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 episode, you will hear our learning points. You can use these podcasts as part of your CPD - we don’t do certificates but they still count :)

Useful resources: 

Clinical Knowledge Summaries: Bruising (March 2021) https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/bruising/

BMJ article Survey, Vitamin C deficiency as a cause of bruising: https://www.bmj.com/content/375/bmj.n2511.full

NICE Suspected Cancer Referrals for Haematological Malignancies (as of Dec 2021): https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng12/chapter/Recommendations-organised-by-site-of-cancer#haematological-cancers

Greater Manchester Safeguarding Guidelines for Bruising in Non-mobile Children: https://greatermanchesterscb.proceduresonline.com/chapters/pr_bruising_babies_child.html

British Society for Haematology Guidelines: https://b-s-h.org.uk/guidelines/

Non UK based Information: American Family Physician Feb 2016 ‘Clinical evaluation of bleeding and bruising in primary care’. Includes a helpful breakdown of normal vs excessive bleeding etc: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2016/0215/p279.html

___

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 really quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedback

____

This podcast has been made with the support of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, GP Excellence, Greater Manchester Training Hub and the GP Fellowship Programme, as well as Wigan Borough CCG. Given that it is recorded with Greater Manchester clinicians, the information discussed may not be applicable elsewhere and it is important to consult local guidelines before making any treatment decisions. 

The information presented is the personal opinion of the healthcare professional interviewed and might not be representative to all clinicians. It is based on their interpretation of current best practice and guidelines when the episode was recorded. Guidelines can change; To the best of our knowledge the information in this episode is up to date as of it’s release but it is the listeners responsibility to review the information and make sure it is still up to date when they listen.

Dr Lisa Adams, Dr Sara MacDermott and their interviewees are not liable for any advice, investigations, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or products listeners might pursue as a result of listening to this podcast - it is the clinicians responsibility to appraise the information given and review local and national guidelines before making treatment decisions. Reliance on information provided in this podcast is solely at the listeners risk.

The podcast is designed to be used by trained healthcare professionals for education only. We do not recommend these for patients or the general public and they are not to be used as a method of diagnosis, opinion, treatment or medical advice for the general public. Do not delay seeking medical advice based on the information contained in this podcast. If you have questions regarding your health or feel you may have a medical condition then promptly seek the opinion of a trained healthcare professional.

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 resources highlighted where people can find out more information about getting involved and having social prescribing link workers in practice.

Useful resources: 

Greater Manchester Primary Care Careers: https://gmprimarycarecareers.org.uk/jobs/

Greater Manchester Training Hub: https://www.gmthub.co.uk

NHS England - Social Prescribing: https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/

Academy of Medical Royal Colleges: https://www.aomrc.org.uk/

National Academy for Social Prescribing: https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/

National Academy for Social Prescribing Twitter: https://twitter.com/NASPTweets

Global Social Prescribing Alliance: https://www.gspalliance.com/

Men’s Sheds: https://menssheds.org.uk/

The Money and Pensions Service: https://moneyandpensionsservice.org.uk/

Park Run: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/

English National Opera - Breathe: https://www.eno.org/eno-breathe-3/

Campaign to End Loneliness: https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/

Football Association - Walking Football: https://thewfa.co.uk/

___

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 really quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedback

____

This podcast has been made with the support of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, GP Excellence, Greater Manchester Training Hub and the GP Fellowship Programme, as well as Wigan Borough CCG. Given that it is recorded with Greater Manchester clinicians, the information discussed may not be applicable elsewhere and it is important to consult local guidelines before making any treatment decisions. 

The information presented is the personal opinion of the healthcare professional interviewed and might not be representative to all clinicians. It is based on their interpretation of current best practice and guidelines when the episode was recorded. Guidelines can change; To the best of our knowledge the information in this episode is up to date as of it’s release but it is the listeners responsibility to review the information and make sure it is still up to date when they listen.

Dr Lisa Adams, Dr Sara MacDermott and their interviewees are not liable for any advice, investigations, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or products listeners might pursue as a result of listening to this podcast - it is the clinicians responsibility to appraise the information given and review local and national guidelines before making treatment decisions. Reliance on information provided in this podcast is solely at the listeners risk.

