Primary Care Knowledge Boost
Join doctors Sara and Lisa as they interview specialists from around Greater Manchester with the aim of improving the confidence and knowledge of local primary care clinicians. The podcast has been made possible due to the support of Wigan CCG and GP Excellence in Greater Manchester.
Episodes
Tips for listening, and how to avoid dismissing young women
In this really interesting episode, Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan - Consultant in Sexual Health and HIV Medicine, and Dr Laura Tinner - Research Fellow in Centre for Public Health, at Bristol University. Rageshri talks about her lived experience of being dismissed in a medical situation, despite her professional background and how this led to her researching the topic in de
Chronic Kidney Disease
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Consultant Nephrologist Dr James Tollitt about Chronic Kidney Disease. We started by defining this and asking detailed questions on diagnosis, pitfalls to avoid, before getting his advice on risk stratifying patients and options for management. Excellent key messages with some easy practice pointers to take away that will benefit your patients and practice.
Disclaim
Type 2 Diabetes: Management Tips
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Consultant Endocrinologist Dr Rupinder Kochhar about patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Using hypothetical cases, we talk a little bit about diagnosis, but spend most of the time discussing the details of management in younger patients as well as how to de-escalate treatment and what the goals might be in a more frail elderly patient.
Disclaimer: All educational content
Managing Heart Failure, CKD and T2DM in Primary Care
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Consultant Nephrologist Dr Darren Green about patients with Type 2 Diabetes who also have Chronic Kidney Disease and Heart Failure.
We go through a hypothetical case to illustrate some of the finer points of management that can commonly get missed or might not be appreciated. A really detailed talk full of useful practice enhancing tips for this complex group of pat
Parkinson's Disease
Doctors Lisa and Sara are back with Consultant Neurologist Dr Antonella Macerollo for this episode about Parkinson’s disease.
We look at a typical case and discuss what Parkinson’s is, the differentials, the need for time to discern between these, and the options for treatment. Links include information on Clinical Trials and Parkinson’s UK which is an active Charity linking resources together f
Round up of the Year 2025
Doctors Sara and Lisa discuss the podcast episodes over the year. We talk about our longer term learning points, how the year has gone and what's to come.
___
We really want to make these episodes relevant and helpful: if you have any questions or want any particular areas covered then contact us on Twitter @PCKBpodcast, or leave a comment on our quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/fee
Essential Tremor
Doctors Lisa and Sara speak to Consultant Neurologist Dr Antonella Macerollo about Essential Tremor (ET). We take a case and go through what ET is, how it might present, differentials and the differences between other conditions, how it might affect people and what management options there are.
This is the first of two Episodes with Dr Antonella Macerollo, our next one is about Parkinson’s Disea
Digital Developments in Primary Care
Doctors Sara and Lisa speak to Dr Chris Nortcliff who is a GP and Chief Clinical Information Officer for Greater Manchester Primary Care Provider Board. The discussion is focussed around all things digital in primary care. We start with an overview of how the digital environment is set up within Greater Manchester. We then spend some time talking about digital inclusion - covering how to find peop
Assisted Conception - Managing Subfertility in General Practice
Doctors Lisa and Sara are joined by Dr Cheryl Fitzgerald who is a retired gynaecologist with an extensive background in subfertility. Using a hypothetical case we discuss the definition of subfertility, important components of a history with this presenting complaint, and comorbidities to be aware of. We talk about who should be referred to secondary care, and what patients can expect from that re
Where do your Microbiology Specimens go?
Doctors Lisa and Sara are joined by Medical microbiology and Infectious Diseases Consultant Dr Callum Mutch to follow the journey of a urine sample and a throat swab as they are processed. We discuss the important points to get right in the pre-analytical, analytical and post analytical stages of their journeys. Some fascinating insights (including how the clinical details can affect what is teste
Introducing Episode 6 of the Contented Clinician Podcast: Presenting balanced information about benefits and harms to patients makes you more contented
We’ve got something a little bit different for you today, instead of our summer rewind.
Some people may remember the wonderful episode about dealing with Uncertainty we did way back in 2020 with GP, Primary Care Educator and Author Dr Avril Danczak. It was such an important episode in our careers and I know helped many others.
