Nursing in Practice’s Autumn issue explores concerns from nurses that their role is not being considered while changes in primary care are planned. General practice nurses have been a central pin of general practice for decades, but is their voice being heard sufficiently loudly by government?

General practice nurses experience ‘a pattern of being ignored’ despite their vital contributions within the health service, according to the chief executive of the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI). In an exclusive interview with Nursing in Practice that leads the publication’s autumn print edition, Dr Crystal Oldman says GPNs must be given the recognition they deserve by NHS England.

The way the work of GPNs is being ‘airbrushed out of everything’ is leaving a damaging and lasting impact on their morale, she warns. Nurses were particularly enraged at finding that NHE England’s GP recovery plan [Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care] largely ignored the contribution of nursing, and that nursing leaders were absent from the plan’s development.

In Nursing in Practice’s Autumn issue, our news editor writes exclusively about ongoing capacity shortages for nurses in general practice to offer contraceptive services, such as long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). More should be done in general practice to promote the provision of women’s healthcare, and the key role of trained nurses in providing evidence-based advice and guidance to women in this important area.

And with autumn and winter workload in general practice in mind, this edition of Nursing in Practice explores the current challenge of recruiting more nurses into GPN roles, alongside current clinical priorities such as the new shingles vaccine programme, flu and Covid vaccinations, leg ulceration, plus an insightful overview of the management of sickle cell, and a quick quiz on HIV.

More content from Nursing in Practice can be found at nursinginpractice.com, via the Nursing in Practice app, and on social media.

The Summer Improving Outcomes in the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (IOTOD) webinar took place in September, discussing individual responses to treatment and using quality of life variables as outcome measures in opioid dependent patients.

The 60-minute IOTOD Summer webinar, titled “A holistic approach to opioid dependency treatment: managing patient complexity in practice”, was led by Prof. Catriona Matheson, Stirling University, UK and joined by Dr Yasir Abbasi, VIA, UK. The topics covered individual responses to treatment and using quality of life variables as outcome measures in opioid dependent patients.

This expert webinar attracted both primary and secondary healthcare clinicians looking to improve care and management of opioid-dependent patients. Using a case study example, Dr Abbasi discussed using outcome measures to provide succinct clinical information, and how implementing outcome measures in clinical service correlates to improvement for patients achieving success. The webinar attracted >450 registrations, with 180 attending live on the day.

The speakers received 42 questions from the audience, with >140 attendees staying online for an additional 15 minutes after the webinar was due to end in order to hear more from our engaging speakers.

The IOTOD Summer webinar is now available on-demand on the IOTOD website.

Both recruitment to the live webinar, and the on-demand marketing, is done to our community of primary and secondary care healthcare professionals via our media brands, as well as the well-established IOTOD community. The audience includes addiction specialists, GPs, primary care nurses, community pharmacists, psychiatrists, as well as other healthcare professionals interested in the management of opioid use disorder across the UK and Europe.  

The educational programme is run at arm’s length from the financial supporters and all content is created by the faculty. No funder has had input into the content of the materials or presentations used in the educational programme. PCM Scientific is the medical education company acting as scientific secretariat and webinar organiser.

Pulse wins Feature of the Year for last year’s ambitious Lost Practices investigation at the Medical Journalists’ Association (MJA) Awards.

The September cover feature, led by Pulse editor Jaimie Kaffash and then-investigations editor Rachel Carter, won Feature of the Year at last night’s MJA Awards.

The investigation revealed that 474 surgeries across the UK have closed in the past nine years without being replaced. Notably, small practices on lower funding in more deprived areas were most likely to be affected.

The award judges said the investigation was a ‘thorough, detailed and well-crafted examination of an important social issue’, which ‘tackles a vital issue in medicine today’.

They also noted it was ‘well-researched and constructed into a powerful narrative’.

The investigation was picked up across the national press – including the Times, the Telegraph, ITV news, the Daily Mail, Channel 5 News, the Daily Express, and the Sun. Pulse Editor Jaimie Kaffash was also on LBC Radio to discuss the findings.

With a membership of over 450 health and medical writers, broadcasters and editors, the MJA seeks promotes excellence in journalism.

