Resources

A group of leading nurses have emphasised the crucial role of general practice nurses (GPNs) in reducing heart failure mortality and highlighted the need for more support in terms of specialised training.

In July, a discussion took place during a roundtable hosted by NHS England and the British Society for Heart Failure (BSH). The participants renewed their call for increased funding and protected time to empower GPNs in their efforts to lower mortality rates related to heart failure.

One of the most prevalent challenges associated with tackling malnutrition is the misunderstanding that surrounds it leading to this condition going unrecognised and untreated. Malnutrition can commonly be incorrectly understood as an inevitable result of the aging process, or a problem only faced by those living in the most extreme poverty. However, it is acutely important to understand that malnutrition caused by disease and illness is a widespread problem in the UK, and nurses can and do play an important
role in identifying and managing malnutrition in their patients, clients or service users.

Wound care in the UK has long been overlooked, often treated as a consequence of underlying health conditions rather than a distinct medical concern. However, as the prevalence of chronic wounds continues to rise, it is becoming increasingly evident that this perspective is unsustainable. Chronic wounds impact around 7% of the UK population, imposing a substantial burden on both patients and the healthcare system, with the NHS spending over £8.3 billion annually to manage the issue (Making wound care work: 9). Despite these alarming figures, wound care services remain understaffed and undervalued, straining to meet the rising demand for their expertise (Making wound care work: 4).

ieso delivers therapy for common mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression, and strives to improve patient outcomes by understanding how these are related to the therapy received by the patient.

To fulfil this mission, we wanted to better understand the health and economic impact of different therapy types, e.g. digital interventions against standard mental health services. In particular, exploring how factors such as waiting and treatment times, and treatment effectiveness, impact patients’ health and mental healthcare costs.

Here, Susan Brookes, clinical and deputy lead, Birmingham and Solihull Training Hub (BSolTH), explains how they set themselves a challenge — namely, how could they ensure that the future general practice workforce understood and appreciated the ever-evolving roles within it? Not only that, how could they show the symbiotic relationships of these roles, include learning opportunities and make it innovative, fun and enhance other skills required to promote confident and competent practitioners? The team then went about creating an escape room experience using the background of gamification as their guide. This first ‘room’ was created for nurses and linked to wound management. Although early days in terms of its use, the initial feedback was good and BSolTH look forward to developing more rooms across a wider range of healthcare professionals.

Oral disease can significantly impact systemic health, and vice versa. This article highlights the potential mechanisms of how gum disease (periodontitis) and root canal infection may exacerbate various chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and dementia. The bi-directional relationship is discussed whereby immune-compromised patients may experience poor healing after dental treatment. As many oral diseases are preventable, oral healthcare professionals can play a vital role in improving awareness and educating patients on the association between good oral health and their general health. Greater interdisciplinary collaboration is key to improving patient care.

Abnormal bleeding of any type is a cause of concern for women affected and is a frequent presentation in primary care. This is the second piece in a two-part series, the first part discussed amenorrhoea and oligomenorrhoea, while this article looks at dysmenorrhoea and menorrhagia. It gives an overview of signs and symptoms, risk factors, treatment and complications, with the purpose of giving nurses and non-medical prescribers more confidence in advising women who approach them for advice, so that earlier diagnosis and treatment can be possible to improve outcomes and quality of life.

Diagnostic spirometry is key to supporting a clinical diagnosis of lung impairment. As a result of Covid-19, spirometry services in primary care were all but cancelled. There was much debate about the potential risks associated with spirometry as a potential aerosol generated procedure (AGP); clarity was needed for patients and staff. The evidence is now clearer, spirometry is not an AGP, although spirometry-associated cough has the potential to release airborne particles in the air, associated with an increased risk of transmission of harmful viruses such as Covid, influenza and the common cold. This article explores recent evidence to support the safe re-introduction of quality-assured spirometry in primary care, looking at how risks can be mitigated to try to readdress the backlog of diagnostic spirometry thought to be in the region of 200–250 patents per 500,00 population. Spirometry is important to reduce health inequalities for patients yet to have a diagnosis of lung disease.

The measles vaccine represents a monumental achievement in modern medicine, effectively curtailing childhood mortality and morbidity on a global scale. However, recent trends in measles vaccine uptake present a concerning scenario, with declining rates posing a threat to the progress achieved in eradicating this highly contagious disease. This article delves into the pivotal role of the measles vaccine in safeguarding child health, exploring the reasons underlying vaccine hesitancy, including the controversial Lancet article, and discusses the additional impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on vaccine adoption. Drawing on global data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI), this piece also assesses the consequences of dwindling measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage on community well-being and offers strategies to combat vaccine hesitancy.

Shingles infection remains a risk in the UK for those who are immunocompetent or immunocompromised. One in five people in the UK will contract shingles in their lifetime and the risks of a more severe illness and longer term sequelae increase with age (NHS England, 2023). Uptake of the vaccine has been generally poor since it was first introduced in 2013–2014 (UK Health Security Agency [UKHSA], 2023a). Reasons for this may include an opinion that shingles is not severe, or a lack of information that a free vaccine is available, as well as poor accessibility and myths around the vaccine (Bricout et al, 2019). The change in the national immunisation programme for shingles from 1st September this year, with a more structured addition of additional groups up until 2030 and a good selection of vaccines and manageable intervals will hopefully help with this (UK Health Security Agency [UKHSA], 2023a).