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Solicitor fined £15k by tribunal for 'threatening' GP practices ... edicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in which he threatened legal proceedings over Covid-19 vaccines. He called for withdrawal of vaccines, suspension of Covid testing and a live televised Christmas broadcast announcing the decision to do so. According to the Law Society Gazette, who attended the tribunal, Mr Hyland believed that by writing the letters ‘he was protecting the heal ... Date: 15-07-2024 Categories: • Covid-19
Covid treatments eligibility updated to include respiratory and neurological conditions ... It is estimated there is enough supply of Paxlovid for two years, and enough sotrovimab for the next 6-12 months, NHS England said. Officials have also announced an end to all PCR Covid testing outside NHS settings this month, alongside routine asymptomatic testing of patients and staff across all parts of health and social care. The UK Health Security Agency said the changes woul ... Date: 14-04-2023 Categories: • Elderly care • Mental health, pain and addiction • Respiratory
GP concern over plans to move Covid medicine delivery to ICB control ... otrovimab for the next 6-12 months, NHS England said. ‘Any other medicine costs will need to be met locally,’ they added. It comes officials announced an end to all PCR Covid testing outside NHS settings this month, alongside routine asymptomatic testing of patients and staff across all parts of health and social care. The UK Health Security Agency said the changes would ensure testing contin ... Date: 12-04-2023 Categories: • Covid-19 • Respiratory • Workload
NHS to end routine asymptomatic Covid-19 testing of patients and staff All PCR Covid testing outside NHS settings has ended as of this month, alongside routine asymptomatic testing of patients and staff across all parts of health and social care. The UK Health Security Agency said the ... Date: 04-04-2023 Categories: • Covid-19 • Respiratory
Were the Covid lockdowns justified? ... ointments and surgery, how do we feel about these prolonged effects? Could they have been lessened? I find I am now practising medicine as if Covid were no longer a threat. I forget to ask about Covid tests when patients report a feverish illness. I rarely think of it when reviewing a persistent cough. In my mind, it’s now firmly in the category of common winter viruses, which may or may not lead to seri ... Date: 28-03-2023 Categories: • Katie Musgrave • Opinion
Government updates guidance on when GPs and staff should take a Covid test Patient-facing healthcare staff with symptoms of a respiratory infection, who have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to attend work, should take a Covid test as soon as they feel unwell. This is the latest update to guidance on symptomatic testing for NHS staff, following last week's announcement that asymptomatic testing is being paused. It says th ... Date: 31-08-2022 Categories: • Respiratory
Asymptomatic Covid testing for GPs and staff to be paused next week Asymptomatic Covid testing for NHS staff in England will be paused from next week (31 August), the Government has announced. It said this comes in response to declining rates of Covid transmission and thanks to the succe ... Date: 24-08-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Respiratory
NHS pay rise above 3% could lead to primary care cuts, NHS England warns ... already ‘emptied the coffers’ to ‘fund big inflationary pressures’ and faced ‘a cut to the original NHS settlement’ to fund ‘other pressures’ such as Covid testing. He said: ‘We have, so to speak, emptied the coffers, we've already had to reduce the investment we are making into some of our programmes by about £800m already. ‘So we would then be looking at having to cut back on investment in ou ... Date: 18-07-2022 Categories: • Practice and personal finance
Wales extends free Covid testing as new wave sweeps the UK ... ce the beginning of June, patients who enter GP practices in England are no longer required to wear a face mask unless they have respiratory symptoms. The English public lost access to free Covid testing from 1 April, however the Welsh Government today announced that it will extend access to free lateral flow tests for people with Covid symptoms until 31 July. Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation D ... Date: 24-06-2022 Categories: • Respiratory • Wales
Hospitals forced to divert patients amid Covid pressures ... plan at risk. The Office for National Statistics Covid-19 infection survey estimated that in the week ending on the 26 March, one in 13 people were infected with Covid-19. Free Covid testing for the majority of the population in England ended at the start of this month, although it will continue to be free for the most vulnerable patients and patient-facing NHS staff. The second Omicron wave has a ... Date: 07-04-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce
High street pharmacies consider no longer providing Covid tests as free programme ends Some community pharmacies have said that they are not planning to sell Covid tests from this month, as the Government’s provision of free tests comes to an end. Until 1 April, pharmacists offered Covid tests to patients through the 'pharmacy collect' scheme, which w ... Date: 05-04-2022 Categories: • Covid-19
NHS updates Covid symptoms list to include runny nose, sore throat and diarrhoea ... us cough; and differences to your sense of smell or taste. Since Friday (1 April), everyone bar patient-facing healthcare staff and over-75s and the most vulnerable patients has had to pay for Covid testing in England. This is despite recorded daily cases of the virus being among the highest the UK has seen – causing significant GP staff sickness and related absences. One public health professor, D ... Date: 04-04-2022 Categories: • Covid-19
GPs can refer patients for free Covid testing, says NHS England ... support clinical decisions', NHS England has said. In a primary care bulletin sent yesterday evening, NHS England also confirmed that patient-facing staff should continue twice-weekly asymptomatic Covid testing using lateral flow tests. And in a change to testing policy, patient-facing staff who are contacts of a positive Covid case no longer need a PCR test to return to work. They can continue to ... Date: 31-03-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19
GPs to continue to receive free Covid testing The Government has confirmed that GPs and other healthcare workers in England will continue to receive free Covid tests. From tomorrow, free testing will stop for the general population, and the BMA yesterday expressed concern that NHS staff will have to pay for testing. However, in a statement issued yesterday ... Date: 30-03-2022 Categories: • Breaking news
Satisfaction with ‘underfunded’ GPs takes ‘devastating’ 30 percentage-point dive Patient satisfaction with GP services has taken a 30 percentage-point dive since before the pandemic, according to new research. GP leaders branded the news ‘devastating’, blaming long-term underfunding of ... Date: 30-03-2022 Categories: • Politics • Practice and personal finance
BMA demands reassurance GPs will have access to free Covid testing from Friday The BMA has written to NHS England demanding confirmation that GPs and practice staff will still be able to access free Covid testing from next month. Under current guidance, NHS staff are required to test for Covid twice weekly, reporting their results before coming to work. But GPs are still in the dark about whether the ... Date: 29-03-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19
Covid staff absences force GP practices to stop non-urgent care ... s no ability to pick up the slack for practices if they're struggling.’ The news comes as Pulse revealed on Friday that GPs can’t access Covid tests, despite the Government asking the public to leave them for NHS staff and vulnerable patients. It comes amid a huge rise in Covid case numbers and hospitalisations in recent weeks – with NHS England warning that it is jeopardising the elective recovery pl ... Date: 28-03-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19 • Practice life • Workforce