The podcast is designed to be used by trained healthcare professionals for education only. We do not recommend these for patients or the general public and they are not to be used as a method of diagnosis, opinion, treatment or medical advice for the general public. Do not delay seeking medical advice based on the information contained in this podcast. If you have questions regarding your health or feel you may have a medical condition then promptly seek the opinion of a trained healthcare professional.

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 showcasing how these can work with a few examples.

Useful resources: 

Looking after Yourself in General Practice (previous Primary Care Knowledge Boost episode): https://www.pckb.org/e/looking-after-yourself-in-general-practice/

To Sign Up to the Shapes Toolkit mailing list and get a free Zone of Power handout as well as being notified when their brand new mini video series is released in a couple of weeks: https://www.shapestoolkit.com/zone-of-power

Check out the You Are Not A Frog podcast: www.youarenotafrog.com

Find out more about Rachel’s CPD community for doctors: www.permissiontothrive.org

Find out more about the Resilient Team Academy online membership for busy leaders in healthcare: https://www.shapestoolkit.com/resilient-team-academy

Get in touch with Rachel: [email protected]

Find out more about her training: www.shapestoolkit.com

Sign up for your FREE mini video series training from Rachel, all about setting boundaries and saying no https://www.shapestoolkit.com/boundaries

Thomas–Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument: https://kilmanndiagnostics.com/overview-thomas-kilmann-conflict-mode-instrument-tki/

NonViolent Communication Model by by Marshall B. Rosenberg: https://www.nonviolentcommunication.com/learn-nonviolent-communication/4-part-nvc/

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee Podcast, Feel Better Live More: How to Build Exceptional  Relationships and Why You Should with David Bradford and Carole Robin: https://drchatterjee.com/how-to-build-exceptional-relationships-and-why-you-should-with-david-bradford-and-carole-robin/

Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues by David L. Bradford and Carole Robin: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/314/314545/connect/9780241986868.html

___

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 really quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedback

____

This podcast has been made with the support of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, GP Excellence, Greater Manchester Training Hub and the GP Fellowship Programme, as well as Wigan Borough CCG. Given that it is recorded with Greater Manchester clinicians, the information discussed may not be applicable elsewhere and it is important to consult local guidelines before making any treatment decisions. 

The information presented is the personal opinion of the healthcare professional interviewed and might not be representative to all clinicians. It is based on their interpretation of current best practice and guidelines when the episode was recorded. Guidelines can change; To the best of our knowledge the information in this episode is up to date as of it’s release but it is the listeners responsibility to review the information and make sure it is still up to date when they listen.

Dr Lisa Adams, Dr Sara MacDermott and their interviewees are not liable for any advice, investigations, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or products listeners might pursue as a result of listening to this podcast - it is the clinicians responsibility to appraise the information given and review local and national guidelines before making treatment decisions. Reliance on information provided in this podcast is solely at the listeners risk.

The podcast is designed to be used by trained healthcare professionals for education only. We do not recommend these for patients or the general public and they are not to be used as a method of diagnosis, opinion, treatment or medical advice for the general public. Do not delay seeking medical advice based on the information contained in this podcast. If you have questions regarding your health or feel you may have a medical condition then promptly seek the opinion of a trained healthcare professional.

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 approach overactive bladder and incontinence in terms of assessment, investigation and management options. 

Useful resources: 

NICE CKS: Urinary incontinence in women: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/incontinence-urinary-in-women/

GMMMG Guidelines for assessment and treatment of overactive bladder in adults: https://gmmmg.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Management-of-OAB-in-adults-v3-0-approved-Aug-2019.pdf

Conservative management tips: Bladder and Bowel Community UK: https://www.bladderandbowel.org/bladder/bladder-treatments/urinary-tract-infection-treatments/

Guidelines in Practice: Top tips: urinary incontinence in women: https://www.guidelinesinpractice.co.uk/urology/top-tips-urinary-incontinence-in-women/455577.article

Anticholinergic Burden resource 2: Anticholinergic Burden Calculator: http://www.acbcalc.com/

___

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 really quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedback

____

This podcast has been made with the support of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, GP Excellence, Greater Manchester Training Hub and the GP Fellowship Programme, as well as Wigan Borough CCG. Given that it is recorded with Greater Manchester clinicians, the information discussed may not be applicable elsewhere and it is important to consult local guidelines before making any treatment decisions. 

