Grief touches every consulting room. In this episode we gently unpick how to support people after loss, using the RCGP framework “A Compassionate Bereavement Response”. Practical language you can use tomorrow, how to recognise prolonged grief disorder (including in children) and when to refer. The overlap with PTSD, and realistic ways we can look after ourselves as clinicians.

Then we change gear for an update on NICE’s 2024 guideline covering bacterial meningitis and meningococcal disease: the red flag combination that demands 999, when prehospital antibiotics are (and aren’t) advised, the easy to miss early signs, and robust safety netting. 

Press play for compassionate care, sharper suspicions, and help to make the right clinical decisions when under pressure. 

Useful links

Grief

Good Grief Festival (free events, YouTube Channel and curated resources)

RCGP framework “A Compassionate Bereavement Response”

Bacterial meningitis and meningococcal disease

Meningitis Now

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Fiona and Nik break down the latest evidence on menopause, HRT and cognition so you can feel confident when patients ask, “Should I be worried?”

Plus: in our second Pearl in this episode,  practical tips for behaviour change that actually sticks, including how to spot those golden moments and use the STOP IT model to turn advice into action.

Tune in for clear answers and real‑world support for primary care.

Perfect for anyone in primary care who wants to feel informed, confident and ready for the inevitable “I saw this in the news...” conversation.

Useful Links

British Menopause Society: Menopause linked to loss of grey matter in the brain, poorer mental health and sleep disturbance

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Domestic abuse affects patients and colleagues, yet it’s often unseen- so in this compassionate, practical episode Fiona and Nik walk you through what primary care can do right now:

1. How to spot warning signs
2. How we should use clinical inquiry (not universal screening)
3. How to respond to a disclosure with the LIVES framework
4. How to document safely in the electronic medical record

You’ll also hear why children and young people are recognised as victims in their own right, and how to notice and support a colleague who may be affected. 

Do you know about the 999 “Silent Solution”?

All this is so you can feel more prepared, confident and informed in your next clinic. 

Press play: the right conversation at the right moment can change a life.

Useful Links

Domestic abuse  

Doctors Association UK offers resources and research on domestic abuse in healthcare, including: 

• Resources for doctors and health professionals experiencing domestic abuse
• Resources for NHS employers to support staff affected by domestic abuse
• Research and guidance on domestic abuse in healthcare professionals

TED Talk: Why domestic violence victims don't leave 

Silent Solution 

Mr Right and Mr Wrong

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Have you heard of Alpha-gal syndrome? It was new for nearly all of us at Red Whale too.

Kick off the year with some free CPD as Fi and Nik share what you need to know in this week’s round-up of Red Whale Pearls.

They discuss:

1. What Alpha-gal syndrome is and how it affects patients
2. The serious consequences of this rare, tick-borne allergy to red meat
3. How it manifests as urticaria occurring 2–6 hours after ingesting mammal products
4. How repeated exposure can increase sensitivity and risk of anaphylaxis.

And because we love a smile, we’ve included a best intentions story: when two should have been one!

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

Further Pearls from December will be covered next time

Useful Links

Alpha-gal  

Patients may need specific dietetic device to support them in this. Anaphylaxis UK has produced a patient information leaflet with more details:
https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/fact-sheet/alpha-gal/ 

UKHSA: Tips and tricks to stay safe from ticks

Video:
https://www.redwhale.co.uk/bytes/did-you-know-alpha-gal-syndrome
(You'll need to sign in, or sign up to a free Red Whale account to view the video byte above!) 

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or even shake your jingle bells, and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss: 

1. It’s beginning to look a lot like…flu season. There’s been a LOT of media coverage on seasonal influenza over the past few weeks. But aside from flu jabs, are you confident in where we would use antivirals? We look at the criteria for giving antivirals: for treatment, for prophylaxis, and the evidence behind it.
2. “I would like a blood test to check I am well…” What do you do with this request? We share a handy framework to help, and think about how ‘just ticking a box’ could cause a lot of work down the line!

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

Useful Links

UKHSA guideline (2025): treatment and prophylaxis of influenza

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or even shake your jingle bells, and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss : 

1. Spotting adrenal crisis. Adrenal insufficiency and Addison’s disease can be easy to miss. We've recently updated our article on this, so we thought we’d share it as a Pearl, distilling the 2024 NICE guidance for you.
2. Recurrent bacterial vaginosis: time to consider partner treatment? Bacterial vaginosis is the commonest cause of pathological vaginal discharge in women of reproductive age. But it’s not an easy diagnosis for us to confirm – although we can suspect it clinically and manage empirically.  We’ll give you a refresher on BV infection and diagnosis in primary care and then think about managing recurrent BV, where there’s a new development.

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

Further Pearls from November will be covered next time.