Other recent wins for Pulse’s news, clinical and investigations team included two awards and one highly-commended at the British Society of Magazine Editors’ Talent Awards in June.

Throughout August, Cogora: The Agency has continued to reap the benefits of the time and effort it invests into project execution and nurturing of strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostics companies.  The Agency has secured organic growth on several projects this month.  

Initial work on a suite of assets supporting the needs of healthcare professionals (HCPs) in their care of patients with pleural effusion has expanded within the same business unit to tools, events and educational assets in ascites management, brachytherapy, vascular access and transperineal prostate (TP) biopsy. The evidence compendium for transperineal prostate biopsies is in medical review and very nearly at the design stage. The relationship with the TP team flourishes with talks of activities extending into 2024. 

What initially started out as an advisory board soon became a steering committee/working group model for alopecia. Not forgetting the continued development of the much-anticipated PULSE and HHE inserts which aim to provide bitesize education for HCPs on the identification and management of alopecia areata. The team’s continued performance and positive relationship with the alopecia clientele have since been extended by internal referral to dermatology and rheumatology cost departments.   

An advisory board on microinfusion pumps has grown to encompass a peer-reviewed publication, an infographic, and a series of webcasts. The Agency is busy planning how to deliver content on the top ten safety recommendations for advancing patient safety when using syringe pump systems for microinfusion intravenous (I.V.) drug therapy.  

An extensive network within one company, with many business units in the UK and Europe, has now extended into the US. The team have made their travel plans and pulled together extensive research in preparation for an exciting US Advisory Board in September. The Agency are hopeful that the connections made through this transatlantic meeting will lead to the development of recommendations from the clinical faculty which Cogora can facilitate. 

Finally, a carefully crafted handbook on severe asthma has received wonderful feedback and is due to run in the autumn Nursing in Practice following the PULSE and digital launch earlier this summer.  

Just a few examples of how Cogora: The Agency delivers consistent value for its clients. For more information, please contact us. 

General Practice Awards 2023 shortlist has been announced, with a record-breaking number of entries.

Over 400 entries were submitted across our healthcare professional and supplier categories which include GP Team of the Year, Recruiter of the Year, Medical Supplier of the Year, Vaccination Service of the Year, and PCN of the Year. We introduced a new category this year on the supplier side with Professional Services Provider of the Year. We also saw a record high number of nurses entering this year alongside many great team entries for the three Clinical Improvement Awards.

The quality of entries received has been, as ever, fantastically high and the judges had a challenge on their hands when it came to the marking. Reading through the submissions has proven as ever, to be incredibly humbling and inspiring.

We are delighted to now reveal the General Practice Awards 2023 shortlist – visit our website to see who has made the finalists this year.

More details about our shortlisted nominees will be revealed across our media brands in the coming weeks, so do stay tuned.

The General Practice Awards welcomes 100’s of guests from across primary healthcare and the healthcare industry in the UK, for a fantastic night celebrating the very best in patient care – highlighting innovation, dedication, and passion.

The General Practice Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday 8^th December at the Novotel London West. Tickets are now on sale via the Awards website.

This year’s General Practice Awards are sponsored by THINK Healthcare, Prescribing Care Direct, X-on Health, and Hill Dickinson. We thank them for their support.

Follow along on the night via our Instagram and Twitter accounts to get the live updates on the winners as they’re announced. Good luck to all those shortlisted!

Each year we deliver over 35 virtual and face to face events across the UK, free for our community of healthcare professionals to attend. From our media brands Pulse, Pulse PCN, Nursing in Practice, Management in Practice and Hospital Healthcare Europe, these events are produced and marketed by Cogora.

When selecting new additions for the Cogora virtual and face to face events portfolio, several factors are considered. Firstly, we gauge our audience interests, which can be discerned from attendance patterns at previous events and feedback from brands. This is particularly relevant for our virtual events often revolve around specific clinical themes. Expansion to untapped geographical areas for face-to-face events is also assessed. Data analysis helps evaluate potential audience size and reach, aiding in estimating event viability and expected attendance. Furthermore, competitor analysis is conducted to ascertain how the new event fits within the market landscape and fulfils audience and sponsor requirements.