GPs can’t access Covid tests as Government asks public not to order them Exclusive GPs are running out of lateral flow Covid tests (LFTs), despite the Government asking the public to leave them for NHS staff and vulnerable patients. The Government told the public that free LFTs would be available until the end of this month, ... Date: 25-03-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19
Majority of GPs think England Covid restrictions removed too soon ... has revealed. Speaking to Pulse, GPs said removing restrictions meant difficulties keeping vulnerable people safe, and they expressed particular concern with regards to the scrapping of free Covid testing. More than two-thirds of GPs are also concerned about their own health in light of the lifting of restrictions. Since the end of last month (24 February), fully-vaccinated people and c ... Date: 25-03-2022 Categories: • Covid-19
'Unacceptable' lack of info on GP and staff Covid testing from 1 April Healthcare leaders have urged the Government to clarify what will happen to NHS staff Covid testing when universal free provision of tests ends in England next week. Under current guidance, NHS staff are required to test for Covid twice weekly, reporting their results before coming to work. ... Date: 23-03-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Practice and personal finance
No extra funding for general practice in spring budget ... S doctors; a ‘solution’ to ‘punitive’ pension taxation which is prompting GPs to retire ahead of time; a £1bn ‘welfare and wellbeing fund’ for NHS staff; continued free Covid testing for NHS staff; and increased funding for mental health and public health. BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: 'Given the unprecedented pressure that the NHS is currently under, with patients experiencing life-threateni ... Date: 23-03-2022 Categories: • Practice and personal finance
GP practices must receive 10% of NHS backlog billions, BMA tells Treasury ... fund' for NHS staff.An enhanced remuneration package for the NHS, including an above inflationary pay award and a solution for punitive pension tax rules.Continued free Covid testing for NHS staff and members of the public who have contact with the clinically vulnerable.A further £5-7bn to manage the backlog of non-Covid care, with 10% elective recovery funding allocated to primary care.Investment in menta ... Date: 18-03-2022 Categories: • Education and training • Practice and personal finance • Premises
Patients still need to wear face masks when visiting GP practices, says NHS England ... s ‘Living with Covid’ plan on Monday, including that mandatory self-isolation for those who test positive will also no longer be legally enforceable from tomorrow (24 February). Free Covid testing for most of the population in England will also end from 1 April, except for the most elderly and vulnerable. GPs had expressed concerns about the safety of vulnerable patients visiting their practices, as t ... Date: 23-02-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19
GPs express concern about practice infection control under ‘Living with Covid’ plan ... in healthcare settings, with the lack of clarity on guidance putting GPs in an 'impossible situation'. It comes as the Government announced its ‘Living with Covid’ plan on Monday, meaning free Covid testing for most of the population in England will end from 1 April, except for the most elderly and vulnerable. Mandatory self-isolation for those who test positive will also no longer be legally enforcea ... Date: 23-02-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Practice life
No clarity over GP and staff isolation as NHSE ‘working on’ guidance ... ch 2023 ‘or until the IPC guidance on PPE usage for Covid-19 is amended or superseded - whichever is sooner’. It comes as NHS England has said that continued access Covid testing for GPs and practice staff is being reviewed, as free testing is set to end for the general public from 1 April as part of the ‘Living with Covid’ plan. Date: 22-02-2022 Categories: • Covid-19
Continued Covid testing for GPs and staff under review, says NHS England  Exclusive Continued Covid testing for GPs and practice staff from April is being reviewed, NHS England has said. A spokesperson told Pulse on background that NHS England is working through what might happen after 1 April, when ... Date: 22-02-2022 Categories: • Covid-19
Free Covid testing to end from April for most of the 'general public' Free Covid testing will end from 1 April for the majority of the population, the Prime Minister has confirmed. In a statement delivered to the Commons this afternoon (21 February), Boris Johnson told MPs that fre ... Date: 21-02-2022 Categories: • Covid-19
Vulnerable patients expected to be told to contact GPs for Covid advice ... remaining Covid restrictions are expected to be announced on 21 February, next Monday, with self-isolation rules rumoured to be dropped for people who test positive for Covid. Free Covid testing is also expected to be axed from next week, according to reports. When asked if the report is accurate, a DHSC spokesperson said: ‘We have issued public health advice for people whose immune system means they ... Date: 16-02-2022 Categories: • Cancer
Regulations requiring GPs and staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19 set to be revoked ... d of Omicron over Christmas meant the 'population as a whole is now better protected against hospitalisation' from Covid. A quarter of England's population (24%) have had at least one positive Covid test, while 84% of over-12s are double-vaccinated and 64% have had a booster jab. The 'second factor', said Mr Javid is that Omicron 'is intrinsically less severe'. 'When taken together with the first f ... Date: 01-02-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations, prevention and screening • Workforce
GPs can administer Covid boosters to 16-17s from this week ... August, with more than 600,000 now having received their second jab, NHS England said. According to JCVI guidance, 16- and 17-year-olds can’t be vaccinated within 12 weeks of a positive Covid test. The JCVI recommended last month that all 16-17s, as well as 12-15s who are clinically vulnerable, a household contact of an immunosuppressed person or themselves ‘severely immunosuppressed’ and h ... Date: 18-01-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Paediatrics • Pulse PCN
GP access to Covid testing ‘has improved’, claims NHS England ... s (LFTs) can access a ‘significant contingency supply’. The Government had also said last month that it would ‘double’ capacity for Covid testing after days of problems. It comes as Covid pressures are forcing GPs to provide ‘urgent-only’ services in two areas, while a BMA survey revealed that almost 70% of GPs have seen staff shortages affect patient care. Meanwhile, Dr Kanani added that NHS Engla ... Date: 14-01-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce
Covid self-isolation can end five days after positive test, says health secretary People who have tested positive for Covid can now end their self-isolation after five days if they test negative on a lateral flow test on day 5 and 6, the Government has announced. The new advice, which is ... Date: 13-01-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce
Self-reported positive Covid LFT results to flow into GP systems Self-reported positive lateral flow Covid test results will be sent through to GP systems to be recorded in patients’ medical notes, an LMC has confirmed. The agreement was made in an ‘urgently arranged call’ with the BMA, RCGP, NHS Digital an ... Date: 13-01-2022 Categories: • Technology
Covid asymptomatic GPs with positive day 10 LFTs can return to work ... tingency supply’ if they are struggling to get hold of tests. It followed the announcement that the Government would ‘double’ capacity for Covid testing after days of problems. Meanwhile, GPs and practice staff were last month told that if they are fully vaccinated, they no longer need to isolate for 10 days if they are a close contact of an Omicron Covid case, unless they test positive or devel ... Date: 10-01-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19
