Waiting times to see a GP across the UK are getting longer by the minute, from my own experience working full time quite a distance from home, it is almost impossible for me to see a GP unless I book weeks in advance or book time off work.

An article from The Telegraph from May 2015 predicted the average waiting time for a GP appointment by 2016 would be two weeks yet an article published earlier this week has revealed the average waiting time is now three weeks with up to 4 million people queuing to see a GP on the same day.

Maybe it is time to introduce the 7-day access to GPs sooner than 2020? It is becoming apparent that we need more GPs, longer opening hours and a better access to GPs all-round. Figures have decreased drastically over the past 12 months so what situation will the primary care sector be in in 2020?

SURGERIES IN LOCUM CRISIS 

• Nine in ten surgeries are now forced to rely on locums because they are so short of permanent GPs, according to a survey.
• A poll of 2,814 surgeries also found that half struggle even to hire locums as they are in so much demand.
• The British Medical Association survey found that recruitment problems were most severe in the South and South West of the country where six in ten surgeries regularly have trouble hiring locums.
• Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairman of the BMA’s GP committee, said: ‘If a GP locum cannot be found many practices struggle to offer enough appointments to meet their patients’ needs.’
• An NHS England spokesman said: ‘There are more than 5,000 more full-time equivalent GPs than ten years ago but we recognise that general practice is under pressure.’

Article in Daily Mail

Key Locums have over 5000 GPs on our database with over 1000 outstanding sessions needing to be filled from surgeries who are struggling to find GP cover due to the high demand of patients requesting appointments.

The average GP works 35 hours per week and locum GPs are in high demand with surgeries escalating rates just to fill their last minute vacancies. So why don’t GPs want to work longer hours? Where are all the Locum GPs hiding? 

Public health officials are informing GPs that patients must now be encouraged to improve their lifestyles to prevent dementia.

Rather than simply accepting that dementia is an inevitable part of the ageing process, patients should be viewing it as a disease that can be prevented by living a healthier lifestyle.

After a survey completed by Alzheimer’s Research UK, results found that a mere quarter of British adults actually know that they can actively lower the risk of developing dementia. Two in five people admitted that they would be more likely to live a healthier lifestyle if it would reduce the risk of the disease.

So what can you do to live a healthier lifestyle and prevent dementia in old age?

Many patients do not realise that living a healthier lifestyle can benefit not only the heart but also the brain. By taking measures towards a healthier lifestyle including:

• Stop smoking
• Drink less alcohol
• Exercise regularly
• Eat fewer processed foods

…We can actively reduce the risk to our brain as well as our other internal organs. Many other measures can be taken to benefit the brain directly such as:

• Learn a second language
• Download a brain-train app on your phone/tablet
• Complete daily puzzles such as crosswords/Sudoku
• Read more regularly
• Keep socially active

Dementia currently affects 850,000 people in the UK, which is a staggering number for a disease that can be reduced by simply living a healthier lifestyle. Not only will changing your lifestyle affect your chances of developing dementia, but will also improve your mood, reduce depression, and relieve stress.

Dr Charles Alessi, a GP and Public Health England’s lead for dementia said ‘Healthcare professionals should encourage people to change their lifestyle choices – it’s never too late to improve your health.’

Source: GP Online

The team at Key Locums will be exhibiting at the Pulse Live GP exhibition at Olympia Conference Centre in London on 22nd & 23rd March! 

We're looking forward to meeting many of our candidates who will be attending and many others who have not yet worked with us and discovered what we can do to help them. 

Pulse Live is an exhibition held over the course of two days and made up of a series of seminars and workshops on subjects such as clinical, regulatory, practice business, and personal development, and all designed with GPs in mind.

If you'll be attending the show, don't forget to stop by stand 24 and meet our team PLUS take home one of our free goody bags! 

We look forward to seeing you there! 

For more information on Pulse Live visit http://www.pulse-live.co.uk/ or call our team on 020 8506 6010.

Recent years have seen a large rise in the number of NHS referrals for children with gender identity issues.

According to GIDS (The Gender Identity Development Service), 969 under-18s in the UK were referred to the NHS between 2015 and 2016, which has increased from only 94 from between 2009 and 2010. Almost 200 of the under-18s most recently recorded were under 12 years old. The records also show that one three-year old and three four-year-olds were referred to GIDS.

Many of these statistics have been revealed following a recent case in Nottinghamshire, where a five-year-old boy came back to school identifying as a little girl. The child’s parents received professional support after making the difficult decision to help their son to become who he really felt he was and the school sent letters to classmates’ homes explaining the situation.

The Gender Identity Development Service receives most referrals from GPs, paediatricians, schools, and mental health services. Director, Polly Carmichael, supports the claim that gender transitions are becoming more frequent amongst younger children but stated there is no right or wrong approach.

GIDS have said that the rise in referrals could be because awareness of gender identity issues and acceptance of them has increased.

