Patient reporting of possible cancer symptoms to GPs fell during first wave of pandemic25 May 2021The number of patients aged over 50 reporting possible cancer symptoms to their GPs fell during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, a study at the University of Bristol has found. The reduction in reporting was most pronounced for common symptoms, which rarely indicate cancer. It was also significant for ‘alarm’ symptoms, which are more likely to indicate cancer in older age groups, though most of the time they don’t.
Dr Shoba Dawson wins RCGP/SAPC Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award21 May 2021Dr Shoba Dawson, a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, has won a Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)/Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award.
New antimicrobial stewardship out of hours e-learning programme29 March 2021Health Education England e-Learning for Healthcare (HEE e-LfH) in partnership with the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol, University of Southampton, University of Oxford, and University College London are delighted to launch a new antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) out of hours e-learning programme.
Refreshed NIHR School for Primary Care Research to strengthen whole primary care research sector24 March 2021The NIHR has announced the fourth phase of the School for Primary Care Research (SPCR), with a refreshed membership and a new focus on supporting the full spectrum of primary care research and building research capacity. The Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol has been confirmed as one of the nine member institutions.
Domestic abuse increased globally during pandemic, say researchers18 March 2021Incidence of domestic abuse may have doubled in some countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests a British Medical Journal (BMJ) editorial by Prof Gene Feder from the University of Bristol, colleagues in Brazil and Nepal, and the CEO of IRISi, a social enterprise in the UK domestic violence sector. The editorial highlights the need for improved access to support services and ‘safe spaces’ due to the global rise in calls to domestic abuse hotlines and in police incident reports.
Germ Defence rolled out through GP practices across England to help reduce household COVID-19 infections17 March 2021Even though COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out, it is still important to try to reduce the spread of infection in the home. During restrictions, infections are most likely to be transmitted in households. Research has shown people who follow the advice from the Germ Defence website are less likely to catch flu or other viruses and less likely to pass it on to members of their household.
Rapid point-of-care test for respiratory infections liked by GPs and may reduce antibiotic prescribing 4 March 2021A rapid microbiological point-of-care test to diagnose respiratory infections has proved popular with GPs and could reduce antibiotic prescribing in primary care, according to a National Institute for Health Research funded study by researchers at the Centre for Academic Primary Care and NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol.
Professor John Macleod awarded NIHR Senior Investigator status3 March 2021Professor John Macleod, joint Head of the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol and Director of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) West, is one of 31 academics in the UK to be awarded Senior Investigator status by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in 2021.
PACT research collaborative announces winning grassroots project idea in RCGP Dragons’ Den3 March 2021Marta Lewandowska, a deputy practice manager from Leicester delivered the winning pitch in the Primary Care Academic Collaborative (PACT) Dragons’ Den at the Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) ‘Fresh Approach to General Practice’ conference in February.
Embed Germ Defence behaviours at home to reduce virus spread now and in the future26 February 2021As COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out, and a roadmap for unlocking Britain is announced, new research which looked at data from over 28,000 users of the website 'Germ Defence' since May 2020 highlights the continued, critical importance of breaking chains of virus transmission within our homes.
Researchers to explore the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on domestic abuse referrals in primary care25 February 2021A new study, led by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care in collaboration with colleagues in Queen Mary University of London, UCL, University of Oxford and IRISi will explore whether and how GP referrals to domestic abuse services have changed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Bristol researchers to collaborate on national study to understand long COVID18 February 2021What is long COVID and how can diagnosis be improved? Using data from electronic health records at a national scale alongside information from thousands of participants in the UK's population-based cohort studies, these and other questions will be tackled following today's [18 February] announcement of a nationwide long COVID study led by University College London (UCL). The study will include Bristol’s Children of the 90s health study, based at the University of Bristol.
Good Grief Festival marks one year since first COVID-19 lockdown17 February 2021Good Grief Festival - a virtual festival exploring the many faces of grief - will return to our screens next month [Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 March]. The festival has a programme of over 70 speakers and 50 free online events to help the many thousands of people in the UK and across the world who are grieving.
The IRIS ADViSE programme launch: Assessing for domestic violence and abuse in sexual health services12 February 2021The Centre for Academic Primary Care in partnership with NIHR ARC West and IRISi are launching IRIS ADViSE programme and commissioning prospectus (PDF) on 24 March 2021 at a webinar at 10-11am. IRIS ADViSE (Assessing for Domestic Violence and Abuse in Sexual Health Environments) is an initiative that supports sexual health staff to identify and respond to patients affected by domestic violence and abuse (DVA), helping to refer them on to specialist services.
How GPs coped with the rapid shift to remote consultations to reduce the risk of COVID-199 February 2021One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the rapid move to telephone, video and online GP consultations. In a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded study, researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol and NIHR ARC West found that while the rapid shift to remote GP consulting was successful and maintained a focus on vulnerable patients, it was driven by necessity and may have risks.
GPs need training to spot patients at risk of psychosis21 January 2021GPs are in a good position to identify patients who are at risk of developing psychosis. However, it is not always easy for them to do so. In a recent study of the possible barriers, researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care and Centre for Academic Mental Health found that not all GPs were familiar with the concept of being ‘at risk of developing psychosis’ and some felt they would benefit from further training in identifying patients who might fall into this group.
New way to measure complexity in primary care18 January 2021Many GPs believe that their consultations are increasingly complex and demanding, thanks to changes in the population and greater expectations of what GPs should do within a 10-minute consultation. Researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care and the University of Oxford have developed and validated a new measure of complexity in primary care, which could help with allocating resources based on the practice population’s level of need.
DUSSK study reveals the challenges of designing a tailored drug treatment service for street sex workers14 January 2021Street sex workers may require trauma treatment in combination with specialised drug treatment groups, a Bristol study has suggested. Trauma treatment is not usually readily available to sex workers, but the feasibility of offering this as part of a drug treatment service designed specifically for them was tested in the University of Bristol and NIHR ARC West’s DUSSK study.
Health experts define what’s 'normal’ for children with respiratory infections 7 January 2021Respiratory infections in children are common and often result in a trip to the GP. Researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care and the Universities of York, Manchester and Oxford have developed a symptoms-based guide for clinicians that could in future help parents decide when to home care and when to seek medical help.