Capacity warning as '95%' of GP practices experiencing Covid staff absences ... 24 hours apart on day 6 and 7. They should continue to test on day 8, 9 and 10. It comes as GPs have reported struggling to access Covid tests, although NHS England has told practices they can now access a ‘contingency’ supply of LFTs. The UK reported a record number of over 200,000 new cases of Covid-19 yesterday, although this included some tests taken during the New Year bank holiday. Date: 05-01-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce
GP practices told they can access 'contingency supply' of Covid tests ... lability of staff to enable swabbing.’ But the BMA has said the current method of prioritisation, where health workers indicate their key worker status by ticking a box when ordering Covid tests online, is not working. It said that 'the way in which key workers are supposedly being given priority for lateral flow and PCR tests isn’t working as BMA members report inability to get test kits or get a PCR ... Date: 04-01-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce
GPs asked to limit pathology requests due to ‘significant’ Covid staff shortages ... ate for 10 days if they are a close contact of an Omicron Covid case. And the Government last week announced that it would ‘double’ capacity for Covid testing after days of problems. Date: 22-12-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Referrals • Workforce
Covid case isolation period reduced to seven days with negative LFTs ... llowing the relaxation of the same measure for the public earlier in the week. Meanwhile, the Government last week announced that it would ‘double’ capacity for Covid testing after days of problems. Date: 22-12-2021 Categories: • Covid-19
GPs who are close contacts of Omicron cases no longer need to isolate ... ance for the public requires the same of the public, but only lateral flow tests and for seven days. It comes as the Government has announced that it will 'double' capacity for Covid testing after days of problems. Click to complete relevant Covid-19 CPD modules on Pulse Learning. Date: 16-12-2021 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19
Government to double Covid test availability after days of problems The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Royal Mail have announced that capacity for Covid testing will 'double' in response to 'unprecedented demand'. It comes amid problems with ordering PCR and lateral flow tests (LFTs) this week, as Covid case rates have reached record levels and the Gov ... Date: 15-12-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce
Under-18s' Covid jab interval could be shortened if new variant sparks ‘concern’ ... it said. Previous guidance said that 16- and 17-year-olds should book their second jab 12 weeks after the first and vaccination should be delayed for 12 weeks following a positive Covid test result in 12-17s. The updated advice was based on emerging evidence from the UK and other countries that leaving a longer gap may further reduce the already small risk of myocarditis. Meanwhile, the document a ... Date: 10-12-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Vaccinations, prevention and screening
GPs advised on managing rare cases of post-vaccine heart inflammation ... s or in who initial tests were normal should be told to go back to the GP if symptoms persist or worsen in the next five days. Covid vaccination should be delayed for 12 weeks following a positive Covid test results in children aged 12-17, according to recently updated guidance. The updated advice was based on emerging evidence from the UK and other countries that leaving a longer gap may fu ... Date: 02-12-2021 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Covid-19 • Paediatrics • Vaccinations, prevention and screening
Covid jab should be delayed by three months after positive test in under-18s Covid vaccination should be delayed for 12 weeks following a positive Covid test results in children aged 12-17, according to new guidance. It follows guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation earlier this week that 16- and 17-year-olds should book thei ... Date: 19-11-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Paediatrics • Vaccinations, prevention and screening
Covid booster jabs to be rolled out to over-40s ... cond dose of the Pfizer vaccine 12 weeks or more after their first jab. Those in the cohort who have had coronavirus should be given their second dose 12 weeks after a positive Covid test result or 12 weeks or more after their first dose, depending on ‘whichever is later’, it said. The JCVI concluded that the ‘balance of risks and benefits supports offering a second dose’ to the group, following ... Date: 15-11-2021 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19 • Vaccinations, prevention and screening
Covid infection 'carries greater risk of neurological complications than vaccines' ... olled case series study to investigate hospital admissions from neurological complications in the 28 days after a first dose of the Astra/Zeneca vaccine; the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine; and a positive Covid test respectively. Their paper, published in the journal Nature Medicine, found that there was an increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome and Bell’s palsy related to the AZ vaccine, while the Pfizer va ... Date: 26-10-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Neurology • Vaccinations, prevention and screening
PCR testing halted at laboratory amid fears around 43,000 false negatives Covid testing has been halted at a private laboratory in the West Midlands amid fears that around 43,000 people have received false negative results.NHS Test and Trace has suspended PCR testing operations provi ... Date: 15-10-2021 Categories: • Covid-19
Winter is coming ... ex heading into winter, he warns. ‘It depends on the prevalence of other viruses but it’ll get more confusing.’ GPs have long warned about Covid test fatigue among patients who are ‘sure ‘it can’t be Covid’ and so don’t have a test. Practices are likely to be overwhelmed with patients with respiratory illnesses, making it difficult to distinguish Covid from the others. Pulse has also learned that Covi ... Date: 29-09-2021 Categories: • Cover Feature • Covid-19 • Workload
Researchers identify vaccinated patient groups most at risk of serious Covid ... the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and used general practice data, as well as national linked datasets for immunisation, Covid testing, deaths and hospital episodes. The Government this week accepted final JCVI advice that cohorts 1-9 of the first phase of the Covid vaccination campaign should have a booster jab six months after their second dose - with GPs told to prioritise boosters in c ... Date: 17-09-2021 Categories: • Cancer • Covid-19 • Elderly care • Neurology
The shortlist for GP of the Year ... health promotion projects. Dr Smirl led a project to prevent vulnerable patients being unsafely discharged from hospitals into care homes, instead only discharging patients after a confirmed negative Covid test and seven-day quarantine. Later in the year, Dr Smirl personally administered hundreds of vaccinations and visited a local mosque to encourage vaccine take up among hard-to-reach communities ... Date: 08-09-2021 Categories: • General Practice Awards
Most children recover from Covid within a week, finds UK study ... used on the period from September 2020 through to February 2021 which coincided with the reopening of schools in the autumn and the peak of the winter wave when there was widespread availability of Covid testing. During this time, 1,734 children were reported who had a clear start and end point to their symptoms and a positive PCR test, enabling the researchers to determine their duration of illness with ... Date: 04-08-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Paediatrics • Respiratory • Vaccinations, prevention and screening