Overall, Cogora’s event selection process combines audience engagement trends, market demand, geographic considerations, data insights, and competitor positioning.

For each event, our team develop an agenda and selection of speakers utilising our extensive database of experts and key opinion leaders who know and trust us. Initial stages encompass comprehensive research, drawing from past event feedback, delegate suggestions, emerging guidelines (for example NICE), and working with clinical advisors or speakers to suggest the most topical subjects.

Additionally, considerations extend to the preferences of sponsors and exhibitors. Draft agendas are reviewed by representatives of the target audience as well as our internal editorial teams to ensure they are of the highest quality to ensure optimal engagement and networking opportunities.

These agendas are tailored to foster peer-to-peer learning settings. For instance, at a Pulse event, we would seek a GP with special interest in a specific field, a consultant with experience at the primary-secondary interface or somebody who sits on an advisory board for that subject. For a non-clinical event such as Management in Practice, we would typically seek case study style sessions that focus on successful initiatives or look for speakers involved in the development and implementation of policy.

All virtual and face to face events are supported by an extensive marketing campaign, specific to that event or series, and tailored to the target audience. This approach ensures effective audience engagement, registrations, and attendance on the day. Working with our Development and Design teams, we build a bespoke website, email banners, online ads, and social media assets, all to reach the intended audience. Every day, our media brands interact with our communities across a number of platforms. Our influence means they respond to us.

Attention is also paid to the retention strategy, maximising the conversion of registrants to attendees on the day. Emphasis is placed on the user experience and ease of use.

Our marketing campaigns span between 4 – 20 weeks, contingent on the event’s nature and theme. This comprehensive approach ensures optimal promotion and attendance for every event or series, aligning with the core objective of enhancing user engagement and satisfaction.

In 2023, Cogora would have delivered to 15 face-to-face events to over 3,100 primary and secondary care delegates.

Each event has an accompanying exhibition, where delegates can meet and network with our carefully selected partners, giving you direct access to your target audience of HCPs, to promote any new products, services, and solutions. Sessions within the agenda can also be sponsored. If you are interested in attending any upcoming events, please contact us.

Feedback from delegates has been very positive:

• ‘A very useful event to update knowledge and hear from expert speakers. Lovely to network with colleagues, old and new. A variety of stands offering helpful services.’ – Pulse Event delegate
• ‘All of the sessions I attended were very well presented and the information useful food for thought’. – Pulse PCN Event delegate
• ‘The speakers and topics were really well chosen for this event. I went away with lots of ideas which is exactly what I was hoping for when attending this conference’. – Management in Practice delegate

Jess Hacker, Senior Reporter for Pulse PCN and Healthcare Leader, has won a PPA Next Gen Award 2023 which champions 30 of the most exciting rising stars in UK specialist media.

Jess Hackers’ string of exclusive stories investigating unspent general practice funding and the NHS competing with major international retailers for staff caught the judges’ eyes making Jess a worthy winner of the award which celebrates individuals whose achievements and skills are shaping the future of UK specialist media.

Jess Hacker started working at Cogora in February 2021 on media brands Healthcare Leader and Management in Practice, and moved to a role on award winning Pulse PCN in March 2022.

Healthcare Leader offers the latest news, interviews, features, roundtables and case studies focused on primary care at a system level in Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and their places.

Pulse PCN delivers news, views and analysis specifically for PCN clinical directors.

Jess trained in journalism at City, University of London and has previous experience at Exeter Medical School.

Formerly the PPA 30 Under 30, the newly rebranded PPA Next Gen Award, will host an event for winners on October 12.

The Pharmacist website has had a relaunch, enhancing the content, structure, and usability of the site for both Practice and Community audiences – reflecting growth and joint professional working in the pharmacy community, across primary care networks (PCNs), general practice and community pharmacy.

The new In Practice tab will feature news and analysis for pharmacists working in general practice and in PCNs. This follows the launch of our In Practice newsletter in 2022, bringing regular news, updates and CPD to the growing general practice pharmacy sector.

These updates reflect the increasing value that pharmacists bring to the general practice team, with the number of pharmacist roles being rapidly expanded by NHS funding. Over 5,000 pharmacists in PCNs and general practice in England now work closely with GPs – bringing their specialist knowledge of medicines, side effects, cost effective prescribing and the support of patients with their medication and long-term conditions.

