Copyright 2008 Medical News Today Latest Primary Care / General Practice News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/primary_care/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125525.php The average earnings before tax of contractor GPs dipped to £107,667 during 2006/07, according to figures published today (15 October 2008) by The NHS Information Centre (The NHS IC). An analysis of tax returns for contractor GPs - the majority of GPs in the UK - found that their gross income increased by one per cent to £247,362 during the year. However, the rise was more than offset by the 3. Primary Care / General Practice Wed, 15 Oct 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125557.php A coalition of public health officials and health care providers is urging physicians to "get smart" about when it's helpful - and when it's harmful - to prescribe antibiotics. Despite previous efforts to educate physicians and the public, patients are still too often given antibiotics for viral infections, including the flu, chest colds, runny noses, coughs, and most sore throats. Pharmacy / Pharmacist Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125528.php Physicians nationwide are bracing for lower Medicaid payments in 2009 because of the weak economy, increased state spending and reduced tax revenues for the programs, according to American Medical News, the Wall Street Journal's "Health Blog" reports. AMNews, published by the Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125537.php "The Last Half Hour of the Day: An Anthology of Stories and Essays That Have Inspired Physicians" -- just released by ACP Press, the book publishing program of the American College of Physicians -- is a collective prescription from physicians around the world for their medical colleagues who seek a deeper meaning in what they do. Public Health Wed, 15 Oct 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125545.php The BMA today (Wednesday 15 October 2008) said new figures showing the earnings of GP partners dropped during 2006/2007 are no surprise. Figures from the NHS Information Centre show non-dispensing GP partners who are on the national GP contract (GMS), and who make up the majority of GPs, earned an average of £99,580 in 2006/071, a decrease of 3% since 2005/6. Primary Care / General Practice Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125495.php To mark October 2008's Black History Month, the BMA has produced a report, "A celebration of black, minority and ethnic (BME) doctors"1, chronicling the experiences of BME doctors working in the NHS. Co-chair of the BMA's Equal Opportunities Committee (EOC), Professor Bhupinder Sandhu, said today: "Black and ethnic minority doctors are often the unsung heroes of the NHS and yet their contribution is immense. Public Health Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125481.php New research suggesting skin cancer may soon require one million GP consultations in Australia each year showed why the Federal Government must commit to a long-term SunSmart campaign or face unsustainable medical costs, Cancer Council Australia said today. Dermatology Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125398.php Senator McCain believes it to be a responsibility; Senator Obama, a right. While both candidates believe that healthcare reform is a high priority, they disagree on the methods necessary to fix this problem. But do they know which plan physicians support? A new study from DoctorDirectory of more than 900 physicians of all specialties was designed to assess attitudes on universal healthcare as it relates to the upcoming election. Public Health Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125401.php Commenting on the figures released today (14/10/08) by the Department of Health on extended hours, Dr Richard Vautrey, Deputy Chairman of the BMA's GP committee said: "GP practices have been working closely with Primary Care Trusts to come to local agreements that reflect the needs of local people. Before the agreement on extended hours was implemented, the BMA estimated that half of GPs would offer extended hours. Primary Care / General Practice Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125388.php The World Health Report 2008, launched today, critically assesses the way that health care is organized, financed, and delivered in rich and poor countries around the world. The WHO report documents a number of failures and shortcomings that have left the health status of different populations, both within and between countries, dangerously out of balance. Primary Care / General Practice Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125380.php Over 50 percent of GP surgeries are now offering patients extended opening hours, the Department of Health announced today. Statistics released by the Department show that in under six months there has been a 40 percent increase in the number of practices offering more flexible early morning, evening and weekend opening. Primary Care / General Practice Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125385.php Doctors could learn a lot about how to treat and interact with their patients by employing techniques used by magicians, says an article in this month's Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. Author Daniel Sokol, a lecturer in medical ethics and law and a close-up magician, draws comparisons with how a magician interacts with a spectator and how a doctor interacts with patients. Primary Care / General Practice Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125372.php Commenting on the report, Steve Barnett chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents over 95% of NHS organisations, said: "Although the PAC report highlights a number of issues, we are pleased that it recognises the benefits of the new GP contract, such