Solicitor fined £15k by tribunal for 'threatening' GP practices ... edicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), in which he threatened legal proceedings over Covid-19 vaccines. He called for withdrawal of vaccines, suspension of Covid testing and a live televised Christmas broadcast announcing the decision to do so. According to the Law Society Gazette, who attended the tribunal, Mr Hyland believed that by writing the letters ‘he was protecting the heal ... Date: 15-07-2024 Categories: • Covid-19

Covid treatments eligibility updated to include respiratory and neurological conditions ... It is estimated there is enough supply of Paxlovid for two years, and enough sotrovimab for the next 6-12 months, NHS England said. Officials have also announced an end to all PCR Covid testing outside NHS settings this month, alongside routine asymptomatic testing of patients and staff across all parts of health and social care. The UK Health Security Agency said the changes woul ... Date: 14-04-2023 Categories: • Elderly care • Mental health, pain and addiction • Respiratory

GP concern over plans to move Covid medicine delivery to ICB control ... otrovimab for the next 6-12 months, NHS England said. ‘Any other medicine costs will need to be met locally,’ they added. It comes officials announced an end to all PCR Covid testing outside NHS settings this month, alongside routine asymptomatic testing of patients and staff across all parts of health and social care. The UK Health Security Agency said the changes would ensure testing contin ... Date: 12-04-2023 Categories: • Covid-19 • Respiratory • Workload

