Resources

Diagnosing and managing lower urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women aged 65 years and over is important to ensure their health and wellbeing. This article explores how to diagnose lower UTI, considering alternative diagnoses especially in older adults, as their symptoms may mimic UTI but may indicate other underlying conditions. It also looks at how to manage and treat uncomplicated lower UTI and provides guidance on recurrent UTI, usually defined as three or more episodes in a year.

Fit for the Future aims to move care from hospital to community through neighbourhood health services, elevates prevention as a national priority and commits to stronger workforce development. For nurses working in general practice, this creates opportunity: neighbourhood reform is located in and around general practice, and prevention priorities align with core general practice nurse (GPN) work in screening, immunisation and long-term condition management. However, the plan does not identify general practice nursing as a distinct workforce group, leaving role definition, staffing assumptions and development routes to local implementation. Without early engagement in neighbourhood design, GPNs risk limited influence on workforce models and uneven access to chapter 7’s ‘best employer’ offer, particularly for practice-employed nurses. This article outlines the plan’s implications and argues that visible nursing representation is essential to secure investment and progression pathways.

This is the second part of a two-part article on the gut microbiome. Part 1 looked at why the gut microbiome is so important for health and wellbeing and the problems that an unbalanced microbiota (otherwise known as dysbiosis) can cause. This article looks at the factors that can lead to dysbiosis and discusses steps that can be taken to restore it to a healthy state.

General practice nurses (GPNs) have a unique part to play in meeting the future needs of populations in primary care. Their role has evolved rapidly over the past three decades driven by an increase in long-term conditions, an ageing population, and the need to address workforce challenges in primary care. GPNs provide a broad range of patient services, including health promotion, preventative screening, assessment and management and management of acute care. There have, however, been challenges about differences in education as, unlike training for other healthcare professions such as district nurses or health visitors, there has been a lack of standardised training pathways for GPNs. Many GPNs have had a piecemeal training with a fragmented approach to their education. Despite these challenges, publication of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN, 2023) Field Specific Standards for Education and Practice for Community Specialist Practitioner Qualifications (SPQ) built on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards of Proficiency has led to clear educational pathways for new GPNs.

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.