Useful Links

Adrenal insufficiency and Addison’s disease

For professionals:

• The Society of Endocrinology – adrenal crisis

For patients:

• Addison’s Disease Self-help Group (include sections on emergency kits and sick day rules; there doesn’t appear to be a patient group for other forms of adrenal insufficiency)

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss: 

• Genital warts: spotting, treating and referring. Are you confident to diagnose? Do you know what additional screening should be offered? Are you comfortable with what can be managed in primary care and what should be referred?
• Addictive behaviours. The word ‘addiction’ conjures specific images for each of us. Perhaps it is a person struggling to stop smoking, or a person who uses IV drugs? Or perhaps it is a behaviour more ‘normalised’ and ubiquitous in our society – alcohol or social media use? All can impact health. We share our article on addictive behaviours, and consider: 
  • The difference between addiction and impulse control. 
  • How we can identify addictive behaviour. 
  • Factors that make individuals more susceptible. 

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

Links:

Genital warts

BASHH - genital warts

Red Whale byte: HPV and genital warts 

Problematic social media use or addiction?

UK Rehab – social media addiction (includes a free 24/7 helpline)

Boggled Docs episode covering "The Social Dilemma" on Netflix 

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik have special guest Lucy Cox, the Red Whale women’s health course lead to discuss : 

• Managing menopause after breast cancer. A diagnosis of breast cancer is life-changing at any age. Women in this situation will commonly seek our advice and we really want to help them at this vulnerable time, but for pre- and perimenopausal women conflicting media coverage over the safety of different menopause treatment options after breast cancer have created a recipe for confusion and frustration for patients and clinicians alike... 
• We'll also briefly cover ultra-processed food. Joe Wicks’ recent documentary ‘Licensed to Kill’ has brought this topic back into the spotlight. While the scare-tactic language in the title and promo are perhaps not the best way to support people to make sustained change, the programme contained some important points and may well result in questions coming primary care’s way. We have an exclusive clip of Nik talking to Hussain all about this on Boggled Docs.  

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

Further Pearls from October will be covered next time.

Links:

Boggled Docs: Ultra-processed food: licensed to kill?

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, and perhaps a pumpkin spice latte, and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• The NEW cervical screening intervals that apply in England from 1 July 2025: moving to a 5-yearly screening interval for all women and people with a cervix aged 25–64y who have tested negative for HPV and have no other risk factors (those living with HIV will be offered an annual screen). 
• Varicella vaccination- this will finally be rolled out as part of the UK childhood vaccination schedule from 1 January 2026 – this is good news. What you might have missed is that guidance on post-exposure prophylaxis from the UKHSA has changed…wait for it…3 times in the past 2 years! We share our article on varicella and provide everything you need to know to decide whether post-exposure prophylaxis is needed. 

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

Cervical cancer screening

Cancer Research UK - cervical cancer screening (more information about HPV triage and what the results mean)

LGBT Health - smear leaflet (specific information leaflet for lesbian and bisexual women)

OUTpatients – cancer risk and screening

OUTpatients – trans clinics offering cervical screening

Varicella 

UKHSA guidance on post exposure prophylaxis for chickenpox and shingles

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, and enjoy the crunchy leaves under your feet as you savour your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• Asthma: the autumn spike. The Primary Care Respiratory Society has drawn our attention to this. It refers to the significant increase in asthma admissions that occurs each autumn in the UK, particularly impacting children and young people. We can help prevent this by ensuring every person living with asthma has a personalised asthma action plan, appropriate prevention treatment, annual review AND review after every exacerbation.  

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from September will be covered next time.

Useful links:

Asthma and Lung UK - resources for healthcare professionals (includes great PAAPs for adults and children for MART, AIR and conventional asthma regimens; they can be downloaded for free or you can order free print versions)

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• Obesity and weight management in pregnancy. NICE produced updated guidance on nutrition and weight management in pregnancy earlier this year. Special guest Hussain Al-Zubaidi, joins us to discuss it all…
• CBT for menopausal symptoms: hero, villain or just difficult to access? We take a look at the evidence for and potential benefits of CBT for menopause symptoms, and consider access issues- you can make up your own mind!

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And we have a  best intentions story to put a smile on your face…

Obesity and weight management in pregnancy

Active Pregnancy Foundation

British Dietetic Association – pregnancy and diet

Specialist Pharmacy Service: UK Drugs in Lactation Advisory Service – safety in breastfeeding.

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for menopausal symptoms 

Women’s Health Concern (WHC 2023, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy  (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms),

NHS Inform – sleep problems and insomnia self-help guide

Mind - how to cope with sleep problems

Centre for Clinical Interventions – sleep

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, a cozy jumper, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• Gonorrhoea: prevention through vaccination. The UK ‘gonorrhoea vaccine’ recently became widely available through sexual health services. We’re here to help with any consultations you may have on this.
• Emotionally-based school avoidance. We share our article on this so that we are prepared with key information if questions come our way. 

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from August will be covered next week.