NHS to end routine asymptomatic Covid-19 testing of patients and staff All PCR Covid testing outside NHS settings has ended as of this month, alongside routine asymptomatic testing of patients and staff across all parts of health and social care. The UK Health Security Agency said the ... Date: 04-04-2023 Categories: • Covid-19 • Respiratory

Were the Covid lockdowns justified? ... ointments and surgery, how do we feel about these prolonged effects? Could they have been lessened? I find I am now practising medicine as if Covid were no longer a threat. I forget to ask about Covid tests when patients report a feverish illness. I rarely think of it when reviewing a persistent cough. In my mind, it’s now firmly in the category of common winter viruses, which may or may not lead to seri ... Date: 28-03-2023 Categories: • Katie Musgrave • Opinion

Government updates guidance on when GPs and staff should take a Covid test Patient-facing healthcare staff with symptoms of a respiratory infection, who have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to attend work, should take a Covid test as soon as they feel unwell. This is the latest update to guidance on symptomatic testing for NHS staff, following last week's announcement that asymptomatic testing is being paused. It says th ... Date: 31-08-2022 Categories: • Respiratory

Asymptomatic Covid testing for GPs and staff to be paused next week Asymptomatic Covid testing for NHS staff in England will be paused from next week (31 August), the Government has announced. It said this comes in response to declining rates of Covid transmission and thanks to the succe ... Date: 24-08-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Respiratory

NHS pay rise above 3% could lead to primary care cuts, NHS England warns ... already ‘emptied the coffers’ to ‘fund big inflationary pressures’ and faced ‘a cut to the original NHS settlement’ to fund ‘other pressures’ such as Covid testing. He said: ‘We have, so to speak, emptied the coffers, we've already had to reduce the investment we are making into some of our programmes by about £800m already. ‘So we would then be looking at having to cut back on investment in ou ... Date: 18-07-2022 Categories: • Practice and personal finance

Wales extends free Covid testing as new wave sweeps the UK ... ce the beginning of June, patients who enter GP practices in England are no longer required to wear a face mask unless they have respiratory symptoms. The English public lost access to free Covid testing from 1 April, however the Welsh Government today announced that it will extend access to free lateral flow tests for people with Covid symptoms until 31 July. Director of the Welsh NHS Confederation D ... Date: 24-06-2022 Categories: • Respiratory • Wales

Hospitals forced to divert patients amid Covid pressures ... plan at risk. The Office for National Statistics Covid-19 infection survey estimated that in the week ending on the 26 March, one in 13 people were infected with Covid-19. Free Covid testing for the majority of the population in England ended at the start of this month, although it will continue to be free for the most vulnerable patients and patient-facing NHS staff. The second Omicron wave has a ... Date: 07-04-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce

High street pharmacies consider no longer providing Covid tests as free programme ends Some community pharmacies have said that they are not planning to sell Covid tests from this month, as the Government’s provision of free tests comes to an end. Until 1 April, pharmacists offered Covid tests to patients through the 'pharmacy collect' scheme, which w ... Date: 05-04-2022 Categories: • Covid-19

NHS updates Covid symptoms list to include runny nose, sore throat and diarrhoea ... us cough; and differences to your sense of smell or taste. Since Friday (1 April), everyone bar patient-facing healthcare staff and over-75s and the most vulnerable patients has had to pay for Covid testing in England. This is despite recorded daily cases of the virus being among the highest the UK has seen – causing significant GP staff sickness and related absences. One public health professor, D ... Date: 04-04-2022 Categories: • Covid-19