The information presented is the personal opinion of the healthcare professional interviewed and might not be representative to all clinicians. It is based on their interpretation of current best practice and guidelines when the episode was recorded. Guidelines can change; To the best of our knowledge the information in this episode is up to date as of it’s release but it is the listeners responsibility to review the information and make sure it is still up to date when they listen.

Dr Lisa Adams, Dr Sara MacDermott and their interviewees are not liable for any advice, investigations, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or products listeners might pursue as a result of listening to this podcast - it is the clinicians responsibility to appraise the information given and review local and national guidelines before making treatment decisions. Reliance on information provided in this podcast is solely at the listeners risk.

The podcast is designed to be used by trained healthcare professionals for education only. We do not recommend these for patients or the general public and they are not to be used as a method of diagnosis, opinion, treatment or medical advice for the general public. Do not delay seeking medical advice based on the information contained in this podcast. If you have questions regarding your health or feel you may have a medical condition then promptly seek the opinion of a trained healthcare professional.

Doctors Lisa and Sara speak to Judith Dawson to learn all about the ins and outs of supervising the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme members as the landscape stands at the moment. They discuss who can be a supervisor, the training involved and what that might mean for the day job. 

Useful resources: 

Greater Manchester Primary Care Careers: https://gmprimarycarecareers.org.uk/jobs/

Greater Manchester Training Hub: https://www.gmthub.co.uk

A Roadmap to Practice: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/A%20Roadmap%20to%20Practice.pdf

GP mythbuster 106: Primary care first contact practitioners (FCPs), Care Quality Commission: https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/gps/gp-mythbuster-106-primary-care-first-contact-practitioners-fcps

Integrating additional roles into primary care networks, The King's Fund: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/integrating-additional-roles-into-primary-care-networks

___

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 really quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedback

____

This podcast has been made with the support of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, GP Excellence, Greater Manchester Training Hub and the GP Fellowship Programme, as well as Wigan Borough CCG. Given that it is recorded with Greater Manchester clinicians, the information discussed may not be applicable elsewhere and it is important to consult local guidelines before making any treatment decisions. 

The information presented is the personal opinion of the healthcare professional interviewed and might not be representative to all clinicians. It is based on their interpretation of current best practice and guidelines when the episode was recorded. Guidelines can change; To the best of our knowledge the information in this episode is up to date as of it’s release but it is the listeners responsibility to review the information and make sure it is still up to date when they listen.

Dr Lisa Adams, Dr Sara MacDermott and their interviewees are not liable for any advice, investigations, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or products listeners might pursue as a result of listening to this podcast - it is the clinicians responsibility to appraise the information given and review local and national guidelines before making treatment decisions. Reliance on information provided in this podcast is solely at the listeners risk.

The podcast is designed to be used by trained healthcare professionals for education only. We do not recommend these for patients or the general public and they are not to be used as a method of diagnosis, opinion, treatment or medical advice for the general public. Do not delay seeking medical advice based on the information contained in this podcast. If you have questions regarding your health or feel you may have a medical condition then promptly seek the opinion of a trained healthcare professional.

This is another episode in the series looking at all of the different roles that exist within primary care. Doctors Lisa and Sara speak to Charlotte Cockman who is a Dietician working in Primary Care in South Manchester. 

Useful resources: 

Greater Manchester Primary Care Careers: https://gmprimarycarecareers.org.uk/jobs/

Greater Manchester Training Hub: https://www.gmthub.co.uk

A Roadmap to Practice: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/A%20Roadmap%20to%20Practice.pdf

___

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 really quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedback

____

This podcast has been made with the support of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, GP Excellence, Greater Manchester Training Hub and the GP Fellowship Programme, as well as Wigan Borough CCG. Given that it is recorded with Greater Manchester clinicians, the information discussed may not be applicable elsewhere and it is important to consult local guidelines before making any treatment decisions. 

