RCGP eLearning Podcast

There have been big changes in flu vaccination in the last few years, with the offer of universal vaccination to those aged 50 or over, as well as to more children in secondary school. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Dr Uy Hoang discuss the future of flu vaccination. What factors will the JCVI have to consider when deciding who to vaccinate next year, and how much vaccine efficacy and uptake affect the decision making process?

Funding was received via sponsorship from Seqirus to cover education on influenza. Seqirus has had no input in the content or been part of any reviews thereof. Editorial and content decisions were made solely by the RCGP.

Over 900,000 people in the UK are living with heart failure, and 3 million have chronic kidney disease (CKD). The prevalence of both of these diseases is rising in part due to increasing obesity and type 2 diabetes, as well as an aging population.  In this podcast Dr Sam Robinson talks to Professor Ahmet Fuat, a GP Partner and immediate past president of the Primary Care Cardiovascular Society, about HFrEF versus HfpEF, the barriers to diagnosing and managing heart failure, and what we can do in Primary Care in regards to prevention.  They then go on to discuss chronic kidney disease, including how this relates to cardiorenal metabolic syndrome, how to prevent acute kidney injury, including sick day rules, and what the future may bring to the management of CKD. 

In this episode, Niki Murdoch - Independent Chair of NHS England's Armed Forces Public Patient Voice Group, Dr Robin Simpson - RCGP Clinical Champion for veterans' healthcare, and veteran WO1 Colin Brown - RM Corps Drum Major & Buglers Spec Advisor, discuss transitioning from the military and the challenges that leaving can bring to former service personnel and their families.

Become veteran friendly at rcgp.org.uk/veterans

Every year approximately 2% of adults seek medical attention for moderate to severe dizziness. In this podcast, Dr Thomas Round, EKU Clinical Lead, talks to Dr Devina Maru, a GP Speciality Registrar in Greenwich with a special interest in ENT and audiology and RCGP National Clinical Champion for hearing loss, about sudden onset dizziness and vertigo. Their discussion includes the definition of dizziness and its associated symptoms, how common it is, causes of dizziness and vertigo, testing (such as the HINTs, Dix Hallpike, Romberg's, Weber's and Rinnes tests and the Epley manoeuvre) and management.

The passing of the years in general practice often seems to be marked by the annual flu vaccination season; recently it has been more complex with the need to social distance and the simultaneous running of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Professor Simon de Lusignan discuss some of the issues which will affect this years flu vaccination season, as well as wider issues of social distancing and management of viral infections. The podcast also touches on COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy.

As mentioned in this episode, if you are interested in joining The RCGP Research and Surveillance Centre (RSC) you can email [email protected] or visit the website at https://orchid.phc.ox.ac.uk

Funding was received via sponsorship from Seqirus to cover education on influenza. Seqirus has had no input in the content or been part of any reviews thereof. Editorial and content decisions were made solely by the RCGP.

There are many urban myths which circulate in the world of allergy. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Professor Adam Fox attempt to put the record straight regarding some of them. We will cover vaccination and egg allergy, progression of allergic reactions, the use of adrenaline auto-injectors and allergy tests which are available to buy online.

Editorial and content decisions were made solely by the RCGP.

Reviewed and updated: June 2024

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In the UK over 3 million people are estimated to have osteoporosis and there are estimated to be over 500,000 fragility fractures that occur in the UK each year. In this podcast Dr Thomas Round, EKU Clinical Lead talks to Dr David Stephens, a locum and OOH GP in Scotland, and a member of the SIGN Guideline Development Group, concerning osteoporosis and the prevention of fragility fractures including the challenges faced by GPs, changes in the latest guidelines, the importance of diagnosis, the use of FRAX and QFracture tools, treatment recommendations and ongoing management.

Approximately 4 million people in the UK have an autoimmune disease, many of whom have been affected by COVID-19, by either contracting the disease itself or negotiating the rapidly changing rules regarding shielding. In this podcast Dr Sam Robinson talks to Dr Kevin Barrett about the interaction between COVID-19 and autoimmune diseases, the concerns these patients may have regarding COVID vaccination, and whether there could be any positive outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Editorial and content decisions were made solely by the RCGP.

Reviewed and updated: December 2024.

Further listening: 

Reviewed: June 2025

Coeliac disease affects 1% of the population, however it remains under diagnosed. In a disease which is mainly managed by diet, why do we need to investigate and make a formal diagnosis? In this podcast Dr Sam Robinson talks to Professor David Sanders, Professor of Gastroenterology at the University of Sheffield and a consultant at The Royal Hallamshire Hospital, about why a diagnosis is important, which non-gastroenterological symptoms patients may present with, and what the future of coeliac disease might look like. 

Editorial and content decisions were made solely by the RCGP.

Reviewed: December 2024.