GPs can refer patients for free Covid testing, says NHS England ... support clinical decisions', NHS England has said. In a primary care bulletin sent yesterday evening, NHS England also confirmed that patient-facing staff should continue twice-weekly asymptomatic Covid testing using lateral flow tests. And in a change to testing policy, patient-facing staff who are contacts of a positive Covid case no longer need a PCR test to return to work. They can continue to ... Date: 31-03-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19

GPs to continue to receive free Covid testing The Government has confirmed that GPs and other healthcare workers in England will continue to receive free Covid tests. From tomorrow, free testing will stop for the general population, and the BMA yesterday expressed concern that NHS staff will have to pay for testing. However, in a statement issued yesterday ... Date: 30-03-2022 Categories: • Breaking news

Satisfaction with ‘underfunded’ GPs takes ‘devastating’ 30 percentage-point dive Patient satisfaction with GP services has taken a 30 percentage-point dive since before the pandemic, according to new research. GP leaders branded the news ‘devastating’, blaming long-term underfunding of ... Date: 30-03-2022 Categories: • Politics • Practice and personal finance

BMA demands reassurance GPs will have access to free Covid testing from Friday The BMA has written to NHS England demanding confirmation that GPs and practice staff will still be able to access free Covid testing from next month. Under current guidance, NHS staff are required to test for Covid twice weekly, reporting their results before coming to work. But GPs are still in the dark about whether the ... Date: 29-03-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19

Covid staff absences force GP practices to stop non-urgent care ... s no ability to pick up the slack for practices if they're struggling.’ The news comes as Pulse revealed on Friday that GPs can’t access Covid tests, despite the Government asking the public to leave them for NHS staff and vulnerable patients. It comes amid a huge rise in Covid case numbers and hospitalisations in recent weeks – with NHS England warning that it is jeopardising the elective recovery pl ... Date: 28-03-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19 • Practice life • Workforce

GPs can’t access Covid tests as Government asks public not to order them Exclusive GPs are running out of lateral flow Covid tests (LFTs), despite the Government asking the public to leave them for NHS staff and vulnerable patients. The Government told the public that free LFTs would be available until the end of this month, ... Date: 25-03-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19

Majority of GPs think England Covid restrictions removed too soon ... has revealed. Speaking to Pulse, GPs said removing restrictions meant difficulties keeping vulnerable people safe, and they expressed particular concern with regards to the scrapping of free Covid testing. More than two-thirds of GPs are also concerned about their own health in light of the lifting of restrictions. Since the end of last month (24 February), fully-vaccinated people and c ... Date: 25-03-2022 Categories: • Covid-19

'Unacceptable' lack of info on GP and staff Covid testing from 1 April Healthcare leaders have urged the Government to clarify what will happen to NHS staff Covid testing when universal free provision of tests ends in England next week. Under current guidance, NHS staff are required to test for Covid twice weekly, reporting their results before coming to work. ... Date: 23-03-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Practice and personal finance

No extra funding for general practice in spring budget ... S doctors; a ‘solution’ to ‘punitive’ pension taxation which is prompting GPs to retire ahead of time; a £1bn ‘welfare and wellbeing fund’ for NHS staff; continued free Covid testing for NHS staff; and increased funding for mental health and public health. BMA council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: 'Given the unprecedented pressure that the NHS is currently under, with patients experiencing life-threateni ... Date: 23-03-2022 Categories: • Practice and personal finance

GP practices must receive 10% of NHS backlog billions, BMA tells Treasury ... fund' for NHS staff.An enhanced remuneration package for the NHS, including an above inflationary pay award and a solution for punitive pension tax rules.Continued free Covid testing for NHS staff and members of the public who have contact with the clinically vulnerable.A further £5-7bn to manage the backlog of non-Covid care, with 10% elective recovery funding allocated to primary care.Investment in menta ... Date: 18-03-2022 Categories: • Education and training • Practice and personal finance • Premises

Patients still need to wear face masks when visiting GP practices, says NHS England ... s ‘Living with Covid’ plan on Monday, including that mandatory self-isolation for those who test positive will also no longer be legally enforceable from tomorrow (24 February). Free Covid testing for most of the population in England will also end from 1 April, except for the most elderly and vulnerable. GPs had expressed concerns about the safety of vulnerable patients visiting their practices, as t ... Date: 23-02-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19

GPs express concern about practice infection control under ‘Living with Covid’ plan ... in healthcare settings, with the lack of clarity on guidance putting GPs in an 'impossible situation'. It comes as the Government announced its ‘Living with Covid’ plan on Monday, meaning free Covid testing for most of the population in England will end from 1 April, except for the most elderly and vulnerable. Mandatory self-isolation for those who test positive will also no longer be legally enforcea ... Date: 23-02-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Practice life

No clarity over GP and staff isolation as NHSE ‘working on’ guidance ... ch 2023 ‘or until the IPC guidance on PPE usage for Covid-19 is amended or superseded - whichever is sooner’. It comes as NHS England has said that continued access Covid testing for GPs and practice staff is being reviewed, as free testing is set to end for the general public from 1 April as part of the ‘Living with Covid’ plan. Date: 22-02-2022 Categories: • Covid-19

