Pulse

21/12/2025

The Government has put forward its preferred option to give ministers a ‘limited power of direction’ to set the core cost-effectiveness threshold that NICE uses in developing guidance, including for technology appraisals. https://buff.ly/aO8zl5Z

20/12/2025

Government to roll out domestic abuse referral service across GP practices

The new service, called ‘steps to safety’, will be rolled out across ICBs from April, giving GP practices ‘the tools and ability’ to ‘identify and refer victims and survivors into support services’, the Government said.

It will connect patients to specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence services within their local area ‘through their GP’, and training will be offered to GP practice staff in all regions so they can ‘better identify and respond’ to domestic abuse and sexual violence.

A specialist support worker will also be made available across groups of general practices to support GP staff and ensure victims and survivors are connected with local specialist services.

In response, the RCGP said that focusing training on the wider general practice team, including both clinical and non-clinical staff, ‘may increase opportunities’ to identify potential abuse and ‘intervene appropriately’.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/HrEnk54

20/12/2025

From April next year, individual practices will be able to deliver Covid-19 vaccinations and they will no longer be required to form a PCN grouping to deliver the service. https://buff.ly/kNFhhga

19/12/2025

‘Unnecessary’ tasks are costing general practice more than £400 per GP per day, a study commissioned by the RCGP has revealed

https://buff.ly/AURRJ51

19/12/2025

A slow taper combined with psychological support appears to be the best strategy for stopping antidepressants, researchers have reported.

Compared with a fast taper or stopping taking antidepressants abruptly, a staged withdrawal of the drugs could prevent one in every five patients relapsing into depression, the analysis found.
https://buff.ly/I3lrt0S

19/12/2025

‘Unnecessary’ workload costs practices £410 per GP daily, RCGP warns

https://buff.ly/AURRJ51

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19/12/2025

A landmark review into adult gender dysphoria clinics in England has recommended that a GP referral should be the only pathway to adult trans services.

The newly published review, led by medical director and cancer specialist Dr David Levy, investigated the safety and effectiveness of nine gender dysphoria clinic (GDC) services in England.

Commissioned by NHS England in June 2024, the review has now identified ‘exceptionally long waiting times’ for gender services reported, a lack of knowledge-sharing between GDCs, and absence of patients waiting lists or outcomes data.

It said NHS England should ‘standardise and streamline’ referrals by working with GDCs to ‘establish GP referral as the only pathway to adult gender services, with an end to self-referrals’, as well as ‘support more informed GP referrals and GDC triage processes by developing a standardised patient form for GDC referrals’.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/1yG10vQ

19/12/2025

Which of the following is true regarding mental stress in shop workers due to listening to Christmas hits all day long in the run up to December 25th?

🔺 Overall it enhances their mental health
🔺 It has no effect one way or the other
🔺 It can increase mental fatigue and stress
🔺 It has been known to induce psychosis

Test your Christmassy clinical acumen with our festive conundrums!

Take the quiz here: https://buff.ly/sSoF5AY

19/12/2025

A 2½-year-old boy is brought into your surgery because, as his mother explains, ‘he’s drinking loads of water’. She says he is constantly thirsty, asking for drinks repeatedly throughout the day and night. His nappies are ‘always soaked and leak’, yet his behaviour seems otherwise entirely normal. There has been no weight loss, no fever and no vomiting, and his appetite is unchanged.

What could be causing this toddler’s excessive thirst?

GP and paediatrics specialist Dr David Capehorn asks what the diagnosis could be in a toddler who presents with excessive thirst and urination, but otherwise normal behaviour and normal glucose on a urine dip.



Read more here, and leave your suggestions in the comments: https://buff.ly/QmV2a6B

19/12/2025

Government report suggests tying some GP payments to patient satisfaction

The new report, produced by a 10-year plan working group, also said that the Carr-Hill formula review should include ‘additional funding’ to balance out winners and losers.

The Government published the working group report setting out ‘a range of options’ for the NHS financial framework ‘intended to meet the objectives’ of the 10-year plan – which had included a promise to review the formula for GP funding.

The report recommended several options, including payments to incentivise GP access, putting in additional funding to balance potential winners and losers, and moving a greater share of funding outside of GMS.

It comes as the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has been asked by the Government to produce an ‘overall recommendation’ on replacing the Carr-Hill formula, which could include a departure from the existing approach.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/yGQyjgx

19/12/2025

Doctor fitness-to-practise (FtP) hearings take almost two years to process on average, according to a performance review of the GMC.

Read the full story here: https://buff.ly/82rlQgT

18/12/2025

The Government will roll out a new domestic abuse and sexual violence service from next year, connecting GP practices with local specialist services and providing extra training for practice staff.

The new service, called ‘steps to safety’, will be rolled out across ICBs from April, giving GP practices ‘the tools and ability’ to ‘identify and refer victims and survivors into support services’, the Government said.

It will connect patients to specialist domestic abuse and sexual violence services within their local area ‘through their GP’, and training will be offered to GP practice staff in all regions so they can ‘better identify and respond’ to domestic abuse and sexual violence.

A specialist support worker will also be made available across groups of general practices to support GP staff and ensure victims and survivors are connected with local specialist services.

Read more here: https://buff.ly/ma0NRN4