Frailty is becoming increasingly recognised as a long-term condition associated with ageing that should be primarily managed in primary care. Diagnosing frailty identifies a high-risk population group and highlights areas of clinical importance that can be treated and managed. In 2017, NHS England introduced new elements into the GP contract, which require practices to identify moderately and severely frail patients, and to offer a clinical review to those who are severely frail (NHS England, 2017b). This review should include assessment of falls risk, medication review and seeking of permission to activate the enriched Summary Care Record (SCR). This article examines the general practice nurses’ role in the care and support of older people who live with frailty, and gives guidance on how to review medication, assess falls risk and use the SCR to ensure patients’ wishes and care preferences are recorded.
The first article in this two-part series on skin cancer highlighted the importance of educating the general public about the causes of skin cancer, as well as outlining preventative measures to reduce its incidence and help them respond appropriately to the initial signs (Alexander, 2016). This second article focuses on individuals who are at higher risk of developing skin cancer and looks at how education can help them to make informed choices about their exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation to reduce their chances of developing skin cancer.
The aim of this two-part article is to highlight an area of cancer which holds promise in the form of overall reduction in incidence and mortality rates dependent on a few factors. These factors include education of the general public about the causes of skin cancer and preventative measures to reduce skin cancer, identification of high risk groups, and finally how to respond appropriately to the first signs of skin cancer. This first part identifies known causes and highlights signs and symptoms of skin cancer and why early detection and treatment is essential for improving overall survival outcomes. The second part in the series will focus on individuals within the population who are at higher risk of developing skin cancer and look at how education can enable people to make informed choices about their exposure
to ultraviolet (UV) radiation to reduce their chances of developing skin cancer.
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