We wanted to share the news that Avril is doing brilliant podcasting
Things you need to know about Microbiology
Doctors Lisa and Sara are joined by Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Consultant Dr Callum Mutch for an overview of Antibiotics and Microbiology in General Practice. Doctors Callum and Jame host a podcast in Infectious Diseases called ID:IOTS and we wanted to do a crossover episode exploring common themes in Microbiology that we encounter in General Practice. We talk about the case of a
Asthma Guidelines: What's new?
Doctors Lisa and Sara take a deep dive into the recent combined asthma guidelines with Dr Murugesan Raja who is a GP and clinical lead for respiratory medicine for NHS Greater Manchester Strategic Clinical Network. We go through the new asthma recommendations for the different age groups, starting with a reminder of what symptoms make up a typical asthma history, moving on to the new pathway of i
Nasal Obstruction in Children
Episode four of four on Paediatric ENT. Doctors Lisa and Sara are back with Paediatric Ear Nose and Throat Consultant Dr Simone Schaefer for this episode on nasal obstruction in children. We use examples of typical cases to discuss an approach to assessing these patients, discussing who ENT might want to see urgently, and differentials for these presentations. We discuss options for management in
Recurrent Epistaxis in Children
Episode three of four on Paediatric ENT. Doctors Lisa and Sara are back with Paediatric Ear Nose and Throat Consultant Dr Simone Schaefer for this episode on Recurrent Epistaxis in Children. We discuss important differentials, including a rare condition that can present in predominantly teenage boys not to be missed, before moving on to discuss options for management and why the vast majority of t
Recurrent Tonsillitis in Children
Episode two of four on Paediatric ENT conditions. Doctors Lisa and Sara are back with Paediatric Ear Nose and Throat Consultant Dr Simone Schaefer for this episode on Recurrent Tonsillitis in Children. We go through the definition of tonsillitis and what ENT class as recurrent Tonsillitis that would hit the criteria for Tonsillectomy in our region. We use a case and discuss why referral criteria a
Recurrent Acute Otitis Media in Children
Episode one of four on Paediatric ENT conditions. Doctors Lisa and Sara are joined by Paediatric Ear Nose and Throat Consultant Dr Simone Schaefer for this episode on Recurrent Acute Otitis Media (AOM) in Children. A common problem, we take a classic presentation and work through getting the diagnosis right, red flags and differentials before discussing management and which children may need refer
The Beauty of Balint Groups in General Practice
Doctors Lisa and Sara are joined by GP and Medical Educator Dr Alan Ng, working in Canada. We discuss what Balint groups are, starting from who Balint was. We go through the structure of a Balint session and why they exist in the form they do. We discuss the advantages to both Doctors and their patients of discussing cases within a Balint group and being part of a group. Discussions can help us ga
How General Practice can support International Medical Graduates
Doctors Lisa and Sara were delighted to interview Dr Sylvia Kama-Kieghe, a GP based in Sheffield with an interest in Women’s Health. She is the Chair of the Royal College of General Practice North of England International Medical Graduates Group. We start with what the group does, why it was set up and look at issues International Medical Graduates might face when working and training in the UK. W
Tips from an International Medical Graduate about joining General Practice
For the podcast this week we spoke to Dr Abid Ali Khan, a GP trainee in East London currently on a Clinical Fellowship in Leadership (National Medical Directors Clinical Fellow). We focused on his experiences as an International Medical Graduate to gain an understanding of the challenges he faced coming to the UK. We got his advice for other International Medical Graduates and those supporting IMG
Hepatitis C
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Hepatitis C GP Champion Dr Lindsey Kent and Greater Manchester Peer Programme Manager Tony Horrocks for an overview of Hepatitis C. We cover the basics around the virus and prevalence, potential symptoms and at risk groups to consider when offering testing. We discuss the great work being done to eradicate Hepatitis C in Manchester (and around the UK) including Tony’s
Round up of the Year 2024
Doctors Sara and Lisa discuss the podcast episodes over the year. We talk about our longer term learning points, how the year has gone and what's to come.
