Should GPs advise patients on how many children to have?
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s comments last week about the extent to which the state should support large families reminded me of a story in The Times last year about family size. Although for...
View ArticleLess daylight, less exercise, less healthy
“I need a new activity for the winter”, a friend remarked to me at the weekend. “It’s too dark to run after work once the clocks go back.” This hadn’t struck me as a concern before as my chosen forms...
View ArticleIs nutritional advice within the realm of a GP?
Is nutrition taken seriously as an opportunity for early intervention or prevention of many chronic diseases? How comfortable do you feel raising the issues of diet or obesity with a patient? Is there...
View ArticleWhy surgeons are scared of me
Apparently, surgeons and anaesthetists regard red-haired patients with ‘some trepidation’ because of their reputation for excessive bleeding and a reduced pain threshold. But after a search of the...
View ArticleFlaming pudding injuries and other festive frailties
Reality of wintertime general practice: flu, colds, inappropriate demands for antibiotics. Christmas time general practice: at GP clinical we have been preparing you all year for any Christmas-related...
View ArticleImproving access to research
There has been a lot of attention given this week to how scientific research should be presented and accessed. Consideration is given to how much coverage the eventual research will achieve. This...
View ArticlePaternity testing: from high street to GP
Does a paternity test equate to the use of a pregnancy test? The latter has long been available OTC but both have the power to deliver results which may delight or devastate the user. No-one would...
View ArticleWhat’s your favourite medical app?
Health apps for patients have really taken off, with a clear demand for apps that count calories, record weight loss and even dole out a punishment for slacking. Who wouldn’t want to be able to...
View ArticleWhat is the most effective way to convey public health messages?
In a recent viewpoint on the role of the arts in healthcare, Dr Gillian Rice discussed artwork being used to promote public health. She cited examples, such as an exhibition of thought provoking and...
View ArticleOn your marks… are you ready for the Olympic Games?
Whether or not you are directly involved in the Olympic Games, as many GPs are, this year’s sporting summer is likely to have some impact on your practice. Few of us will have the glamour of getting...
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