Resources

Making decisions can be tough. Anyone who’s ever been confronted with the choice between a chocolate Hob-nob and custard cream knows that weighing up the pros and cons can involve some pretty serious soulsearching. But, while most people face a host of trivial everyday decisions about the clothes they wear or the food they eat, nurses are in a unique position in that the choices they make about patient care can literally involve life or death. 

However, with the government’s recent announcement of compulsory vaccination for all frontline NHS staff, nurses are about to find out that one decision — whether or not to be vaccinated against Covid-19 — is about to be taken out of their hands. We explore what this means for general practice nurses (GPNs), and discuss the pros and cons of Covid-19 vaccination.

Eighty percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer will end up with erectile dysfunction after treatment (Downing et al, 2019). Yet, talking about sex, treating erectile dysfunction, and meeting the man’s needs after treatment is often lower down on the healthcare professional’s agenda. Prostate Cancer UK found that sex and erectile dysfunction is the biggest unmet need for men with prostate cancer.

Why is that? Is it because we just want to focus on managing the prostate cancer? Are the urinary problems easier to prepare a patient for and treat? Do we find it difficult to talk about sex? Do we make assumptions that because a man is over a certain age, he won’t be having sex, so we don’t need to talk about it? Do we feel that if we ask how the erections are, we might be opening a can of worms and we just don’t have time in clinic? Do we have our own hang ups about sex, prejudices or cultural beliefs that stop us being able to talk openly about sex?

Making every contact count (MECC) is not a new concept, having been part of clinical practice for many general practice, district and community nurses and driven at all levels through educational programmes by Health Education England for some years now (HEE, 2021). The need for early intervention is vital for many people diagnosed with long-term conditions, and this applies to lower limb management too. Prevention of deterioration is incredibly important within the lower limb management field of practice, and this links well with the philosophy of making every contact count because harm is occurring, and this could be prevented with proactive early intervention.

Migraine is a common neurological disorder that is extremely disabling and often misunderstood. It is a primary headache disorder, meaning it is not due to an underlying
pathology, trauma, infection or systemic disease. Migraine is therefore the disorder itself

There are 2.2 million Armed Forces veterans in England. That’s similar to the number of people living with cancer (Macmillan Cancer Support, 2021). Yet, despite the fact that veterans sometimes have different healthcare needs, around half of GP practices do not know how many veteran patients they have — simply because they are not aware of the process to capture this information. 

The Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) veteran friendly GP practice accreditation scheme gives GP practices the training, information and resources to identify and support their veteran patients. It starts with asking, ‘have you served?’.

Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) symptoms present in 2–3% of all infants versus 0.5% of breastfed infants in the first year of life and can impact on growth and quality of life of the child (Venter et al, 2017; National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2021). Once CMA is diagnosed, hypoallergenic formulas are recommended if exclusive breastfeeding is not possible or the mother chooses a mixed feeding approach (Venter et al, 2017; Fox et al, 2019; NICE, 2021). This product snapshot reviews the diagnosis and management of CMA and focuses on Alimentum® and EleCare®, hypoallergenic infant formulas that are clinically effective at the best value price (price per 100ml) (Sicherer et al, 2001; Data on File, 2020; MIMS, 2021).

Self-harm has increased significantly over the past few years. The restrictions due to the Covid pandemic are thought to be a contributing trigger for an individual to self-harm. Patients who present to healthcare systems with self-harm injuries can be met with indifference and lack of understanding by healthcare professionals who do not have the knowledge and skills to deal with individuals who have complex mental health needs. General practice nurses (GPNs) who care for patients with self-harm injuries should be able to offer empathy, understanding, and know how to refer and signpost to ensure that timely intervention can be made to the most appropriate mental health team or allied worker. This article explores how Covid-19 has impacted on self-harm, the important aspects of assessment to consider when a patient presents with a self-harm injury, and discusses interventions that may assist in the management of such wounds in clinical practice 

Management of venous leg ulcers and use of compression therapy as early as possible have been identified as a priority (Atkin et al, 2021). However, selecting the correct wound dressing to use under compression therapy has not received the same attention, despite being crucial in the application of correct levels of pressure on the limb. This article reviews venous leg ulcers, how and why we use compression therapy, and the assessment needed before treatment starts. It also explores the attributes of dressings used under compression and the decision-making process for selecting correct dressings for each individual patient, while considering opportunities for promoting supported self-care.

Inflammation occurs when the body tries to protect itself from infection by foreign organisms, such as bacteria and viruses. It involves several processes in the body, including action by white blood cells (cytokines). The whole process is known as an immune response. A short sharp immune reaction is called an acute inflammatory response, such as a bee sting, while other immune responses can go on for some time and are known as chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is caused by a number of factors, such as carrying extra weight, pollution in the environment, and also poor diet and lifestyle. Long-term chronic inflammation can lead to diseases such as heart disease, cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis and even depression. Inflammation is also linked to metabolic changes and metabolic disorders, such as diabetes. This article looks at how diet and lifestyle can help to alleviate inflammation, with emphasis on chronic inflammation.

When most people think of a pharmacist, they immediately think of a person who stands behind a counter and dispenses medicines with instructions for use. But, the role of the pharmacist is changing. They have been identified as having a key role in delivering the NHS Long Term Plan. Within the speciality of wound care and compression therapy, pharmacists are ideally placed to offer advice and support in the management of simple wounds, such as cuts and grazes, blisters, lacerations and minor burns. They are also able to support the delivery of venous leg ulcer management by supplying compression therapy as first-line treatment as soon as possible.This article explores recent developments for pharmacists and how their role could free up general practitioner (GP), general practice nurse (GPN) and community nurse time.