Raising awareness of cervical cancer in younger women

September was Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month and we at Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust launched new research into cervical cancer symptom awareness among women aged 18 years and over. Worryingly,...

The ‘new normal’: delivering childhood immunisations during the COVID-19 pandemic

Delivery of the national immunisation programmes in general practice did not cease. Good coverage of immunisations is crucial to prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases (such as pertussis...

The need for more nurses in clinical director roles

Are we doing enough for our BME workforce in nursing?

The statistics tell a very stark story and the writing is evidently on the wall.

Hypertension: don't be silent about ‘the silent killer’

Over the years, the role of nurses in blood pressure management has changed significantly. There has been a move away from nurses simply measuring, monitoring and charting blood pressure to specialist...

The quest to find an effective vaccine for COVID-19

Coronaviruses include a range of organisms that can cause diseases, including the common cold and the current SARS-CoV-2. Despite the original severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus...

What nurses do as routine, is special in the time of COVID-19

Opportunities for nurses in primary care networks: time to take the reins

PCNs should ‘typically’ cover a population of between 30 000 and 50 000 people. PCNs are expected to be geographically contiguous and coterminous with local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and...

Adapting practice during the pandemic

Improving uptake of influenza vaccination in primary care

GP practices need to have systems in place that enable staff to identify people eligible for flu vaccination. Suggested methods of contacting patients include by writing (letter, email or text...

Raising the voice of practice nurses in 2020

The recent publication of the Primary Care Network (PCN) service specifications make no reference to general practice nursing (NHS, 2019), but it is likely that much of the work of the new services,...

The sharp end of diabetes nursing

There are some key fundamentals for any HCW in practice who needs to administer insulin to another individual. Regarding insulin pens, a dual ended safety pen needle should be used. This is a device...