RCGP ELearning podcaster

We have come a long way from the start of the pandemic, when those well enough to avoid admission could not even access a COVID-19 test, let alone any specific therapeutics. Those in the highest-risk groups for severe consequences of COVID-19 can now access an antiviral or neutralising monoclonal antibody in the community. In this podcast, Dr Toni …

Diagnosing cancer in primary care is difficult. Many patients present with non-specific symptoms and the positive predictive value of even the ‘red flag’ symptoms is low. In this podcast, Dr Thomas Round and Professor Willie Hamilton discuss the issues around cancer diagnosis in primary care, including the positive predictive value of symptoms, the…

In this podcast, Dr Emma Nash talks to Professor Derek Connolly about cardiovascular disease and lipid management. Measuring and interpreting lipid profiles and when to initiate treatment are discussed. Professor Connolly takes us through the various treatment options and their respective benefits, in light of the updated lipid pathway, and illustr…

To learn more about Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) please access the newly designed RCGP Inflammatory Bowel Disease Toolkit, which allows users to learn about IBD through different formats including three bite-sized NUBs - New Useful Bits, a 30 minute module and a recorded podcast. The toolkit provides tips to help those working in Primary Care susp…

Inflammatory bowel disease is a lifelong condition which can impact on many areas of a person’s life. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Dr Kevin Barrett discuss how we can diagnose inflammatory bowel disease at an earlier stage and make logical use of the tests available to us. They then go on to discuss the management of flares of the disease an…

In this podcast we talk to Dr David Kernick about the relationship between women's health and migraine. The effect of hormones and changes to the pattern of migraines throughout life are explored, and the relevance of migraines in the prescription of contraception and hormone replacement therapy is also discussed.…

In this podcast we talk to Dr David Kernick about migraine treatments and the availability of newer medications to help manage uncontrolled symptoms. Both preventative and therapeutic options are explored, in conjunction with discussion about the roles of primary and secondary care.Av RCGP eLearning Podcast

In this podcast, Dr Nicholas Jones, GP cardiologist, academic GP and Wellcome Trust Doctoral Research Fellow, discusses heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Left ventricular function in HFpEF is normal, or near normal - that is, 50% or greater - but with symptoms that we recognise as being of heart failure. He talks about recogni…

Despite the apparent simplicity in the two options available, the combined oral contraceptive pill (COCP) and the progestogen-only pill (POP), choosing the right oral contraceptive pill can be challenging. In this podcast, Dr Thomas Round, a GP and EKU Clinical Lead, talks to Dr Sally Higginbottom, a GP in Camden with a special interest in health i…

It's estimated that between one and two in every 100 people in the UK are affected by gout. It mainly affects men over 30 and women after the menopause. In this podcast, Dr Thomas Round, a GP and EKU Clinical Lead, talks to Dr Louise Warburton, a GP, Clinical Lead for Telford Musculoskeletal Service (TEMS) and Primary Care Rheumatology and Musculos…

Practices are well into the flu vaccination season by now, but how often do we actually stop and think about what is in the vaccinations that we give, and how we know when flu is circulating? Dr Toni Hazell talks to Professor Simon de Lusignan of the RCGP Research and Surveillance Centre (RSC). They discuss the strains of flu that are in the vaccin…

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a very common problem. In England alone, approximately 835,000 people have AF. This number is rising rapidly, and prevalence is predicted to double by 2050. This reflects the rising prevalence of risk factors, such as hypertension and obesity as well as being a consequence of population ageing. In this podcast, Dr Thomas…

In this podcast Dr George Kassianos (National Immunisation Lead for the RCGP and President of the British Global & Travel Health Association) chats with Dr Dirk Pilat (Medical Director for Professional Development of the RCGP), about the importance of immunising pregnant patients, the choice available and its benefits. Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 and …

Chronic primary pain occurs without a clear underlying condition or when the pain - including associated emotional distress and functional disability - is disproportionate to observable injury or condition. These conditions, including fibromyalgia, chronic primary headache, and chronic primary pelvic pain, affect between 1% and 6% of people in Engl…

