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#GPnews: GPC slams CCG’s decision to suspend non-urgent GP referrals

16:05 Elsewhere today, a new event has been announced this afternoon which is specifically targeted at GPs working in deprived areas.  

The study event – Doctors Working in Deprivation – will be held in Manchester next month, and hopes to provide GPs with the opportunity to share best practice and clinical knowledge around the unique challenges they face while working in deprived areas. 

The CQC’s chief inspector of general practice Professor Steve Field will be among five keynote speakers attending the study event. 

Click here for more information on the event. 

14:15 Parents have been inadvertently giving their children higher doses of paracetamol than recommended, according to a BBC Radio 4 report

New research has found that due to a ‘five-year delay’ in getting the latest guidance on to paracetamol packaging – some children have been taking up to 1,000mg more than they should.

Despite some tablet packaging having the latest guidance, some packages do not – and experts have that while the higher dose will not necessarily cause harm, the public should be aware.

10:35 The GPC has today slammed a decision by NHS St Helens CCG to suspend the non-urgent referral of patients to local hospitals for financial reasons as ‘unacceptable’ and urged the government to step in to resolve the crisis.

GPC deputy chair Dr Richard Vautrey said: ‘This is an unacceptable decision which highlights the incredible financial pressure facing general practice and its impact on patient care. It cannot be right that the public will be effectively denied access to healthcare because the local CCG has run out of money.

‘What apparently may not be urgent at first presentation and is therefore not referred could turn out to be very serious in the long term. Many cases of cancer are subsequently diagnosed following routine referrals of patients who have undifferentiated symptoms early on in their illness. 

‘The cost to the health service of delaying referrals could ultimately be much greater in the long term as more complex and costly problems develop as a result.’  

9:00 New research has revealed that people over the age of 40 see their mental health and wellbeing improved by volunteering, the Telegraph reports. 

Researchers at the University of Southampton looked at data regarding  mental health and emotional wellbeing from the British Household Panel Survey, which sampled adults living in 5,000 households every year from 1991 to 2008.

It suggested a corrolation between volunteering and improved mental health and wellbeing, especially for people aged between 76 and 80.


          

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