Emotionally-based school avoidance (EBSA)

https://notfineinschool.co.uk/home 

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice-with ice- and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss: 

• Hyperhidrosis- a year-round challenge for those who are affected. It significantly impacts quality of life, relationships and work. Hyperhidrosis is thought to be under-reported, possibly because people feel embarrassed. So, how should we approach the consultation if people do rais concerns?
• Hepatitis C: curable in more than 95% of affected individuals. It’s recently been the WHO World Hepatitis Day, so what better time to re-share our article on Hepatitis C? It has been a popular and impactful topic over the past 18 months on our update courses.

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hands up if you want to hear this month’s best intentions story… an axillary anecdote…

Hepatitis C 

HEP Drug Interactions (interaction checker for DAAs) 

If you’re interested in becoming a GP champion for Hep C, email 

connect.HepCULater@mpft.nhs or england.hepc-enquiries@nhs.net 

Videos   

(You'll need to sign in, or sign up to a free Red Whale account to view the video byte above!)   

https://www.redwhale.co.uk/bytes/hepatitis-c 

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice-with ice-  and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss: 

• Contraception, weight and GLP-1s: “Women on ‘skinny jabs’ must use effective contraception, MHRA urges in latest guidance” – Government press release, 5 June 2025. We share our newly-updated article on contraception and weight, which includes this MHRA guidance.
• There is NO safe level of drinking: the missed message? Since 2016, the message from the UK Chief Medical Officer is clear: there is no safe level of drinking. This was a big change from previous messaging that has perhaps not fully reached the professional or public consciousness.     

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

More Pearls from July will be covered next week.

Alcohol  

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - youth screening tool (for children aged 9–18y) 

 E-learning for healthcare - alcohol identification and brief advice 

GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• E-cigarettes and vapes… in the news again. The recent ban on the sale of single-use, disposable vapes has been implemented, in part, because disposable vapes have been “cited as a key driver in the rise of youth vaping.” But can vaping be a positive thing for some of our patients? The story is nuanced, and we’re going to unpack it.
• “The back of my heel hurts”… approaching pain in the Achilles region. 

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story that might get you out of a messy situation in the future…

GP Trainee Essentials support package:

GP Trainee Essentials support package

E-cigarettes and vapes…in the news again

 https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng209

 Video

https://www.redwhale.co.uk/bytes/smoking-cessation-what-s-new

(You'll need to sign in, or sign up to a free Red Whale account to view the video byte above!) 

Pain in the Achilles region

https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h4722

Video

Simmonds Triad of tests for a suspected Achilles tendon rupture:

https://youtu.be/8PvgvUV8N8U?si=_yRsiUEmbY7IjLh_

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• Potassium 6.1… what should we do? We share a GEMS: assessing and managing hyperkalaemia in primary care.
• Cancer, sexuality and gender: supporting LGBTQIA+ people with cancer screening, diagnosis and support when living with and beyond cancer.

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from June will be covered next week.

Cancer, sexuality and gender  

https://www.gmc-uk.org/professional-standards/ethical-hub/trans-healthcare#general-medical-services

https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/gp-practices/gp-service-provision/managing-patients-with-gender-dysphoria

https://transactual.org.uk/gp-support-trans/

https://outpatients.org.uk/tnb-clinic-map/

https://outpatients.org.uk/tnbgd-screening/

https://www.themedicalcentreislington.co.uk/2023/10/26/uk-cancer-and-transition-service-ucats/#:~:text=UCATS%20is%20a%20multidisciplinary%20service,both%20gender%20and%20cancer%20care

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• The gut microbiome: what do we need to know? What is known, and what just isn’t known?
• Multiple sclerosis: suspecting it and supporting patients.

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The gut microbiome: what do we need to know?  

Evidence for clinical interventions targeting the gut microbiome in cardiometabolic disease 

Multiple sclerosis: suspecting it and supporting patients 

 https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng220 

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng127/evidence/full-guideline-pdf-6775582573 

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• Glue ear: should we refer as soon as we suspect?
• Contraception after a diagnosis of breast cancer: supporting choice.
• Physical health and severe mental illness: can we reduce significant health inequalities?

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from May will be covered next week.

Glue ear: should we refer as soon as we suspect?  

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng233 

Videos 

https://www.littleears.soton.ac.uk/nasal-balloon-instructions 

https://www.redwhale.co.uk/bytes/otitis-media-with-effusion-in-under-12s-glue-ear  

(You'll need to sign in, or sign up to a free Red Whale account to view the video byte above!) 

Contraception after a diagnosis of breast cancer: supporting choice  

 https://www.fsrh.org/Common/Uploaded%20files/documents/fsrh-cadbc-guidance-document-15-nov-2023.pdf 

Physical health and severe mental illness: can we reduce significant health inequalities?  

 NHS England, 2024; Improving physical healthcare for people living with SMI in primary care). 