Cannabinoid based medicines are prescribable on the NHS for certain indications, including spasticity in multiple sclerosis and use in children with intractable epilepsy. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Dr Rachel Farrell discuss how these medicines are commonly used and some of the practicalities of prescribing, including consultant initiation …

Av RCGP eLearning Podcast

There continues to be questions raised around flu vaccination during pandemic times, including eligibility and whether multiple vaccinations can be given at the same time. In this podcast, Dr Dirk Pilat talks to Dr George Kassianos about the latest guidance for the 2022/2023 flu season. They cover eligibility for different age groups, vaccine hesit…

The 2022/23 flu season is fast approaching, bringing with it all the usual questions about who gets which vaccine and how to best organise a vaccination programme. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell talks to Dr. Sally Higginbottom, author of our eLearning module on influenza. Sally will delve into some of the practicalities of running a successful vac…

The National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) was a groundbreaking publication which reviewed 195 UK asthma deaths, adult and child, that took place over one year. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell talks to Dr Shuaib Nasser who contributed to the report. They cover the different phenotypes of asthma, how this is relevant for clinical management, the fi…

In this podcast, Dr Emma Nash talks with consultant paediatric gastroenterologist Peter Gillett to examine common presentations in general practice and paediatric outpatient departments that can be attributed to functional GI disorders. Recognition and diagnosis are considered, along with management, and the important conditions to exclude are touc…

In this podcast, Professor Pali Hungin and Dr Emma Nash discuss functional gastrointestinal disorders. The podcast explores the nature of functional GI disorders, the evolving understanding of the pathophysiology behind them, and how this knowledge can help GPs manage the conditions. There is a focus on irritable bowel syndrome, including how it ma…

Primary care clinicians need a clear and structured approach to the diagnosis and treatment of people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD). This can help clinicians to identify the small proportion of people who need urgent investigation or long-term surveillance, whilst offering holistic treatment aimed at symptom improvement for the larger…

In medicine we talk about the upper and lower airway, but in fact these two tracts are continuous with each other, lined with the same epithelium and affected by the same disease processes. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Professor David Price discuss how this knowledge affects the management of asthma and allergic rhinitis. Patients with asthm…

In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Dr Nicola Weaver discuss the use of tamoxifen and some other drugs in the primary prevention of breast cancer for women who are at a moderate or high risk due to their family history. The podcast discusses the evidence behind the use of these drugs, as well as how to work out which women should be referred, refer…

Lung cancer is common and the cause of a fifth of all cancer deaths. Early detection in primary care is key in improving survival rates by enabling curative treatment. In this podcast, Dr Sally Higginbottom and Dr Steve Holmes discuss the role of imaging and screening for lung cancer. This episode was updated in October 2022, to reflect recent guid…

GPs and other NHS clinicians are often pressed for time, but there is a lot to talk about in the first consultation for a patient with eczema. In this podcast Dr Toni Hazell talks to Dr Angelika Razzaque about what should ideally be covered, whether in one appointment or split over more than one. This includes how to break the news of a chronic con…

Eczema is often seen as purely a skin disease, but it is associated with other allergic conditions and can cause significant stress for patients and their families. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Dr Angelika Razzaque discuss the links between eczema and other allergic illnesses, the management of hand eczema, psychological stress due to eczema…

In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell discusses the diagnosis and management of heart failure with Ahmet Fuat, honorary professor of primary care cardiology at Durham University, and Sarah Worsnop who shares her experiences of being diagnosed with heart failure at an early age. They cover the importance of the use of NT-proBNP test in patients with sympt…

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 nex…

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 preside…

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 vertig…

In this podcast Dr Sam Robinson talks to Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE, a GP with a special interest in diabetes and a Visiting Professor of General Practice at Huddersfield University , about typ2 2 diabetes and how it interconnects with cardiac and renal pathophysiology.Av RCGP eLearning Podcast