Bernard Reed of the Gender Identity Research and Education Society (GIRES) explained that young people still suffer in silence when it comes to gender issues. GIRES is a charity working to help those struggling with gender identity to improve their quality of life.

Reed said: ‘There are several hundred cases each year and they are quite often referred for medical support. But because society is often not supportive in such cases, usually these young people do not seek publicity.’

Source: BBC News

A pair of conjoined sisters have been successfully parted by doctors in Switzerland at only eight days old.

Delivered in December, baby girls Lydia and Maya were born conjoined alongside a triplet, born separate and healthy. Although plans were made to separate them after a few months of life, health conditions forced doctors to attempt the operation after only eight days outside of the womb.

At a tiny 2.2kg (between both sisters), Lydia and Maya were fused at the liver but still had all other vital organs. One sister however, had very high blood pressure and too much blood, whilst the other did not have enough blood to sustain her.
After five hours, on December 10, a medical team of 13 people successfully separated the girls despite the operation only having a microscopic 1% chance of success. This is the first time babies so young have been separated.

Steffen Berger, head of paediatric surgery at the hospital said:  "The perfect teamwork of physicians and nursing personnel from various disciplines were the key to success here. We are very happy that the children and parents are faring so well now." 

After further surgery, the girls are now said to be recovering well and have gained weight. 

Source: BBC Health

To register with Key Locums, GP recruitment specialists, call us on 0844 561 0950 or email info@keylocums.com

Recently published calculations have suggested that giving HIV drugs to healthy gay men on a daily basis could help to prevent new infections from taking hold.

The calculations, published in the Lancet, suggest that if daily drugs are administered to those with the highest risk of contracting HIV, the number of infected people could be cut by more than 40% in the UK.

Statistics show that gay men in London are at the highest risk of contracting HIV in the UK, with one in eight gay men living with the infection. The rest of the UK shows one in 26.

How can HIV contraction be prevented?

The simplest and one of the most effective methods of prevention is to use condoms. However, these are often ignored.

Studies show that by 2020, there will be 16,955 further cases of HIV in gay men. Tests carried out last year on 500 men examined the effects of an alternative prevention method – pre-exposure prophylaxis (Prep).

The tests showed that giving men Prep drugs for a year could prevent one case in 13. That is a staggering 7,399 cases of infection.

Medical Director of the Terrence Higgins Trust, Dr Michael Brady said: “This study is really important as it demonstrates that, in a relatively short space of time, Prep could have a dramatic impact on reducing HIV transmissions.”

Prep is being evaluated by the NHS to judge whether it should be administered. 

Source: BBC Health

The team at Key Locums would like to wish all of our candidates, clients, and friends a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2015 has been a big year for Key Locums. We were acquired by the Urban Recruitment Group and have opened up new branches in Central London and Essex. We hope 2016 sees continued growth and success for us, and with the support of our hard working candidates and clients we’re sure it will be a great year!

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and a fantastic New Year!

The Key Locums Team 

Latest figures from PHE (Public Health England) show that the number of flu vaccines given to patients for free at their GP practice has risen this year in comparison to previous years.

Data provided by PHE and RCGP (Royal College of General Practitioners) previously suggested that the number of vaccines was declining, causing concern that the public may be avoiding the jab or visiting their local pharmacy for the vaccination instead.

The data shows a rise in vaccinations of 1.8% in pregnant women, 1% in age 65+ patients, and 0.5% in 2 year-old children. There has however, been a 2% decrease in vaccinations for patients under 65 years old with long term health conditions.

PHE are urging those with existing health conditions to receive the jab as this will prevent the virus from circulating.

Dr Richard Pebody, head of flu surveillance for PHE said:

‘It’s not too late for people in "at risk" groups to get the vaccine for free. This includes people with health conditions, even those that are well managed, such as asthma, diabetes, heart, lung, liver or renal diseases, those with weakened immune systems, as well as older people and pregnant women. Anyone in these groups who hasn’t yet had the vaccine should contact their GP, pharmacist or midwife.’

The NHS is being called on by GP leaders to bring a halt to time wasted due to the need to rearrange patients’ missed referral appointments.

Research shows that 4.5% of GP appointments are taken up because hospital referrals are being missed and GPs have to re-book them on their patients’ behalf.

GPC chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul claims that this is as many as 14 million appointments in a year being used to re-book missed referrals. He said this is a ‘scandalous waste,’ which is ‘denying other ill patients access to a GP.’

 Dr Nagpaul has requested NHS England to create new guidelines implementing an automatic re-booking system to make patients and GPs’ lives easier.

Dr Nagpaul also said: ‘we are trying to sort this out at a national level as well as putting pressure on CCGs. But we need NHS England to direct CCGs to ensure every provider stops automatic requests for a re-referral.’

The GPC asks all GPs to contacts hospital and CCGs and request that this new system is put in place.