___
We really want to make these episodes relevant and helpful: if you have any questions or want any particular areas covered then contact us on Twitter @PCKBpodcast, or leave a comment on our quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedb
Constipation in Palliative Patients
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 t
Tips to Pass the SCA for GP Trainees
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-fou
COPD in General Practice
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 mana
Proactive Care - Dementia Projects
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
2024 Polypharmacy Summer Rewind
***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 prioriti
Palliative Care - Common Questions Answered
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,
Breathlessness in Palliative Care
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 e
Osteoporosis
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 Bisphospho
GP Partner and other ways of working
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 partnershi
How General Practice is funded
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 talki
Non-Clinical Passports: cultivating non-clinical expertise in General Practice
Doctors Lisa and Sara are joined this week by Satty Boyes (Senior programme manager) and Lorna Laflin (Previous Practice Manager who works with the GP Excellence team). They discuss a new platform in Greater Manchester for the non-clinical workforce within General Practice, which allows staff to explore progression pathways, track their professional progress, and access learning opportunities al
Anticipatory Prescribing in Primary Care
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Specialty Doctor Caitriona MacDermott about anticipatory prescribing for Palliative patients. An area where there has been much learning over the last several years, it is a good opportunity to get some teaching on why this is the case, the stages involved in recognition and addressing symptoms at the end of life, the need for regular reviews in terms of the potential
MSK Mini-Series: Knee Pain
This is the third episode in our MSK mini-series. Doctors Lisa and Sara speak to Tom Smith and Charlotte Barker again, who are First Contact Practitioners in Wigan. The focus of this chat is shoulder pain - using a hypothetical case to discuss important history points, red flags, useful examination tips, differential diagnoses and further assessment options.
You can use these podcasts as part of y
MSK Mini-Series: Shoulder Pain
This is the second episode in our MSK mini-series. Doctors Lisa and Sara speak to Tom Smith and Charlotte Barker again, who are First Contact Practitioners in Wigan. The focus of this chat is shoulder pain - using a hypothetical case to discuss important history points, red flags, useful examination tips, differential diagnoses and further assessment options.
You can use these podcasts as part of
MSK Mini-Series: Back Pain
This is the first episode in a three part MSK mini-series, which aims to briefly capture important features in history, examination and further investigations of common joint presentations. Doctors Sara and Lisa speak to Tom Smith and Charlotte Barker who are First Contact Physiotherapists in Wigan. Back pain is the focus of this episode, with a fictional case used to chat through history, examina
Polypharmacy
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 Gabapentin
Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Doctors Lisa and Sara speak with Dr Anne Connolly, a GP with a special in Gynaecology, trained hysteroscopist, and founding member of the Primary Care Women's Health Forum, where she just stepped down as chair in 2023. They speak about the importance of raising awareness about women’s health problems such as heavy menstrual bleeding, how underappreciated it can be, and the impact it can have on wo
Chronic Pain
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to Dr Mahindra Chincholkar, a consultant anaesthetist and Clinical Director Manchester and Salford Pain Centre. They take a detailed dive into the concept of pain and chronic pain, and then Mahindra explains his stepwise approach to assessing and managing chronic pain through the use of an anonymous case.
Greater Manchester healthcare professionals have collaborated to
Round up of the Year
Doctors Sara and Lisa discuss the podcast episodes over the year. We talk about our longer term learning points, how the year has gone and what's to come.
___
We really want to make these episodes relevant and helpful: if you have any questions or want any particular areas covered then contact us on Twitter @PCKBpodcast, or leave a comment on our quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedb
Frailty
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to Dr Sadaat Ahmed about Frailty. We discuss definitions, frailty syndromes, frailty scores and the need to take care with these. We talk through a case to showcase how recognising frailty and managing the controllable areas can make a big difference to patients' lives and slow or even sometimes reverse frailty.
You can use these podcasts as part of your CPD - we don’t
Sustainability in General Practice
The importance of addressing climate change and sustainability is gaining more traction across the NHS. In order to find out more about the situation, and what can be done within Primary Care, Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to Dr David McKelvey who is a GP from Salford and NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Clinical Lead in Sustainability in Primary Care.