'Being Bothered About Billy' - The RCGP James Mackenzie Lecture 2012 with Professor Helen Lester 

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• Lynch syndrome: what’s the role of primary care? How can people access testing, and what support and surveillance can be offered? 
• Diagnosing pelvic inflammatory disease: a challenge in general practice. We consider how we can approach making a diagnosis of pelvic inflammatory disease in general practice. This is important because it has significant sequelae, including subfertility and chronic pelvic pain. 

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story that suggests there might be problems developing ‘down below’!

Lynch syndrome: what does it mean for general practice?  

Molecular testing strategies for Lynch syndrome in people with colorectal cancer (NICE DG27, 2017). 

NICE guidance on testing for Lynch syndrome in colorectal cancer (NICE NG151, 2020) 

NHS England: Implementing Lynch syndrome testing and surveillance pathways handbook v.1.2. 

Guidelines for the management of hereditary colorectal cancer from the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG)/Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI)/United Kingdom Cancer Genetics Group (UKCGG) 

The Royal Marsden: A beginner’s guide to Lynch syndrome 

Diagnosing pelvic inflammatory disease: a challenge in general practice  

BASHH guidelines on the diagnosis and management of PID (UK national guideline for the management of pelvic inflammatory disease, 2018 – updated 2019) 

Video byte: pelvic inflammatory disease

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• Neurodiversity in the workforce. We’ve been teaching about autism, ADHD and the umbrella approach to neurodiversity on our digital and face to face courses. You told us that you found this useful and empowering, in supporting patients and colleagues. So, we thought we’d share our article on supporting a neurodiverse workforce – this might provide tips we can apply to ourselves, to a trainee or a colleague. 
• Spotting and supporting those with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is increasing in prevalence as our population ages. Our role in primary care is to spot it early and refer and then, alongside our secondary care colleagues, to support people living with the condition with potentially complex symptoms and drug regimens.

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from April will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

Neurodiversity in the workforce  

Br Med Bull, 2020, 135(1): 108–125

CMAJ 2022; 194(27): E951

BJGP 2021; 71 (708): 294

The CIPD guide to neuroinclusion at work

Inside Our Autistic Minds BBC iPlayer

Boggled Docs: Inside Autistic Minds

Spotting and supporting those with Parkinson’s disease  

NICE 2017, NG71

BJGP 2024;74:e482

Impulsive and compulsive behaviour from Parkinson’s UK

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: 

• What jumped out at us from our brand new video byte: ‘Ramadan - Impact on diabetes and other chronic illnesses’
• Spotting Myeloma… let’s make it less tricky. Myeloma has been a popular topic in our recent Cancer and GP Update courses. So, to celebrate the launch of the NEW season of GP Update courses we wanted to share this Pearl on myeloma.

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story that will have you checking what you’re drying your hands with!

Ramadan

Video

Red Whale Knowledge - Ramadan: impact on diabetes and other chronic disease

Myeloma

NICE 2015, NG12

Myeloma UK’s diagnostic tool for primary care

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, your gardening clothes or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: 

• Anabolic steroid use. Body image concerns and pursuing an increasingly muscular appearance is becoming a growing issue, particularly for men and boys. 
• Nature… so important that we should prescribe it? Yes! Special guest Hussain Al-Zubaidi joins us to talk about the power of nature and green social prescribing in transforming patient health.

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from March will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

Anabolic steroid use

BJGP 2015;65:626 

BJGP 2024;74(741):187 

BMJ 10-minute consultation (BMJ 2016;355:i5023)

Green social prescribing

The National Academy for Social Prescribing:

Full toolkit on green social prescribing 

RCGP - parkrun practice initiative

Videos

Red Whale Knowledge - green social prescribing 

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• ‘I’ve got a pain in my foot.’ Do you feel less confident when consulting about feet? We can help…
• ‘These mouth ulcers won’t clear up.’ We talk about Behçet’s syndrome, a rare multi system inflammatory condition.

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story that will have you in a spin!

Links

Support for clinicians in Scotland

National wellbeing hub : support to stay well for everyone working in health, social care and social work in Scotland.

Support for clinicians in Wales

Support for clinicians in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDA)

Support for clinicians on the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey

Support for clinicians in England

Support for NHS people (NHS England)

Sign up for GP trainee essentials

I’ve got a pain in my foot…

 2020 BMJ 10-minute Consultation on forefoot pain (BMJ 2020;371: m3704).

 These mouth ulcers won’t clear up

 British Association of Dermatologists and British Society for Rheumatology living guideline for managing people with Behçets 2024 co-published by the British Journal Of Dermatology an

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, your dancing shoes or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Ali, Nik and special guests Hussain Al-Zubaidi and Osman Bhatti discuss: 

• Dance for health. What is the evidence that this helps. Which disease is particularly helped by the tango?
• Ramadan: supporting patients with long-term conditions. How can we best support those with long-term conditions during this time?  

