Medical Centre

Our new paper in the International Journal of Integrated Care reviews the role of multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings in the management of multimorbidity in primary care. MDTs bring together professionals to work together to improve health outcomes for patients. MDT meetings are often recommended as a critical aspect of integrated care in guidance and opinion pieces, but it is not clear how and to what extent their use improves outcomes for patients with multimorbidity. Our review aimed to fill this knowledge gap. We found limited evidence that supports the implementation of MDT meetings in primary care settings for individuals with multimorbidity. There were also substantial problems with the methodological rigour of previous studies on MDT meetings in primary care. Although MDT meeting are a key strategy for delivering comprehensive integrated care, there is a lack of evidence concerning the efficacy of MDT meetings in primary care. The complexity of interventions meant that causa...

With England’s NHS under immense pressure even before the full onset of winter, here are some tips on how you can make the most of the NHS, use health services more appropriately, and obtain the care you and your family need to protect your health and wellbeing. 1. Attend for appointments for medication reviews and for the management of long-term conditions when invited. 2. Take-up the offer of Covid-19 and flu vaccinations if you are eligible. Make sure you are up to date with any other vaccinations you are eligible for. Attend for health screening appointments when invited. 3. Use the NHS app to book appointments, view your GP medical record and order repeat prescriptions. 4. Be aware of the range of options for NHS care – including opticians, pharmacists, self-referral services (e.g. podiatry, IAPT, smoking cessation), and NHS 111. 5. Use the NHS electronic prescription service so that your prescription is sent directly to a pharmacy. 6. For queries about hospital care, contact the ...

Our new study in JRSM Open led by Dr Raj Chandok and Dr Poonam Madar examines factors influencing Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy among South Asians in London. Vaccines have a key role in suppressing serious illnesses, hospitalisations and deaths from Covid-19. London has amongst the lowest Covid-19 vaccination rates in the UK and it’s important to understand the factors behind this so we can work better with local communities to address this key public health challenge. This includes looking at factors such as confidence in Covid-19 vaccines, complacency about the severity of illness arising from Covid-19, communication about vaccines in both the mainstream media and social media, and the context in which people live and work.

If you consult your doctor about bowel symptoms, they may speak about getting FIT. What is FIT? In this context, it is nothing to do with exercise or how far you can run. FIT stands for faecal immunochemical test, which aims to detect blood in your faeces. The test is highly sensitive.  People with lower bowel symptoms such as a change in their bowel habits will understandably be concerned about the possibility of bowel cancer. The risk of colorectal cancer in people with a negative FIT, a normal examination and normal full blood count is <0.1%. This is lower than the general population risk of colorectal cancer. So this combination of clinical findings allows your doctor to conclude that you are very unlikely to have bowel cancer. However, many people with lower GI symptoms still do not undergo FIT before referral to a specialist. Patients with a FIT of fHb <10μg Hb/g, a normal full blood count, and no ongoing clinical concerns do not need to be referred on a lower GI urgent...