You can use these podcasts as part of you
Research in General Practice
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to a GP involved in Primary Care Research Dr Imran Ghafoor and Ewa Grzegorska, a Research Support Facilitator from the National Health and Clinical Research Institute about Research in Primary Care. We talk through Dr Ghafoor’s journey into being part of Primary Care Research, what embarking on Research Projects in Primary Care might look like, from the straightforward t
Dentistry as part of Primary Care
To find out more about how Dentistry works in England, Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Greater Manchester Workforce Lead for Dentistry Mukhtar Ahmad. We cover how Dental Services are set up and funded in England and some current challenges. We move on to specific questions about how General Practice and Dentistry can help each other. Themes include; information sharing, Bisphosphonates, Chemotherapy
Assessing a Child or Young Person with a Potential Eating Disorder
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Senior Eating Disorder Practitioners Vicky McGee and Rachelle Davies to get their advice on consulting with children and young people who present with features of an Eating Disorder. We take the theoretical case of 14-year-old Suzie, who presents to the Practice alongside her Mum with mood symptoms, reduced eating and weight loss. We use this to guide the discussion a
Workforce and Retention Issues in General Practice
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to GPs and Workforce Leads Dr Nikesh Vallabh and Dr Richard Bircher. They wanted to talk to us today to discuss a practical approach to some of the workforce issues we are all facing. This episode will be particularly useful for GP Partners, Practice Managers and anyone interested in workforce issues in General Practice.
The clicking into the episode will bring up a larg
Hypertension - What’s New?
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Dr Aseem Mishra to discuss changes in the guidelines for Hypertension. The discussion includes advice on how to get the most accurate diagnosis and measurements for blood pressures, the importance of counselling patients well, and advice on medications. We started with a poem from Aseem focusing around why this is such an important topic.
You can use these podcasts as
The Art of Stuck Cases: A Framework for Managing Complexity in Primary Care
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk with Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Mark Spurrell about a framework that can be applied to the care of complex patients with multiple problems or difficulties. It is particularly useful at times where we feel stuck, we are struggling to help or move forward and care may be fragmented with lots of care professionals feeling similarly. The idea is to use a value based approach
Community Optometry Explained
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Optometrist Dharmesh Patel to get an understanding of Optometry as part of the Primary Care Team. We discuss how the service is set up, what can be done at the Opticians, different types of patient access and how GP practices can link in with services. We discuss the Community Urgent Eye Care Service (CUES), Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS) and Community Eye Care S
Ovarian Cancer
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to GP Dr Charlotte Bădescu about Ovarian Cancer. We focus on the important learning points about cardinal and other features of presentations to better understand this cancer as an abdominal cancer with symptoms that can and do often present much earlier than the diagnosis is often picked up. She talks us through the value of CA125 tests and the reasons not to be overly
Community Pharmacy Explained
Doctors Lisa and Sara are joined by Community Pharmacist and Director of Pharmacy Transformation for Greater Manchester Luvjit Kandula. We learn all about the Essential Services and Enhanced Services Community Pharmacies are engaged in and get an understanding of the pressures Community Pharmacies are under. We discuss the plans for upcoming transformations and top tips to avoid errors in prescrib
Staff Wellbeing - A New QOF Indicator
Doctors Lisa and Sara are joined this week by Dominic Anderson (Programme Director of the Health and Wellbeing Programme Greater Manchester), Lorna Laflin (Former Practice Manager who works with the GP Excellence team) and Joanna Bircher (GP and Programme Director for GP Excellence). We discuss the new QOF indicators around Workforce and Wellbeing in General Practice. We learn what the indicators
Red Flags for Gynaecological Cancers
Doctors Lisa and Sara speak with Dr Uma Marthi who is a GP with a Specialist Interest in Gynaecology about red flags for gynaecological cancers. We discuss some cases based on real patients that involve cervical, vaginal and endometrial cancers. We’ll be recording a separate episode around the varied presentations of Ovarian cancer.
You can use these podcasts as part of your CPD - we don’t do cer
Summer Rewind - Vertigo
**Summer Rewind: This episode was first released on Nov 30th 2022**
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Consultant Otolaryngologist Ms Emma Stapleton and Clinical Scientist David Jay about Vertigo. We discuss the definition, differentials, and how to use information around timing and triggers to differentiate between the likely causes of vertigo. We get their take on the important details in the examina
Everything you need to know about GP Appraisals
Doctors Lisa and Sara speak with GP Dr Allison Rees for her advice on how to approach GP Appraisals and Revalidation. We heard her talk about this in a Health Education England First Five talk a few years ago and found it so helpful. We cover why they can be useful, the practicalities of what needs to be done and how to make them work for you.