Continued Covid testing for GPs and staff under review, says NHS England  Exclusive Continued Covid testing for GPs and practice staff from April is being reviewed, NHS England has said. A spokesperson told Pulse on background that NHS England is working through what might happen after 1 April, when ... Date: 22-02-2022 Categories: • Covid-19

Free Covid testing to end from April for most of the 'general public' Free Covid testing will end from 1 April for the majority of the population, the Prime Minister has confirmed. In a statement delivered to the Commons this afternoon (21 February), Boris Johnson told MPs that fre ... Date: 21-02-2022 Categories: • Covid-19

Vulnerable patients expected to be told to contact GPs for Covid advice ... remaining Covid restrictions are expected to be announced on 21 February, next Monday, with self-isolation rules rumoured to be dropped for people who test positive for Covid. Free Covid testing is also expected to be axed from next week, according to reports. When asked if the report is accurate, a DHSC spokesperson said: ‘We have issued public health advice for people whose immune system means they ... Date: 16-02-2022 Categories: • Cancer

Regulations requiring GPs and staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19 set to be revoked ... d of Omicron over Christmas meant the 'population as a whole is now better protected against hospitalisation' from Covid. A quarter of England's population (24%) have had at least one positive Covid test, while 84% of over-12s are double-vaccinated and 64% have had a booster jab. The 'second factor', said Mr Javid is that Omicron 'is intrinsically less severe'. 'When taken together with the first f ... Date: 01-02-2022 Categories: • Vaccinations, prevention and screening • Workforce

GPs can administer Covid boosters to 16-17s from this week ... August, with more than 600,000 now having received their second jab, NHS England said. According to JCVI guidance, 16- and 17-year-olds can’t be vaccinated within 12 weeks of a positive Covid test. The JCVI recommended last month that all 16-17s, as well as 12-15s who are clinically vulnerable, a household contact of an immunosuppressed person or themselves ‘severely immunosuppressed’ and h ... Date: 18-01-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Paediatrics • Pulse PCN

GP access to Covid testing ‘has improved’, claims NHS England ... s (LFTs) can access a ‘significant contingency supply’. The Government had also said last month that it would ‘double’ capacity for Covid testing after days of problems. It comes as Covid pressures are forcing GPs to provide ‘urgent-only’ services in two areas, while a BMA survey revealed that almost 70% of GPs have seen staff shortages affect patient care. Meanwhile, Dr Kanani added that NHS Engla ... Date: 14-01-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce

Covid self-isolation can end five days after positive test, says health secretary People who have tested positive for Covid can now end their self-isolation after five days if they test negative on a lateral flow test on day 5 and 6, the Government has announced. The new advice, which is ... Date: 13-01-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce

Self-reported positive Covid LFT results to flow into GP systems Self-reported positive lateral flow Covid test results will be sent through to GP systems to be recorded in patients’ medical notes, an LMC has confirmed. The agreement was made in an ‘urgently arranged call’ with the BMA, RCGP, NHS Digital an ... Date: 13-01-2022 Categories: • Technology

Covid asymptomatic GPs with positive day 10 LFTs can return to work ... tingency supply’ if they are struggling to get hold of tests. It followed the announcement that the Government would ‘double’ capacity for Covid testing after days of problems. Meanwhile, GPs and practice staff were last month told that if they are fully vaccinated, they no longer need to isolate for 10 days if they are a close contact of an Omicron Covid case, unless they test positive or devel ... Date: 10-01-2022 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19

Capacity warning as '95%' of GP practices experiencing Covid staff absences ... 24 hours apart on day 6 and 7. They should continue to test on day 8, 9 and 10. It comes as GPs have reported struggling to access Covid tests, although NHS England has told practices they can now access a ‘contingency’ supply of LFTs. The UK reported a record number of over 200,000 new cases of Covid-19 yesterday, although this included some tests taken during the New Year bank holiday. Date: 05-01-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce

GP practices told they can access 'contingency supply' of Covid tests ... lability of staff to enable swabbing.’ But the BMA has said the current method of prioritisation, where health workers indicate their key worker status by ticking a box when ordering Covid tests online, is not working. It said that 'the way in which key workers are supposedly being given priority for lateral flow and PCR tests isn’t working as BMA members report inability to get test kits or get a PCR ... Date: 04-01-2022 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce

GPs asked to limit pathology requests due to ‘significant’ Covid staff shortages ... ate for 10 days if they are a close contact of an Omicron Covid case. And the Government last week announced that it would ‘double’ capacity for Covid testing after days of problems. Date: 22-12-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Referrals • Workforce

Covid case isolation period reduced to seven days with negative LFTs ... llowing the relaxation of the same measure for the public earlier in the week. Meanwhile, the Government last week announced that it would ‘double’ capacity for Covid testing after days of problems. Date: 22-12-2021 Categories: • Covid-19