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from February will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

Links

Sign up for GP trainee essentials

Let’s dance? Dance for health…

Let’s Dance - communication toolkit

Ramadan: impact on diabetes and other chronic diseases

BMJ Practice Pointer acknowledging that fasting may impact chronic disease control. BMJ 2022;376e:063613

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: 

• Spinal cord compression and cauda equina syndrome. They’re on our (long!) list of things we never want to miss. They’re uncommon presentations, but they cause us a lot of anxiety. We can help…
• The new NICE guidance on menopause, published in December 2024. Much stayed the same, but we focus on the bits that may change our practice…

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story that will have you checking your phone and your headphones before launching into your next consultation!

Spinal cord compression and cauda equina syndrome

 Red flags to screen for malignancy and fracture in patients with low back pain: systematic review

BMJ 2013;347:f7095

GRIFT 2023 cauda equina

national suspected cauda equina pathway

Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists – cauda equina information cards (cards in 29 different languages)

NICE guideline on menopause 2024: practice-changing points

NICE NG23

BMS statement in response to the publication of the updated NICE Menopause guideline (NG23)

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: 

• Acute cough and pneumonia in adults. Who needs face-to-face assessment? Who needs antibiotics?
• ‘I got this new gadget’… we consider technology to support health and wellbeing. 

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from January will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

Acute cough and pneumonia in adults

The Independent: ‘What is a quad-demic?’ 12.12.2024

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/nhs-england-flu-symptoms-tedros-adhanom-ghebreyesus-b2663301.html

Triaging adults with respiratory tract infections (NICE 2023, NG237)

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng237

Cough (acute): antimicrobial prescribing (NICE 2019, NG120)

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng120

Pneumonia in adults (NICE 2023, CG191)

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg191

Technology to support health and wellbeing

Timeline of major milestones in the development of wearable sensors and a summary of their building blocks

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-022-00460-x/figures/1

Effectiveness of physical activity monitors in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ 2022;376:e068047

https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-068047

Pedometers can help people get more active as part of an exercise programme.  

BMJ 2020;369:m877

https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m877

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• Wintering, time to restore ourselves. We share an article from our lifestyle medicine course, offering a roadmap to wellbeing that we can use to support ourselves, family members and patients as we embark on 2025. 

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story that will have you double checking the address before going on a home visit!

Roadmap to wellbeing: microskills for positive change

Clinican wellbeing articles on Red Whale Knowledge:

Burnout in health professionals

Mental health in health professionals

Moral distress and moral injury

Strengths and vulnerabilities in clinicians

Practitioner health

Department of Health 2014, The relationship between wellbeing and health

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• 3% of adults presenting to primary care with an acute cough have pertussis, but would you spot it?
• What is our role in primary care if a patient approaches us for advice about antibiotic prophylaxis for STIs?

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from December will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

Pertussis
BMJ 2019;364:l401 

UKHSA Guidance on the management of cases of pertussis in England during the re-emergence of pertussis in 2024 

Whooping Cough Net - symptoms (examples of full-blown whooping cough and attenuated forms in immunised individuals. Also information for patients about why treatment is ineffective. Site by Doug Jenkinson, a GP in ( Nottinghamshire) 

Testing guidelines from the UKHSA can be found here. 

The Green Book on Pertussis

Prophylaxis for sexually transmitted infections 

BASHH Position statement on Doxycycline as Prophylaxis for Sexually Transmitted Infections 2021 

The IPERGAY trial (Lancet Inf Diseases 2018;18(3):308) 

CDC guidance 1
CDC gui

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, your jingle bells, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: 

• Diagnosing diabetes: do you know MODY from LADA?
• PSA testing in asymptomatic men. Why don’t we have a national screening programme for prostate cancer in the UK?

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story that will have you patting your seat before you sit down!


Links:

Sign up for GP trainee essentials

'Chris Hoy and cancer screening: is celebrity campaigning a bad way to make policy?' Margaret McCartney. BMJ 2024;387:q2604

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead, your jingle bells, or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the first of two episodes this month, Fiona and Nik discuss: 

• Chronic urticaria. How confident are you in spotting and managing it?
• Preparing for the worst…we consider the important issue of bleeding and haemorrhage in advanced cancer.  

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from November will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

Links

Sign up for GP trainee essentials

Scottish Palliative Care Guidelines - bleeding

Festive i-CPD

What we can learn from watching the film 'Last Christmas' ? - Boggled Docs episode

What we can learn from watching 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' ?- Boggled Docs episode

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a pumpkin spice latte and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  October was another bumper month of information, meaning that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss:  

• Mpox- what do we need to know after the WHO declared Mpox a ‘public health emergency of international concern’ ?
• Ovarian cancer: genetic risk. Did you know that reducing the risk of ovarian cancer death with risk-reduction surgery is an alternative for some at higher genetic risk of the disease, and is now recommended by NICE?
• Gut microbiome: cutting through the noise. We unpack the growing understanding of the importance of the gut microbiome, why it matters and future practical applications…

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story where you will feel for everyone involved!