You can use these podcasts as part of your CPD - we d
Angina
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to Dr Wasim Javed, ST6 in Cardiology, about the diagnosis and management of Angina. Taking a theoretical case we talk through symptoms, differentials, diagnosis, including the guidelines and practicalities of different types of functional and non-functional tests, as well types of angina and their management. It was useful to understand the initial management once diagno
Greater Manchester NHSE GP Fellowships - A Great Opportunity for New GPs
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to talk to Dr Mary Cheshire who is the GP lead on the NHS England Fellowships for Greater Manchester GPs. As she explains, this is a fairly informal fellowship done over 2 years offering different types of courses and support that essentially consists of a paid CPD session a week and a range of CPD events to facilitate this. The course runs a qualification in coaching pe
Long COVID - An Update
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to talk to GP and Professor of General Practice Research Dr Carolyn Chew-Graham about the current landscape of Long COVID three years on. She spoke to us on the topic back in August 2021, but what we know and some of the treatments have moved on from then. In this talk we discuss why the patient-preferred term is Long COVID rather than Post COVID Syndrome, symptoms, how
Changing Access Models in General Practice - A Success Story
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to GP Dr Adam Cliffe about how he and his practice went about changing the model by which patients access the practice. It is so far working very well for both staff and patients. It’s an interesting talk about change management and one example of how a difficult situation was changed for the better.
You can use these podcasts as part of your CPD - we don’t do certific
Cholesterol Management in General Practice
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to Dr Aseem Mishra, Academic GP trainee involved in helping produce the Guidelines for the Greater Manchester Lipid Pathway. Greater Manchester has very high levels of Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACEs). The guidelines for how to treat hyperlipidaemia and what we’re aiming for have changed. Dr Mishra helps talk through these changes. Towards the end of the epis
Common Throat Problems in General Practice
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to ENT Consultant Ms Sadie Khwaja about common throat symptoms we encounter in General Practice and get her take on how to assess and manage these. We cover Red Flag symptoms for the neck in detail as well as looking at three cases we commonly encounter; pain on swallowing, globus symptoms and hoarseness. We discuss a useful approach for assessing causes of throat proble
Equality and Diversity in General Practice
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to Dr Maiedha Raza to find out her take on issues of Equality and Diversity in General Practice. This is a gentle dive into the very complex world of diversity and inclusivity with messages of how we can improve our culture in the NHS.
You can use these podcasts as part of your CPD - we don’t do certificates but they still count :)
Useful resources:
Talks by Nancy Kli
Changes to the Two Week Wait Lower GI Pathway
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Dr Sarah Taylor about the changes being made to how Primary Care Clinicians refer patients for Suspected Lower Gastrointestinal Cancers. These changes are discussed in the context of referring in the Greater Manchester area, but you can view the joint guideline from the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) and the British Society of Gas
An Approach to Rare Diseases in Primary Care
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to GP Dr David Bartlett who works with the Neuroendocrine Cancer UK charity and GP Dr Will Evans who is a researcher specialising in rare diseases. We wanted to discuss how they approach finding rare diseases in General Practice whilst balancing this with the risk of over investigating. We start with definitions and classifications before discussing where neuroendocrine
Managing Weight in General Practice
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to Dietician Charlotte Cockman about managing weight for patients who are overweight or obese in General Practice. This includes a discussion around the definitions of overweight and obesity, risk factors, and what terms are less stigmatising when discussing weight with patients. Charlotte talks to us about her approach to weight, eating and health, and how this approach
How Coaching and Mentoring can work in General Practice
Doctors Sara and Lisa speak with Christopher Lewis, Operations Learning and Development Manager for Greater Manchester Training Hub. His non-pretentious, passionate approach to coaching and mentoring was infectious. We hope you get a flavour of how coaching and mentoring might help in General Practice. The episode was designed with GP fellows in mind but anyone working in Primary Care may benefit.