The information presented is the personal opinion of the healthcare professional interviewed and might not be representative to all clinicians. It is based on their interpretation of current best practice and guidelines when the episode was recorded. Guidelines can change; To the best of our knowledge the information in this episode is up to date as of it’s release but it is the listeners responsibility to review the information and make sure it is still up to date when they listen.

Dr Lisa Adams, Dr Sara MacDermott and their interviewees are not liable for any advice, investigations, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or products listeners might pursue as a result of listening to this podcast - it is the clinicians responsibility to appraise the information given and review local and national guidelines before making treatment decisions. Reliance on information provided in this podcast is solely at the listeners risk.

The podcast is designed to be used by trained healthcare professionals for education only. We do not recommend these for patients or the general public and they are not to be used as a method of diagnosis, opinion, treatment or medical advice for the general public. Do not delay seeking medical advice based on the information contained in this podcast. If you have questions regarding your health or feel you may have a medical condition then promptly seek the opinion of a trained healthcare professional.

Drs Sara and Lisa tackle another urology topic today - recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in non-pregnant women. They speak to Ian Pearce who is a consultant urologist at Manchester Royal Infirmary. They discuss what UTIs are, and what makes them recurrent vs relapsing. They also chat through how to assess someone with recurrent UTIs and highlight some of the risk factors, before talking about the red flags for more sinister causes.

The management options for recurrent UTIs are also covered, from conservative options to medications, including a detailed dive into antibiotic prophylaxis. They also get Ian’s opinions on who to refer to urology.

Useful resources: 

Conservative management tips: Bladder and Bowel Community UK: https://www.bladderandbowel.org/bladder/bladder-treatments/urinary-tract-infection-treatments/

NICE Recurrent UTI Guidelines (Published Oct 2018): https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng112

Guidelines in Practice: The diagnosis and management of uncomplicated recurrent urinary tract infection (March 2019): https://www.guidelines.co.uk/urology/uncomplicated-recurrent-uti-guideline/454623.article

GMMMG Antibiotic Prescribing Guidelines (last updated Oct 2021): https://gmmmg.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/GM-Antimicrobial-guidelines-OCT-2021-v10.0.pdf

BMJ article: Methenamine hippurate for recurrent urinary tract infections, published on 9/3/22 (after episode was recorded): https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o533

___

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 really quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedback

____

This podcast has been made with the support of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, GP Excellence, Greater Manchester Training Hub and the GP Fellowship Programme, as well as Wigan Borough CCG. Given that it is recorded with Greater Manchester clinicians, the information discussed may not be applicable elsewhere and it is important to consult local guidelines before making any treatment decisions. 

The information presented is the personal opinion of the healthcare professional interviewed and might not be representative to all clinicians. It is based on their interpretation of current best practice and guidelines when the episode was recorded. Guidelines can change; To the best of our knowledge the information in this episode is up to date as of it’s release but it is the listeners responsibility to review the information and make sure it is still up to date when they listen.

Dr Lisa Adams, Dr Sara MacDermott and their interviewees are not liable for any advice, investigations, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or products listeners might pursue as a result of listening to this podcast - it is the clinicians responsibility to appraise the information given and review local and national guidelines before making treatment decisions. Reliance on information provided in this podcast is solely at the listeners risk.

The podcast is designed to be used by trained healthcare professionals for education only. We do not recommend these for patients or the general public and they are not to be used as a method of diagnosis, opinion, treatment or medical advice for the general public. Do not delay seeking medical advice based on the information contained in this podcast. If you have questions regarding your health or feel you may have a medical condition then promptly seek the opinion of a trained healthcare professional.

****DISCLAIMER - CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE****

Doctors Lisa and Sara talk with GP Dr Austin O'Carroll. Austin works in Inner-City Dublin with marginalised and homeless/rough sleeping communities. He is co-founder of Safetynet Ireland, North Dublin City GP Training, and GPCareForAll. He talks to us about his take on how unhelpful the label of personality disorder is for patients in his care, about his take on the situation: the Triple F**k syndrome, and how medicine contributes to the systemic oppression of people born into poverty. We talk about trauma informed care and examples of outcomes for patients in his care. 