GPs who are close contacts of Omicron cases no longer need to isolate ... ance for the public requires the same of the public, but only lateral flow tests and for seven days. It comes as the Government has announced that it will 'double' capacity for Covid testing after days of problems. Click to complete relevant Covid-19 CPD modules on Pulse Learning. Date: 16-12-2021 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19

Government to double Covid test availability after days of problems The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Royal Mail have announced that capacity for Covid testing will 'double' in response to 'unprecedented demand'. It comes amid problems with ordering PCR and lateral flow tests (LFTs) this week, as Covid case rates have reached record levels and the Gov ... Date: 15-12-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Workforce

Under-18s' Covid jab interval could be shortened if new variant sparks ‘concern’ ... it said. Previous guidance said that 16- and 17-year-olds should book their second jab 12 weeks after the first and vaccination should be delayed for 12 weeks following a positive Covid test result in 12-17s. The updated advice was based on emerging evidence from the UK and other countries that leaving a longer gap may further reduce the already small risk of myocarditis. Meanwhile, the document a ... Date: 10-12-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Vaccinations, prevention and screening

GPs advised on managing rare cases of post-vaccine heart inflammation ... s or in who initial tests were normal should be told to go back to the GP if symptoms persist or worsen in the next five days. Covid vaccination should be delayed for 12 weeks following a positive Covid test results in children aged 12-17, according to recently updated guidance. The updated advice was based on emerging evidence from the UK and other countries that leaving a longer gap may fu ... Date: 02-12-2021 Categories: • Cardiovascular • Covid-19 • Paediatrics • Vaccinations, prevention and screening

Covid jab should be delayed by three months after positive test in under-18s Covid vaccination should be delayed for 12 weeks following a positive Covid test results in children aged 12-17, according to new guidance. It follows guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation earlier this week that 16- and 17-year-olds should book thei ... Date: 19-11-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Paediatrics • Vaccinations, prevention and screening

Covid booster jabs to be rolled out to over-40s ... cond dose of the Pfizer vaccine 12 weeks or more after their first jab. Those in the cohort who have had coronavirus should be given their second dose 12 weeks after a positive Covid test result or 12 weeks or more after their first dose, depending on ‘whichever is later’, it said. The JCVI concluded that the ‘balance of risks and benefits supports offering a second dose’ to the group, following ... Date: 15-11-2021 Categories: • Breaking news • Covid-19 • Vaccinations, prevention and screening

Covid infection 'carries greater risk of neurological complications than vaccines' ... olled case series study to investigate hospital admissions from neurological complications in the 28 days after a first dose of the Astra/Zeneca vaccine; the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine; and a positive Covid test respectively. Their paper, published in the journal Nature Medicine, found that there was an increased risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome and Bell’s palsy related to the AZ vaccine, while the Pfizer va ... Date: 26-10-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Neurology • Vaccinations, prevention and screening

PCR testing halted at laboratory amid fears around 43,000 false negatives Covid testing has been halted at a private laboratory in the West Midlands amid fears that around 43,000 people have received false negative results.NHS Test and Trace has suspended PCR testing operations provi ... Date: 15-10-2021 Categories: • Covid-19

Winter is coming ... ex heading into winter, he warns. ‘It depends on the prevalence of other viruses but it’ll get more confusing.’ GPs have long warned about Covid test fatigue among patients who are ‘sure ‘it can’t be Covid’ and so don’t have a test. Practices are likely to be overwhelmed with patients with respiratory illnesses, making it difficult to distinguish Covid from the others. Pulse has also learned that Covi ... Date: 29-09-2021 Categories: • Cover Feature • Covid-19 • Workload

Researchers identify vaccinated patient groups most at risk of serious Covid ... the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and used general practice data, as well as national linked datasets for immunisation, Covid testing, deaths and hospital episodes. The Government this week accepted final JCVI advice that cohorts 1-9 of the first phase of the Covid vaccination campaign should have a booster jab six months after their second dose - with GPs told to prioritise boosters in c ... Date: 17-09-2021 Categories: • Cancer • Covid-19 • Elderly care • Neurology

The shortlist for GP of the Year ... health promotion projects. Dr Smirl led a project to prevent vulnerable patients being unsafely discharged from hospitals into care homes, instead only discharging patients after a confirmed negative Covid test and seven-day quarantine. Later in the year, Dr Smirl personally administered hundreds of vaccinations and visited a local mosque to encourage vaccine take up among hard-to-reach communities ... Date: 08-09-2021 Categories: • General Practice Awards

Most children recover from Covid within a week, finds UK study ... used on the period from September 2020 through to February 2021 which coincided with the reopening of schools in the autumn and the peak of the winter wave when there was widespread availability of Covid testing. During this time, 1,734 children were reported who had a clear start and end point to their symptoms and a positive PCR test, enabling the researchers to determine their duration of illness with ... Date: 04-08-2021 Categories: • Covid-19 • Paediatrics • Respiratory • Vaccinations, prevention and screening

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