Vertigo
Doctors Lisa and Sara talk to Consultant Otolaryngologist Ms Emma Stapleton and Clinical Scientist David Jay about Vertigo. We discuss the definition, differentials, and how to use information around timing and triggers to differentiate between the likely causes of vertigo. We get their take on the important details in the examination that can help identify the diagnosis, and talk options for mana
Health Inequalities in General Practice with Dr John Patterson
Doctors Sara and Lisa speak with Dr John Patterson about Health Inequalities. This is the second of our two talks on Health Inequalities, please check out Dr Laura Neilson’s talk before this one. Dr John Patterson is a GP and Medical Director of Hope Citadel, as well as their Focused Care Lead and the Chief Clinical Officer for Oldham CCG. We discuss the social determinants of health and a working
Health Inequalities in General Practice with Dr Laura Neilson
Doctors Sara and Lisa talk to Dr Laura Neilson the founder of Hope Citadel who is passionate about tackling Health Inequalities. She talks to us about the importance of addressing them, what the inverse care law is, and skills that people will find useful working in areas of deprivation. We ask her about her projects which include helping create Hope Citadel; a growing group of practices working i
Endometriosis
Doctors Lisa and Sara speak with GP Dr Uma Marthi about Endometriosis; a topic she is passionate about due to the common delay in diagnosis, coupled with the impact this condition has on peoples’ lives. We talk through a hypothetical case and explore differential diagnoses for dysmenorrhoea, examination tips, investigations and management. We discuss the importance and impact of this condition, f
How to use Consultation Skills to Improve Time Management
Doctors Lisa and Sara are joined by Dr Avil Danczak to talk about how we can use consultation skills to improve our time management in General Practice. She takes us through first principles and core skills before talking about common pitfalls and how to avoid them. The principles of all we discuss are elaborated on in the ‘Teaching and Learning Consultation Skills’ (TALC) resources that are avail
Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children (focus on FASD)
Doctors Sara and Lisa speak with Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Raja Mukherjee about neurodevelopmental disorders in children. He has an interest in Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and this is the focus of the talk. We cover what neurodevelopmental disorders are, discuss neurodiversity, common disorders such as Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia aka Developmental Coordination Disorder and Foetal Alcohol
Dealing with Uncertainty in General Practice - Summer Replay
*Recorded in June 2020 - Summer Replay*
In this episode Lisa and Sara talk to Dr Avril Danczak, a GP with an interest in managing uncertainty in medicine which led to her co-authoring the RCGP published book called Mapping Uncertainty in Medicine.
We cover what uncertainty is, and why it is important to address this within medicine and general practice.
We talk about ‘what to do when you don’t kno
Management of Diabetes Mellitus in Primary Care
This week’s episode is designed for primary care clinicians wanting an overview of current diabetes management. Doctors Lisa and Sara are joined by Dr Marlon Morais and Nicola Milne to talk first about Type 1 diabetes briefly (from the GP point of view) before going on to discuss the recent changes to the NICE guidelines for management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. We cover useful ways of sifting t
Diagnosing Diabetes Mellitus
Doctors Lisa and Sara are joined by Diabetes Lead for Manchester CCG GP Dr Marlon Morais and Diabetes Support Lead and Diabetes Specialist Nurse Nicola Milne to discuss diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus. We go through the types of Diabetes Mellitus, touching on MODY and LADA and get advice on avoiding common pitfalls in making a new diagnosis of Diabetes in General Practice. We talk about the prevale
Easy Bruising and Bleeding
Doctors Lisa and Sara welcome Consultant Haematologist Dr Chris Gregory back to the podcast to discuss bruising and bleeding issues. We go through history, examination and differentials including patterns of bleeding more associated with different causes. We cover what constitutes excessive/concerning bleeding and blood test values that would lead to on the day/urgent referrals. At the end of the
Social Prescribing in Primary Care
Drs Lisa and Sara were thrilled to welcome Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard onto the podcast to talk about one of her passions within medicine - social prescribing. They discuss what social prescribing is and why it matters. They talk about the National Academy of Social Prescribing, and its current roles and remit. There are some great examples shared about social prescribing in action, and re
Assertiveness in General Practice
Today Lisa and Sara welcome Dr Rachel Morris back onto the podcast. Rachel is a former GP who has previously worked in GP education. She is now an executive coach and host of the wonderful podcast You Are Not a Frog. The discussion in this episode is all about assertiveness - we chat about what assertiveness is, general tips, frameworks and models for how to approach assertiveness, as well as show
Overactive bladder and continence issues in women
This is another episode with a focus on Urology. Doctors Lisa and Sara invited Professor Ian Pearce back to speak about overactive bladder and urinary incontinence in women. They discuss the types of lower urinary tract symptoms in women (drilling down into the definitions of commonly used terms), before looking at the red flags to consider. They then use fictional cases to illustrate how to appro