Links:

Sign up for GP trainee essentials

Latest update on cases of Clade Ib mpox

The NHS Jewish BRCA Testing Programme

Target Ovarian Cancer

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a pumpkin spice latte and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  October was another bumper month of information, meaning that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• HRT, bleeding and endometrial cancer... Have you had more phone calls and e-consults? Recent media coverage has made this a topic that we all need to know about.
• Big changes in the UK vaccination schedules. We help you to update and refresh your knowledge in this fast-changing area. 

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from October will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

Links:

Sign up for GP trainee essentials

BMS – management of unscheduled bleeding on hormone replacement therapy

Effective Approaches to Combat Vaccine Hesitancy 

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  September was another bumper month of information, meaning that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• Nephrotic syndrome in children: would you spot it? 
• Broken heart? Think Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story where a urine dip rang alarm bells for the wrong reason!

Links:

Sign up for GP trainee essentials

NHS – nephrotic syndrome in children

NHS Scotland - immunisation guideline for children with chronic kidney disease 

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a pumpkin spice latte and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  September was another bumper month of information, meaning that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• How to approach alopecia consultations. Having a framework for conditions that patients have to pluck up courage to ask about can be really helpful…
•  Workplace-based assessment (WPBA) demystified. We’re here to support the next generation of GP trainees, along with their supervisors. 

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from September will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

Alopecia UK

British Association of Dermatologists - alopecia areata

British Association of Dermatologists - female pattern hair loss

British Association of Dermatologists - male pattern hair loss


The official MRCGP website which can be found here

CEPS 

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  August was another bumper month of information, meaning that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the second of two episodes this month, Caroline and Nik discuss: 

• The national Medical Examiner System- big changes came into play in England and Wales on 9th September 2024. How’s it going for you?
• HRT regimens and progestogen dosing: time to change our practice? Unopposed oestrogen can increase the risk of endometrial cancer, so it must be balanced with an adequate dose of progestogen. But what is an adequate dose? 

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story where a good deed ended up with one of our listeners wedged under a bed in a nursing home!

Free Byte about the changes in the process for death certification in England and Wales
(You'll need to create a free account on redwhale.co.uk to watch this, if you haven't done so already)

Sign up for GP trainee essentials

BMS joint guideline: 'Management of unscheduled bleeding on hormone replacement therapy (HRT)'

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  August was another bumper month of information, meaning that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the first of two episodes this month, Caroline and Nik discuss: 

• Wilson’s disease. How would you go about testing for this? What should you look out for?
• How to approach all types of anaemia in primary care. Please share our GEMS with new Team GP members.
• Tick-borne encephalitis: when to vaccinate.

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from August will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

Wing-Beating Tremor video-NEJM:

https://youtu.be/_LJXgDQV2Vo?si=x5h2Yg4nVTJqWUqE

The interactive map at Travel Health Pro:

https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. July was another bumper month of information and we couldn't squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss: 

• All things worm related. You’ve been requesting it, so here it is! 
• We may well be getting more calls about painful/ itchy/ discharging ears. Otitis external may be one explanation!

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story involving a bottle of champagne and false hopes! All to put a smile on your face!

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/threadworms/

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/schistosomiasis

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  July was another bumper month of information, meaning that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the first of two episodes this month, Nik and guest presenter Ali discuss: 

• Seeing REDs with exercise? There are many benefits to physical training, but also some things we should be aware of- would you spot REDs?
• Familial hypercholesterolaemia: why does it matter? Find out how we can make a huge difference in primary care. 

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from July will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

https://health4performance.basem.co.uk/

https://red-s.com/

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  June was another bumper month of information, meaning that we couldn’t possibly squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the second of two episodes this month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Motor neurone disease: spotting, referring and supporting
• There’s something not quite right…we cover how to approach a consultation around phimosis

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story that involved a food farce to put a smile on your face!

Rob Burrow documentary

Association for palliative medicine

DermNet NZ images of penile lichen sclerosus

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  June was another bumper month of information, meaning that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the first of two episodes this month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Curable: hepatitis C and the NHS elimination programme.
• Acne: what’s new?

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from June will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

Hep C

HEP Drug Interactions (interaction checker for DAAs)

If you’re interested in becoming a GP champion for Hep C, email:

connect.HepCULater@mpft.nhs or england.hepc-enquiries@nhs.net

Order Hep C home testing kit online at: hepctest.nhs.uk

Acne

The British Association of Dermatology patient information leaflet for isotretinoin

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. There was so much information in the Pearls that we released over the 5 weeks of May that we’ve realised that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the second of two episodes this month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Allergic rhinitis and hay fever- should we be thinking of it as asthma of the nose?
• Melanoma: as the incidence continues to rise, how do we pick out moles that are concerning and need referral?

The above questions, and more, will be answered during the episode. Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story that involved a fit note fiasco to put a smile on your face!

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. There was so much information in the Pearls that we released over the 5 weeks of May that we’ve realised that we can’t possibly squeeze it all into one handy sized episode, so in the first of two episodes this month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Lifestyle as medicine- an antidote to too much medicine?
• Dying matters: identifying adults approaching end of life.

