Knowledgebase

The story of a locum session; missing out on marginal gains
In this final article, we'll run through a hypothetical locum session (but inspired by real events!) and the typical response to errors, finally examining how a more considered, system-based approach based on the learning from psychology and Black Box thinking could promote patient safety, practice efficiency and GP morale and retention.
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Podcast | The Sessional GP magazine April 2019
In our 106th edition, Liz takes us through five taxing days, Nigel has some top tips for locums on getting a mortgage, Louise reviews the latest SIGN guidance on alcohol in pregnancy, Sara highlights the roles of locums in quality improvement, Rachel looks at the risks around burnout, Kate on mental health safety, Judith rounds off with singing in the brain, all interspersed with some beautiful paintings by Claire.
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Get strong, stay strong
Evidence suggests that there are strong associations in middle and older age between poor balance, poor strength or poor physical function and mortality, and that lower strength in late adolescence and early adulthood link with increased vascular risk in later life.
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Systems to improve continuity of care
Following on from her previous article Dis-continuity; putting care into context, Dr Sara Chambers explores the idea that sometimes continuity of care is deployed to paper over the cracks where 'continuity of management' and 'information' is lacking or even absent, and why the locum's perspective needs to be part of a future solution.
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Podcast | The Sessional GP magazine February 2019
In this 105th edition, Sara concludes her article on a fresh pair of eyes; Judith would rather we didn't eat each other; Rachel has some news on medical indemnity; Liz answers your Type-2 queries; Eva and Nicky have both explored specialties outside of primary care that have enhanced their enjoyment of general practice; Kate wants us to get physical, and Louise has summarised Nice's latest on ureteric and renal stones.
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Podcast | Getting under your skin; a visit to Body Worlds and the art of plastination
How do you react to seeing a man standing, flayed of his skin, his internal organs on view, his muscles brick red, his blue eyes staring out at you? Or what about the trio posed round a table playing poker?
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Wounded healers; what makes GPs so vulnerable to mental ill-health?
Doctors experience more mental ill-health and addiction than other professional groups, and there are higher rates of suicide in doctors than other professionals, especially in young women, who are two to four times more likely to kill themselves than other women.
Read moreRead GP financial advice on setting up a self assessment tax account for sessional GP work, starting out as a GP locum, how IR35 affects your GP locum, whether to join, stay or leave the NHS Pension Scheme, and what allowable expenses GP locums should record in their annual tax return.