The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners
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The spillover impact from disrupted healthcare services for non-COVID-infected diabetes mellitus (DM) patients caused by the reshuffling of the manpower during the pandemic remains understudied, especially in Hong Kong where healthcare resources were already strained before the pandemic. ⋯ The COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 had negative spillover impacts on DM patients without COVID-19 in Hong Kong, with a higher mortality in 2020 and 2021 compared with the pre-pandemic level.
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Perinatal anxiety (PNA) occurs during pregnancy and up to 12 months post-partum. PNA affects more than 21% of women and can impact adversely on mothers, children and their families. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance identified evidence gaps around non-pharmacological interventions for PNA. ⋯ Tension exists between what is currently recommended by NICE and thus commissioned, and the types of intervention that women want to access, including support from VCSE services. Clinicians should be aware of local VCSE organisations which provide care for women with PNA. There is an evidence gap around the effectiveness of various interventions delivered by VCSE organisations, which requires further exploration.
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The 'GP Daffodil Standards for Advanced Serious Illness and End of Life Care' was launched by the Royal College of General Practitioners and Marie Curie in 2019 to support improvement of end-of-life care activity in primary care. ⋯ Final results were reported and best practice shared, along with recommendations to sustain the ongoing implementation of the Daffodil Standards.
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Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is a greatly underdiagnosed and treatable genetic lipid disorder which significantly increases risk of premature cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of monogenic FH is thought to be 1 in 250-350. The NHS Long Term Plan aims to increase FH detection to at least 25% over 5 years in collaboration with primary care, supported by the NHS genomics programme. ⋯ Incorporating automated case-finding from EMR with clinical follow-up in primary care can enhance FH identification. Pathways incorporating genotyping showed the best detection rate.
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Older adults with multimorbidity are at high risk of mortality following COVID-19 hospitalisation. However, the potential benefit of timely primary care follow-up on severe outcomes post-COVID-19 has not been well established. ⋯ Timely primary care consultations after discharge may improve survival following COVID-19 hospitalisation among older adults aged ≥85 years, with multimorbidity. Expanding primary care services and implementing follow-up mechanisms are crucial to support this vulnerable population's recovery and well-being.