Resources

What a fast year! I can hardly believe it’s time to start thinking about keeping warm and preparing for the festive season. Looking back, I feel a lot has been achieved this year in general practice nursing and that there is a greater sense of clarity for my own role development in 2026.

Diabetes stigma can come from all corners of a person’s life — whether it’s at home, at work and even in healthcare appointments. It can be defined as negative attitudes and beliefs about an individual or group because of their diabetes.

Studies suggest that stigma is associated with decreased self-care behaviours, higher haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) levels, and higher frequency of diabetes complications in adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes (Eitel et al, 2024).

In the cold wet months in the UK with its short days and lower temperatures, people generally spend more time indoors. Within this indoor environment, some allergies tend to worsen in winter.

In clinics or GP practices, general practice nurses (GPNs) may find patients with not well controlled asthma (who may even have exacerbations requiring A& E admission) or chronic rhinosinusitis, which present as persistent hay feverlike symptoms — only to discover that their condition is being triggered by house dust mites.

Shingles (herpes zoster) occurs in response to the triggering of the varicella zoster virus (VZV), commonly known as chicken pox (NHS England, 2023). After having chicken pox, normally in childhood, VZV lays dormant in the nervous system, establishing a permanent laten infection. Reactivation of the latent infection — typically due to immunosenescence (age-related decline in the immune response), immunosuppression or stressors such as bereavement — causes shingles (Saleh et al, 2025).

The overall prevalence in the UK is estimated to be 1.85–3.9 cases per 1000 population, increasing with age from less than two cases per 1000 in people younger than 50 years to 11 cases per 1000 in people aged 80 years or older (BMJ Best Practice, 2024). In people aged 70–79 years, the annual incidence in England and Wales is around 790–880 cases per 100,000 people (UK Health Security Agency [UKHSA], 2025a).

Stroke is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide, and as the population ages, the number of stroke cases is expected to increase significantly. In the UK alone, a 49% increase in the prevalence of stroke is predicted between 2025 and 2035, putting a strain on healthcare systems and resources (King et al, 2020). However, with advancements in technology, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), there is hope for improving outcomes for stroke patients.

General practice nursing and primary care are at the forefront of the NHS Long Term Plan 10-year strategy for the NHS in England (NHS England, 2025). Recognition of the key role that general practice nurses (GPNs) have always had in the delivery of the shift of prevention and care at home must be highlighted and valued, as this is not a new concept for GPNs.

Here, Callum Metcalfe-O’Shea, UK professional lead for long-term conditions at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), speaks with Naomi Watt, registered nurse with primary care experience and healthcare professional engagement manager at Asthma and Lung UK, about the evolving landscape of respiratory care and the pivotal role that general practice nurses (GPNs) play in supporting patients with asthma and other lung conditions. These questions explore why respiratory care is so vital to the role of GPNs and discuss the resources available in practice.

Recognising the key features of common skin lesions, such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, and malignant or fungating wounds, is important for early diagnosis and guidance of appropriate management and treatment interventions. There is also the potential for wounds of initially benign aetiologies to evolve into a malignancy over long periods of time, and it is important to act on suspicious lesions and wounds which are failing to respond to standard treatment strategies. Timely referrals to specialities such as dermatology can be the key for preventing unnecessary deterioration, and awareness of local referral pathways and policies can support clinicians with decision-making around this process. While local wound management of malignant wounds should follow the principles of the TIMES framework for assessment, it should also include consideration of common and often distressing associated symptoms such as pain, malodour, high exudate volume and risk of bleeding.

Hyperthyroidism is a condition with several signs and symptoms which can occur with variable degrees of severity. Less common than hypothyroidism (covered in an earlier article; Perry, 2025), the problem occurs in countries around the world and is more often seen in older adults. Due to the fact that some of the symptoms can mimic other conditions, diagnosis can be challenging. This article gives an overview of the disease, looking at presentation, diagnosis, treatment and complications with the aim of improving understanding of this difficult disease among nurses and nonmedical prescribers.