We also announce the winner of a whole year of Red Whale Knowledge for free, in our Primary Care Superheroes competition…

Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

The rest of the Pearls from May will be covered next week along with a new best intentions story to put a smile on your face.

Useful resources:
Lifestyle medicine
Websites 

RCGP - physical activity hub

British Society of Lifestyle Medicine

RCGP GP with an extended role in lifestyle medicine framework

Personalised care delivery in primary care – Leamington case study

You can get info/ book here: Red Whale Lifestyle Medicine Course

Dying matters
BMJ Journal of medical ethics, 2019

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. This month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Acute prostatitis: is it the last stand for the floxacins?!
• Adenomyosis: demystifying the condition behind the headlines. How would you diagnose it?
• A diagnosis no one wants to miss… cancer in children and young people. What are the key presentations?
• When does hearing loss warrant an urgent assessment? How could you potentially save someone’s hearing?

All of the above questions, and more, will be answered during the episode. Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear a best intentions story that highlights that one size doesn’t fit all, especially when it comes to lifestyle medicine!!

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. This month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Acute aortic dissection. What would you do if you suspected it?
• The limping child. Who goes in to hospital? Who might be able to be managed in primary care?
• Soluble tablets. Are you aware how much sodium is in the average soluble pill?
• Quinolones… just say no to systemic fluroquinolones! Why have the MHRA released a drug safety update?

All of the above questions, and more, will be answered during the episode. Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear about how some home grown tomatoes brought a primary care team together, but left an unpleasant taste in the mouth!!

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab your trainers, your dog lead or a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. This month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Recent changes with progestogen-only pills. How is the new POP different from the others?
• Erectile dysfunction, and what is Eroxon?
• The available evidence and guidelines regarding measuring oestradiol levels with HRT. Which factors impact oestradiol levels? 
• Eating disorders. What are the 5 subtypes of eating disorder? 
• Ramadan- how can we support people with long-term conditions?

All of the above questions, and more, will be answered during the episode. Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear about how a young primary care parent needed to watch their back whilst trying to juggle everything on a busy work day!!

Useful resources:
Hana
Lovima

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. This month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Actively beating the new year blues. How can we build conversations about physical activity into our consultations? 
• Scabies surge: how do you spot it and manage it? (And can you get hold of the treatments?!)
• His head is all squished on one side… does the baby have a non-acute asymmetrical head, or not…?
• Measles: an update. With a significant measles outbreak in the West Midlands, have you had a chance to read the BRAND NEW UKHSA National Measles Guideline released in January? Don’t worry if you haven’t had time, we summarise them for you.

All of the above questions, and more, will be answered during the episode. Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear about how crossed wires in a consultation lead to red-faced moment!!

Episode links:

https://movingmedicine.ac.uk/

https://dermnetnz.org/topics/scabies

https://www.yhphnetwork.co.uk/links-and-resources/coi/migrant-health/prevention-and-management-of-infectious-diseases/

https://dermnetnz.org/topics/measles

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Grab a cuppa and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. This month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Galleri: will this blood test revolutionise cancer diagnosis? We review the evidence behind it and ask: How effective is it when cancer is suspected, and how effective is it for population screening?  
• Sore throat and tonsilitis: All you ever wanted to know! Do you know when we should refer for tonsillectomy?
• Carbon monoxide poisoning: it’s rare but easily missed. Would you be able to spot patterns in the history to make the diagnosis?
• Our free video bytes! We’ve given away 6 bytes in our Pearl email- over 45 minutes of free video CPD including infantile haemangioma, shoulder examination, hoarding disorder, serotonin syndrome, cancer: early diagnosis, and short stature. We discuss what leapt out at us from each one.

All of the above questions will be answered during the episode. Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources. 

And hear about a home visit with a canine catheter catastrophe!!

FeverPain score:

https://ctu1.phc.ox.ac.uk/feverpain/index.php

Centor Score:

https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/104/centor-score-modified-mcisaac-strep-pharyngitis

ENT UK Commissioning Guide: Tonsillectomy 2021 :

https://www.entuk.org/_userfiles/pages/files/guidelines/Revised%20ENT%20UK%20Tonsillectomy%20commissioning%20guide%20edit%20to%20final%20(002).pdf

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Join us for a relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. This month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Healthy ageing: adding quality to years? What does ‘healthy ageing’ look like? What are the 3 trajectories of ageing? How can we work as a primary care team to promote the basics that increase the chance of healthier ageing?
• Preventing breast cancer: what’s our role? The MHRA are now licensing anastrozole for primary prevention of breast cancer in postmenopausal women at moderate to high risk. We discuss our article on Breast cancer: genetic risk, and explore how to assess risk, the evidence for preventative medication and some of the side-effects people taking it may experience. 
• Acute retention: sort the catheter… then think why?  A Danish study showed that those who go into acute retention are at an increased risk of being diagnosed with genitourinary cancers in the following 12 months. How much should we worry about this?
• Self-harm: creating a safety-plan. The UK has one of the highest rates of self-harm in Europe and whilst it can occur at any age, it is most common in young people and females. The 2022 NICE Guidelines on self-harm recommend that whilst we are waiting for CAMHS support and assessment, we can help by encouraging the young person to develop a safety-plan. Would you feel confident to do this? 

