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 definition of health inequalities. He talks to us about his journey into tackling health inequaliti...
Nov 16, 2022•43 min•Ep. 95
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 in areas of deprivation in Manchester, Focused Care; a project that facilitates this, and the Shared ...
Nov 02, 2022•44 min•Ep. 94
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, fertility and the need to think about and treat this as soon as we can. You can use these podcasts as ...
Oct 19, 2022•40 min•Ep. 93
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 available for all to access online in the link below. Useful resources: Teaching and Learning Communicati...
Oct 05, 2022•40 min•Ep. 92
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 Spectrum Disorder. Useful resources: NICE Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: https://www.nice.org.uk...
Sep 21, 2022•52 min•Ep. 91
*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 know what to do’, how to classify and identify different forms of uncertainty and then think about how ...
Aug 03, 2022•30 min•Ep. 90
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 through the options for medicines and the importance of a holistic approach and the NHS low calorie p...
Jul 06, 2022•47 min•Ep. 89
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 prevalence and importance of this diagnosis, both for patients and the NHS and red flags to look out for. W...
Jun 22, 2022•58 min•Ep. 88
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’...
Jun 08, 2022•51 min•Ep. 87
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 soc...
May 25, 2022•39 min•Ep. 85
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 P...
May 11, 2022•43 min•Ep. 86
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...
Apr 27, 2022•35 min•Ep. 84
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/de...
Apr 13, 2022•31 min•Ep. 83
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. They discuss what a Dietician is and what the role can look like in Primary Care. It’s a new role and can be tailored to best suit the community. They also cover what the training consists of, what the day job looks like and advice for clinicians in Primary care around brief dis...
Mar 30, 2022•31 min•Ep. 82
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 cover...
Mar 16, 2022•37 min•Ep. 81
****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 opp...
Mar 02, 2022•42 min•Ep. 80
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 ind...
Feb 16, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 79
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 pro...
Feb 02, 2022•39 min•Ep. 78
This is another episode in the series looking at all of the different roles that exist within primary care. Lisa and Sara speak to Heidi West who is a nursing associate as well as an apprenticeship facilitator for nursing associates, and Marina Khan who is a trainee nursing associate. They discuss what a nursing associate is and how they differ from health care assistants and nurses. They also cover what the training consists of, and the day job and remit of a nursing associate. The discussion e...
Jan 19, 2022•25 min•Ep. 77
Joining doctors Lisa and Sara on today’s episode are GP and Perinatal Mental Health Champion Dr Carrie Ladd and Perinatal Psychiatrist Dr Sarah Jones. We discuss types of mental illness that can be experienced in the perinatal period and the challenges in primary care when helping patients and families. We cover tips for addressing these challenges, focusing on communication, resources and managing medications. We also talk about the impact of the pandemic and the Spotlight programme for dissemi...
Jan 05, 2022•54 min•Ep. 76
Drs Lisa and Sara are joined by GP Dr Nikesh Vallabh, Consultant Cardiologist Dr Karthikeyan and Consultant Gastroenterologist Dr Bliss to discuss advice and guidance. For those unfamiliar, the advice and guidance system came about to try to ease pressure on the long outpatient waiting lists, providing a different way of managing some cases. It is in place for a number of specialties for primary care clinicians to ask questions to consultants, getting an answer that will help guide patient care ...
Dec 22, 2021•45 min•Ep. 75
Drs Lisa and Sara welcome Dr Joanna Bircher back to the podcast to speak about an area which she is very passionate about - Quality Improvement. We talk about what quality improvement is, how it differs from audits and why it’s so important within general practice. We also learn about the processes that can be followed when approaching quality improvement, and some helpful tools and tips to think about before you start. We hope it’s accessible for all within general practice, and think it provid...
Dec 08, 2021•43 min•Ep. 74
Drs Lisa and Sara talk to Dr Luke Wookey, Dr Joanna Bircher and Ava Bircher for an introduction to Trans and Non-Binary Health in General Practice. We start with all important definitions, which leads us to talking about coding, healthcare records and a discussion about screening and health inequalities. We talk about how our practices and consultations can be welcoming, before considering Hormone Replacement Therapy and NHS funded surgical options which are potential options for people accessin...
Nov 24, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 73
Lisa and Sara speak to Sam Howard, who is an advanced clinical practitioner in primary care. She talks us through her career journey to date and what her job looks like now, as well as highlighting the varied role of an advanced clinical practitioner. She also explains details about supervision, registration and training requirements. This episode was supported by Greater Manchester Training Hub. Useful resources: Greater Manchester Primary Care Careers: https://gmprimarycarecareers.org.uk/jobs/...
Nov 10, 2021•28 min•Ep. 72
This episode is another of our lovely chats with wider members of the primary care team. Today Lisa and Sara speak to Vishika Rabadia, a senior pharmacist who is working in primary care in a PCN and CCG pharmacist role. She gives insights into the varied roles of a pharmacist within primary care, the training, and what the supervision and registration side entails. She also provides great examples of some of the work that she has been involved with in her PCN. This episode was supported by Great...
Oct 27, 2021•28 min•Ep. 71
Working in General Practice can be challenging at the best of times, but needless to say has been more challenging of late. Lisa and Sara are joined by Dr Rachel Morris; GP, coach and host of You are not a Frog Podcast. She talks us through her top tips for looking after yourself in general practice. These include: the importance of framing this discussion with the caveat of not teaching ourselves how to put up with toxic work environments, but to consider how we can take control over things tha...
Oct 13, 2021•53 min•Ep. 70
Back by popular demand, Consultant Neurologist Dr Matt Jones joins us to share his approach to assessing patients with peripheral paraesthesia. Patients don’t present with textbook terms. Dr Matt Jones takes us through how to de-code tingling, numbness and burning, and take a structured approach to these often difficult presentations. We cover the high value examination findings that could help us clinch the diagnosis and put his approach to the test with some theoretical cases. Useful resources...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 69
Lisa and Sara are joined again by the lovely Dr Rachel Hilton, who is a speciality doctor in Dermatology. In this episode she takes us through psoriasis - what it is, differentials to consider and associated triggers and comorbidities. She then systematically talks about the management of psoriasis, how this might need to be amended for pregnant patients, and her thoughts about referral indications. Useful resources: British Association of Dermatologists: https://www.bad.org.uk/ Primary Care Der...
Sep 15, 2021•43 min•Ep. 68
Speciality Doctor Rachel Hilton joins us on the podcast to talk about eczema. You’ll hear from the episode that she is passionate about getting the basics right as a way of providing vastly better care to our patients. In the episode we cover: what eczema is, types of eczema and some important differentials, before focusing on the management of atopic eczema. This includes navigating emollients, steroids and calcineurin inhibitors with advice on how to use these effectively. Useful resources: Pr...
Sep 01, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 67
Originally recorded in January 2020 and released in August 2020... Early diagnosis of cancer is a huge priority in order to try to improve our cancer survival rates in the UK. Lisa and Sara took the opportunity to speak to Dr Sarah Taylor, GP in Fallowfield and Cancer Research UK Cancer Diagnosis Lead for Greater Manchester about this important subject. It was recorded pre-Covid-19 and so some of the information given about services might have changed in your local area. We thought the general t...
Aug 18, 2021•37 min•Ep. 66
