Happy New 2011

Phew, time to catch a breath after a hectic December and Christmas etc.  So being back at work has been quite pleasant, loads of patients glad to see me, I feel like I've slotted back in easily and apart from the usual day to day foibles all is well.

I remember from previous returns to work the pleasant feeling that nothing has really changed! While the politicians and managers argue about what GPs should and shouldn't be doing, people still come through the door every 10 minutes with the same problems they had before I left, medical social and psychological.

I'm enjoying the Oxford handbook as a companion, so nice to have a good reference book and not be searching round the internet!  

I've signed for the RCGP e-portfolio and even done one of their learning modules, which was good too about ways of managing URTIs to both the doctor and the patients satisfaction. I was quite happy with the NHS toolkit and it's a bit of a pain having to get used to a new platform but at least there is a program there, my next task is to get used to using it! Not too impressed with this idea of gaining extra credit for showing how you have integrated a specific bit of learning into your own practice. My mental picture is off lots of info going in being computed in a variety of ways and then being applied as necessary. perhaps it's the RCGPs way off getting us to be more systematic in recording our learning. Seems a bit too reductionist to me, just in the same way judging children's learning at primary school in tests does.

Back to the RCGP for a good article about a NICE guidance- again a common but often frustrating consultation -transient loss of consciousness. This article highlights this guidance which states all people presenting should have an ECG, a marked change in practice. Another good article for me was about new and emerging treatments for diabetes. I've still got some articles to go, including one on screening for AF which is of personal interest at the moment.

I was going to put a link on for these articles but I've just found the RCGP website publishes the last issue, not the most current on it's website-unlike the BMJ. So in a months time look up http://www.rcgp.org.uk/bjgp.aspx

Podcasts- BMJ had an item before Chrismas looking at variations in referral rates but apart from that nothing else really stuck in my mind. A bit behind on the podcasts now, as that was an activity when all was quiet and i was pottering around the kitchen while on maternity leave. New plan is to get the podcasts into the ipod and listen while in the car on the way to work!