as the shift in focus to the quality of patient services and the much needed increase in the number of GPs. Primary Care / General Practice Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125354.php The following statistics were released today by the Department of Health: GP extended opening hours for month ending September 2008. This data shows the number of GP practices within each Commissioner area (PCTs and Care Trusts) and how many of those practices were offering extended opening hours on the census date (22nd September 2008). Key findings this month -- Of 8,275 practices, 4,250 (51. Primary Care / General Practice Tue, 14 Oct 2008 01:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125325.php With the release of the National Preventative Health Taskforce's discussion paper Australia: The Healthiest Country By 2020 The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is calling on the Australian Government to boost resources available to the sector of the health care workforce that delivers on prevention; general practice. Primary Care / General Practice Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125012.php WhatOn October 14th, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the World Health Organization (WHO) will release its annual World Health Report, which this year is entitled "Primary Health Care - Now more than ever" The launch of the report will take place at a conference marking the 30th anniversary of primary health care founding document, the Alma-Ata Declaration. (Alma-Ata was renamed Almaty). Primary Care / General Practice Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125305.php The soothing tones of a harp filled her room at Loyola University Hospital as Donna Kuzniar closed her eyes and mentally journeyed off to a more serene place and time, free of the pain and worry of her serious illness. She remained in her tranquil haven for about 30 minutes until the harpist, internist and pediatrician Linda Fisher, completed her performance and quietly and unobtrusively packed up her music, stand and portable harp and prepared to leave. Primary Care / General Practice Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125266.php The inaugural Management in Practice Awards recognised the achievements of UK general practice managers and practice teams in providing an excellent standard of service to their patients. The awards ceremony took place during the Management in Practice Event at the Birmingham NEC on 8 October - see www.managementinpractice.com/awards. Primary Care / General Practice Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125219.php Presidential candidates use them to persuade voters, drug companies use them to sell their products, and the media spin them in all kinds of ways, but nobody - candidates, reporters, let alone health consumers - understands them. IT / Internet / E-mail Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125081.php Over the past twenty-five years, the number of patients with compromised immune systems has grown astronomically. High-risk patients such as these require a unique set of healthcare solutions that take into consideration everything from the etiology and degree of immune suppression to the individual patient's nutritional status. Immune System / Vaccines Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125083.php "The Last Half Hour of the Day: An Anthology of Stories and Essays That Have Inspired Physicians" -- just released by ACP Press, the book publishing program of the American College of Physicians -- is a collective prescription from physicians around the world for their medical colleagues who seek a deeper meaning in what they do. Primary Care / General Practice Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125166.php Ranolazine, a new treatment for chronic, stable angina, is discussed as a safe and effective option for patients in a New Drug Class paper released on October 10, 2008 in The Lancet. Chronic stable angina is a prolonged chest pain which is often linked to heart disease. It is often present when the patient is exercising. This kind of angina is highly prevalent in developed nations, and in the United States, 9.1 million have the condition. Clinical Trials / Drug Trials Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125103.php Get Smart Colorado, based at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, this week launched a public "call to action" campaign to educate the public about appropriate use and proper disposal of antibiotics to prevent antibiotic resistance. The campaign consists of English and Spanish information cards containing guidance about the proper use and disposal of antibiotics that are being displayed throughout the month of October at Colorado Safeway pharmacy counters. MRSA / Drug Resistance Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125108.php The Florida Department of Health (DOH) announces that Florida has recently joined 48 other states to become the newest member of 3RNet, a nationally recognized rural recruitment and retention network that assists states with the recruitment of health professionals for rural and underserved areas. Florida's membership in 3RNet will provide a common web portal (http://www.3rnet. Public Health Fri, 10 Oct 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125090.php Today's report by the Public Accounts Committee is ill-judged and wrong, according to the NHS Alliance. They point to inaccurate statistics and misconceived analysis. Most worrying is the claim that productivity has decreased since the introduction of the new GP contract. That appears to be based on overly simplistic arithmetic comparing the number of consultations per doctor today with the previous number, but failing to take account of quality or patient need. Primary Care / General Practice