Useful resources: 

Dr Austin O'Carroll's TED talk about developing health services for homeless people (July 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiwRSPY_JqI

Safetynet Ireland Charity: https://www.primarycaresafetynet.ie/

GPCareForAll: https://www.gpcareforall.org/our-story

BJGP Article: The Triple F**k Syndrome: How medicine contributes to the systemic oppression of people born into poverty (Jan 2022): https://bjgplife.com/the-triple-fk-syndrome-how-medicine-contributes-to-the-systemic-oppression-of-people-born-into-poverty/

___

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 really quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedback

____

This podcast has been made with the support of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, GP Excellence, Greater Manchester Training Hub and the GP Fellowship Programme, as well as Wigan Borough CCG. Given that it is recorded with Greater Manchester clinicians, the information discussed may not be applicable elsewhere and it is important to consult local guidelines before making any treatment decisions. 

The information presented is the personal opinion of the healthcare professional interviewed and might not be representative to all clinicians. It is based on their interpretation of current best practice and guidelines when the episode was recorded. Guidelines can change; To the best of our knowledge the information in this episode is up to date as of it’s release but it is the listeners responsibility to review the information and make sure it is still up to date when they listen.

Dr Lisa Adams, Dr Sara MacDermott and their interviewees are not liable for any advice, investigations, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or products listeners might pursue as a result of listening to this podcast - it is the clinicians responsibility to appraise the information given and review local and national guidelines before making treatment decisions. Reliance on information provided in this podcast is solely at the listeners risk.

The podcast is designed to be used by trained healthcare professionals for education only. We do not recommend these for patients or the general public and they are not to be used as a method of diagnosis, opinion, treatment or medical advice for the general public. Do not delay seeking medical advice based on the information contained in this podcast. If you have questions regarding your health or feel you may have a medical condition then promptly seek the opinion of a trained healthcare professional.

Doctors Lisa and Sara talk with Consultant Urologist Dan Burke about Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Men. We start with how to divide symptoms into voiding and storage. Red flags to consider are discussed, before tackling cases that lead us to talk about bladder diaries, tips for assessing the prostate and how PSA discussions have changed since the introduction of MRI scans and transperineal prostate biopsies. In discussing the thorny subject of prostate cancer and best treatment choices for individuals, we talk about radical treatment, advanced disease and the difference between watchful waiting and active surveillance. Though we talk about men, it is well worth mentioning these symptoms will apply to all people with a prostate including trans women and some non-binary people.

Useful resources: 

NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries (Updated March 2019): https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/luts-in-men/

Guidelines in Practice (2014): Full assessment is key for men with lower urinary tract symptoms: https://www.guidelinesinpractice.co.uk/mens-health/full-assessment-is-key-for-men-with-lower-urinary-tract-symptoms/341437.article

Urinary Frequency Charts to assess bladder volume, polyuria and nocturia: https://bladdermatters.co.uk/downloads/85923fchart.pdf

LUTS in Men Tower Hamlets NHS guidelines (2012) includes patient information sheets: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/blizard/ceg/media/blizard/images/documents/Lower-Urinary-Tract-Symptoms-in-Men,-Care-Pathway,-January-2012.pdf

___

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 really quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedback

____

This podcast has been made with the support of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, GP Excellence, Greater Manchester Training Hub and the GP Fellowship Programme, as well as Wigan Borough CCG. Given that it is recorded with Greater Manchester clinicians, the information discussed may not be applicable elsewhere and it is important to consult local guidelines before making any treatment decisions. 

The information presented is the personal opinion of the healthcare professional interviewed and might not be representative to all clinicians. It is based on their interpretation of current best practice and guidelines when the episode was recorded. Guidelines can change; To the best of our knowledge the information in this episode is up to date as of it’s release but it is the listeners responsibility to review the information and make sure it is still up to date when they listen.

