suspect it, a standard work up, pitfalls and points of consideration about spirometry, before moving on to an overview of management. We then cover some changes in the way COPD exacerbations are managed in South Manchester and the role of Eosinophils in both acute and chronic management. Understanding the role of Pulmonary rehabilitation, prednisolone and exercise in management are particular highlights. We cover our learning points from the episode at the end.  You can u ..read more

Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Dr Joanna Bircher, Dr Nikesh Vallabh, Shelley Ryder (SWAN PCN Manager and Transformation Lead) and Dr Fran Fitton. We find out what proactive care is all about and then launch into example projects around dementia care that Shelley and Fran are involved in. We hope this gives people a flavour of what proactive care projects could entail in General Practice in terms of design and implementation.  Later in the year, we hope to bring more examples of projects and how they managed to get them off the ground.  You can use these podcasts as part of your C ..read more

***SUMMER REWIND  - INITIALLY RELEASED ON 31ST JAN 2024*** To get in touch: primarycarepodcasts@gmail.com Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Senior Pharmacist Sarah Hafeez about Polypharmacy. She explains the difference between inappropriate and appropriate polypharmacy before talking through some typical cases that illustrate several examples of common scenarios.  This leads to discussions on prioritising concerns, weaning/stopping medications, counselling patients on the effects of Opioids and Gabapentinoids and involving community teams aiming for successful reductions of addiction for ..read more

Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Palliative Care Consultant Lesley Henson and Specialty Doctor Caitriona MacDermott for a discussion on common issues Primary Care Clinicians face when dealing with patients at the end of life and their families. We discuss Hospice admission criteria and the role of the hospice. We then look at how they approach questions around palliative symptoms like breathlessness, reduced oral intake and this leads on to a conversation about assessing and discussing options around hydration. We get their approach to answering questions around prognosis and navigating the scena ..read more

Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Palliative Care Consultant Lesley Henson and Specialty Doctor Dr Caitriona MacDermott about Breathlessness as a symptom in Palliative Patients. We start with a case to look at an approach to a patient with deteriorating breathlessness, before discussing a diagnosis of refractory breathlessness. We explore the importance of understanding the subjective nature of this experience before moving on to non-pharmacological and pharmacological options to help manage this often distressing symptom. We talk about managing anxiety around breathlessness and get their advice o ..read more

Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Dr Saadat Ahmed, ST5 in Geriatrics for a deep dive into Osteoporosis. We cover what it is, why it matters, what the risks factors are, who and how to assess for it, and what to do with results from FRAX and DXA scans. After a discussion on lifestyle options to help improve bone health, we ask advice on counselling patients around the pros and cons of taking Bisphosphonates including his advice on talking about the rarer side effects. We talk through a case and ask advice on how to reassess bone health after these initial conversations, and medications might have b ..read more

Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to GPs Dr Joanna Bircher, Dr Lucy Spurrell and Dr Dario Rydel about their experiences in different roles in General practice; salaried, partner and locum. The aim of the episode is for GPs or GP trainees listening to get a flavour of their experiences and to understand the pros and cons of each of those roles in general practice, with a particular focus on the partnership model and the benefits of becoming a partner. Useful resources:  GPOnline Talking General Practice Podcast, Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer on the GP contract and the fight for a better deal: https ..read more

Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Dr Tim Dalton, a GP in Wigan, and Chair of the Greater Manchester GP Provider Board. The focus of today’s episode is all about how general practice is funded. They cover how it is different from other NHS settings, the sources of income in general practice and the flow of money through the system, DES’, LES’ and QOF, the place of PCNs and Federations, as well as talking about different types of GP contracts and what these mean. To note: this was recorded in March 2024, just before the new contract details were released and so doesn't contain the specifics of the n ..read more