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 affec…

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.…

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…

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 concer…

Further listening: RCGP podcast: Perspectives on... black women in health RCGP podcast: Perspectives on... being a South Asian GPAv RCGP eLearning Podcast

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 Hallam…

Since April 1st 2021 the GP contract agreement regarding the provision of routine vaccination and immunisation in England has changed. In this 30 minute podcast, Dr Dirk Pilat talks to Dr George Kassianos, the National Immunisation Lead of the RCGP. Dr Kassianos explains the new contractual standards and the new vaccination and immunisation domain …

Alzheimer’s disease is the commonest cause of dementia. In this podcast, GP Sally Higginbottom interviews Dr Clare Wadlow, Consultant in old age psychiatry on practical tips in assessing and managing patients with Alzheimer’s disease.Av RCGP eLearning Podcast

In this RCGP podcast, Dr James Matheson, RCGP Chair of the Health Inequalities Standing Group talks to Christiana Melam, CEO of the National Association of Link Workers about how those in primary care can best work with Social Prescribing Link Workers. They discuss the what a Social Prescribing Link Worker is, their role in addressing health inequa…

As of early June 2021, 1.5% of the population were experiencing self-reported long COVID. In this podcast, Dr Sally Higginbottom talks to Dr Gail Allsopp, Clinical Policy Lead at RCGP leading on Long COVID, a GP and Long COVID Clinic GP in Derbyshire about the Long COVID including its definition, people who are affected, common symptoms, investigat…

Global incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) is between 1 and 2 per 1,000 adults annually. In this podcast Dr Thomas Round, EKU Clinical Lead discusses with Dr Nicholas Jones, a salaried GP, GP Cardiologist and a Wellcome Trust Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, the diagnosis, management and thrombophilia testing of venous th…

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition, but if treated early with disease modifying drugs then it can sometimes be put into long-term remission. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Dr Danny Murphy discuss the need to treat rheumatoid arthritis at an early date as well as some of the less commonly covered areas of management, inclu…

This podcast features a discussion between Dr Kevin Barrett, a GP in Hertfordshire and Maralyn Druce, a Professor of Endocrine Medicine. Topics include: The diagnosis of autoimmune hypothyroidism and how to interpret borderline results When it is appropriate to screen for thyroid disorders Prescribing levothyroxine and what to tell our patients The…

Pollen food syndrome is a common allergy, characterised by a very rapid onset of mild symptoms which resolve quickly. Serious reactions such as anaphylaxis are rare. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Dr Isabel Skypala discuss the interaction between pollen food syndrome and hayfever and how to differentiate between pollen food syndrome and primar…

Allergic rhinitis and asthma are common conditions which affect a single airway and are therefore inextricably linked. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell and Dr Glenis Scadding discuss the links between asthma and allergic rhinitis, when to suspect that a rhinitis may be non-allergic, the importance of trigger factors and the use of immunotherapy for …

Acne is one of the most common skin conditions in the UK leading to 3.5 million primary care visits every year. In this EKU2020.3 podcast Dr Thomas Round, a GP and RCGP Essential Knowledge Update (EKU) Clinical Lead discusses the condition of acne vulgaris with Dr Angelika Razzaque, a GP partner and trainer in South East London and Executive Chair …

Syncope is defined as transient loss of consciousness due to cerebral hypoperfusion; it is a common problem which will affect an estimated 15-20% of children before the end of adolescence. The cause is usually benign, but it is important not to miss syncope due to a cardiac cause. In this podcast, Dr Toni Hazell talks to Professor Lesley Kavi about…

In this podcast, Dr Kevin Barrett talks to Dr Danny Murphy about osteoarthritis (OA) and how to diagnose and manage the condition in primary care. They also discuss what can be done to help patients who have been diagnosed and the useful resources available to support them. Financial support for the design and development of this Osteoarthritis Lea…