And hear about a colleague’s car-tastrophe…

NICE patient information leaflet - familial breast cancer:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg164/ifp/chapter/About-this-information

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Join us for a relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. This month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• HRT for primary prevention? About 25% of menopausal-age women have no symptoms and so do not require HRT to treat vasomotor or other hormone-related issues. However, they may be influenced by media messages suggesting that HRT could be used to prevent certain chronic diseases. What do we advise?
• I’m struggling… GP burnout has been in the news again: not a surprise to most of us working in primary care. It can affect any role – not just GPs. We share some resources that can hopefully help, however you're feeling at the moment. 
• COVID…there’s a lot of it around…again! We summarise the current state of play with antiviral treatments for COVID. We need to know about this so that we can signpost appropriate patients to access treatment – whatever our local route.  
• Common, easily missed and affects 10% of females of reproductive age… We discuss endometriosis, including options for first-line management, reasons for referral and surgery, and the impact of menopause on endometriosis.

And hear about a hot and sticky cornered colleague…

Boggled Docs episode 'Focus Your Mind On The Menopause':
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1300702/10567446-focus-your-mind-on-the-menopause

Supporting information on risk factors for progression to severe COVID-19:
https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ta878/chapter/5-Supporting-information-on-risk-factors-for-progression-to-severe-COVID-19

Liverpool University COVID-19 drug interactions tool:
https://www.covid19-druginteractions.org/checker

See transcript tab on Buzzsprout site for full show notes with links...

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Join us for a relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. This month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• GLP-1 mimetics shortages: tackling drug swaps. The headline grabbing GLP-1 mimetics are rarely out of the news- most recently due to supply issues for people with type 2 diabetes. How do we deal with this?
• Tics and Tourette’s syndrome: spotting them in primary care. Singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi has been keen to dispel myths that Tourette’s is all about swearing uncontrollably. We share what you need to know. 
• Blepharitis: it’s pretty common and is responsible for about 5% of primary care eye consultations- so worth a reminder about diagnosis and management, to stop you from getting stuck! 
• Molluscum contagiosum…a nuisance but not a spell! We look at the diagnosis, management, who needs referral, and when to think about immunosuppression.

And hear about a multitasking, time pressured, dance themed debacle…

Links
You can check availability of insulin brands at:
www.sps.nhs.uk 

Tourette's Action (UK support group for those with an established diagnosis):
https://www.tourettes-action.org.uk/

Molluscum contagiosum images:
https://www.pcds.org.uk/clinical-guidance/molluscum-contagiosum#management

https://dermnetnz.org/topics/molluscum-contagiosum

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Join us for a relaxed round up of this month’s Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. This month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Bites: human, animal and insect. It’s still that time of year when the triage list is full of: Bite ? Infected. We look at all things bite related including assessment, management and who needs antibiotics.
• DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis: what is it and why we shouldn’t suggest it might have an occupational cause. 
• Some tips for doing the 6-8 week baby check: as a welcome to our new GPSTs, and for those of us who learned this longer ago that we like to admit to, have we thought about what might have changed?   
• Assertiveness: often we say yes to things that help our patients and colleagues, but sometimes we need to say no. If we do need to say no, how good are we at being assertive? 

And hear a cautionary tale from a listener about how, despite the best intentions, a nail issue didn’t turn out to be as straight forward as first thought…

Lyme disease rash:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lyme-disease/

https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/rashes.html

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.

Join us for a relaxed round up of this month’s Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. This month, Nik and Caroline discuss: 

• Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: one child in every class at school is potentially affected and unsupported. What can we do about this, and why is discussing alcohol in pregnancy a taboo?
• Varicella zoster (chicken pox) and NSAIDs: why we shouldn’t be recommending ibuprofen for chicken pox or children with shingles, and why a request for it could be considered a red flag…
• Heat-related illness: identifying those at greatest risk. How to prevent it, spot it and treat it.
• Measles: might we see an epidemic? Would we spot a case? How can we support and promote MMR vaccination in our specific local populations?

And hear how a wedding day best intention went horribly wrong, knocking things sideways!

Beat the heat: staying safe in hot weather

Effective Approaches to Combat Vaccine Hesitancy

Measles on black and brown skin website

Send us your feedback podcast@redwhale.co.uk or send a voice message

Sign up to receive Pearls here. Pearls are available for 3 months from publish date. After this, you can get access them plus 100s more articles when you buy a one-day online course from Red Whale OR sign up to Red Whale Unlimited. Find out more here.

Follow us: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.