Dr Lisa Adams, Dr Sara MacDermott and their interviewees are not liable for any advice, investigations, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or products listeners might pursue as a result of listening to this podcast - it is the clinicians responsibility to appraise the information given and review local and national guidelines before making treatment decisions. Reliance on information provided in this podcast is solely at the listeners risk.

The podcast is designed to be used by trained healthcare professionals for education only. We do not recommend these for patients or the general public and they are not to be used as a method of diagnosis, opinion, treatment or medical advice for the general public. Do not delay seeking medical advice based on the information contained in this podcast. If you have questions regarding your health or feel you may have a medical condition then promptly seek the opinion of a trained healthcare professional.

This episode is part 2 of our focus on Quality Improvement. This time Drs Lisa and Sara are joined by Dr Varshini Rajakulendran alongside Dr Joanna Bircher. Varshini is a GP who is on the NHS England fellowship, and she talks to us about a quality improvement example that she is currently working on around weight management. Joanna (our resident QI expert) has a passion for the subject and has been involved in writing guidelines and teaching for QI. 

We hear why Varshini chose this particular project, and the context to it including enablers and barriers. Joanna then helps us break it down further, thinking about the tool used, considering the aim of the project, what was and could be measured and what ideas were implemented and tested during the project. 

If you haven’t already, we recommend listening to “An Introduction to Quality Improvement” which provides some great initial theoretical knowledge about QI.

Useful resources: 

Quality Improvement Resources by the Royal College of General Practitioners: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/clinical-and-research/our-programmes/quality-improvement/quality-improvement-guide-for-general-practice.aspx

RCGP QI Ready: https://qiready.rcgp.org.uk/

Domains of Healthcare Quality: http://www.ihi.org/education/IHIOpenSchool/resources/Pages/Activities/DefiningQualityAimingforaBetterHealthCareSystem.aspx

Public Health England National General Practice Profiles: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/general-practice/data#page/8/gid/2000005/pat/166/par/E38000220/ati/7/are/M85736/yrr/1/cid/4/tbm/1 

GP Patient Survey data: https://www.gp-patient.co.uk/

Prescribing data: https://openprescribing.net/

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Model for Improvement: http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/HowtoImprove/default.aspx 

The Health Foundation booklet: Quality Improvement made simple, written by Bryan Jones, Esther Kwong and Will Warburton: https://www.health.org.uk/sites/default/files/QualityImprovementMadeSimple.pdf

RCGP Quality Improvement Webcast with Dr Joanna Bircher Aug 2019: https://youtu.be/BJSbvu3j0cE

The Q Community Webcast: ‘Can QI help us to match capacity and demand in General Practice with Dr Joanna Bircher’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS-GMMZgbfw

Run Chart Tool: https://www.england.nhs.uk/improvement-hub/wp-content/uploads/sites/44/2017/11/A-guide-to-creating-and-interpreting-run-and-control-charts.pdf 

___

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 really quick anonymous survey here: https://pckb.org/feedback

____

This podcast has been made with the support of Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, GP Excellence, Greater Manchester Training Hub and the GP Fellowship Programme, as well as Wigan Borough CCG. Given that it is recorded with Greater Manchester clinicians, the information discussed may not be applicable elsewhere and it is important to consult local guidelines before making any treatment decisions. 

The information presented is the personal opinion of the healthcare professional interviewed and might not be representative to all clinicians. It is based on their interpretation of current best practice and guidelines when the episode was recorded. Guidelines can change; To the best of our knowledge the information in this episode is up to date as of it’s release but it is the listeners responsibility to review the information and make sure it is still up to date when they listen.

Dr Lisa Adams, Dr Sara MacDermott and their interviewees are not liable for any advice, investigations, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or products listeners might pursue as a result of listening to this podcast - it is the clinicians responsibility to appraise the information given and review local and national guidelines before making treatment decisions. Reliance on information provided in this podcast is solely at the listeners risk.

The podcast is designed to be used by trained healthcare professionals for education only. We do not recommend these for patients or the general public and they are not to be used as a method of diagnosis, opinion, treatment or medical advice for the general public. Do not delay seeking medical advice based on the information contained in this podcast. If you have questions regarding your health or feel you may have a medical condition then promptly seek the opinion of a trained healthcare professional.