The Pharmacist has a long track record in delivering news and information to community pharmacy, championing the information needs of independent pharmacy teams. The value of the profession has only been reinforced during the Covid pandemic.

The Pharmacist delivers the latest daily political, business, and clinical news in the pharmacy sector; with blogs and clinical and professional features on key topics affecting pharmacists. Our clinical updates span a wide variety of therapy areas relevant to primary care, such as: cancer, dermatology, diabetes, gastroenterology, immunology & vaccination, mental health, respiratory, sexual health, smoking cessation and travel health.

For sponsorship opportunities to our Community or In Practice audience of pharmacists, please contact us today.

Pulse PCN Autumn 2023 takes a look at the fabled integrated neighbourhood team – what they are, what they should be, and who’s running them.

Those leading the charge at NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland talk to Pulse PCN about how they’ve formed their PCNs into neighbourhood teams, and why the integrated care board has decided to lead on PCNs’ futures.

Clinical directors speak in Pulse PCN Autumn 2023 about how their integrated neighbourhood teams – or lack thereof – are coming together without any formal blueprint.

Elsewhere, the National Academy for Social Prescribing’s chief executive, Charlotte Osborn-Forde, speaks about the evidence behind this popular addition to the GP practice workforce.

Six PCN leads from across the country came together for the roundtable to discuss progress on enhanced health in care homes and the measures which have improved the lives of clinicians, carers and patients in a lively discussion about the future of the service.

And a PCN in Northumberland details its ongoing pilot to help its fisherman population access healthcare as they are often offshore during practice opening hours.

To catch up with the latest PCN news and hear from clinical directors across England read the full issue here.

Brought to you via Pulse, the Pulse PCN hub contains news, views and analysis specifically for primary care network clinical directors.

The September issue of Pulse magazine, ‘How NHS ‘direction of travel’ will affect GPs’, includes a mini redesign following feedback from readers, with easier to read and more accessible features.

This month, Pulse have an exclusive interview with the most senior GP in NHS England, national director for primary care Dr Amanda Doyle – ‘How NHS ‘direction of travel’ will affect GPs’. She reveals that next year’s contract is likely to be a stop gap, that PCNs are ‘going nowhere’ and that the five-year contract has made things ‘tighter’ for practices in England.

We also take an in-depth look at the NHS workforce plan and ask how the Government is going to provide the training capacity needed in general practice to fulfil its commitments to increase the number of GP trainees and medical students.

Our new ‘Big Questions’ feature asks what is going on at the BMA’s GP Committee England, and where it all went wrong for Babylon while we look behind the headlines at a GP’s claim in the Daily Mail that GPs enjoy ‘remarkable privileges’.

In the clinical section, we answer key questions on MS, provide advice on referring to urology and provide a therapeutics update on depression. We also provide advice on running group consultations.

Pulse offers GPs a daily dose of politics and financial news, CPD, cutting-edge investigations, clinical updates, thought provoking debate, and practical business advice, along with updates delivered via regular newsletters and a magazine. Please contact us for more details on our available advertising packages to our community of GPs.

The HCM Academy 2023 primary care webinar series concluded this month.

Brought to you by PCM Scientific, our CME division, the series benefitted from the input of six expert faculty from the US and Europe who lead the field in treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

The aim of the HCM Academy 2023 primary care series was to raise overall awareness of HCM in professionals who work outside the cardiology setting and highlight how the presence of HCM can impact other areas of patient care that are relevant in the primary care setting.

The topics covered included identification of HCM and how it might present in a primary care setting, the role of HCM in development of arrhythmias and how treatment of arrhythmias can impact other treatment decisions, and the impact of HCM on patient ability to exercise and how HCM can impact on pregnancy.

All live webinars from the HCM Academy 2023 primary care series were delivered twice to allow attendees the opportunity to join at a time convenient to their time zone.

The programme was available to primary audiences including GPs and nurses, across the United States, Canada, and Europe, including the United Kingdom. Marketing was done via the HCM Academy, and our media brands, Pulse and Nursing in Practice. 

The feedback from learners has been overwhelmingly positive, with an average satisfaction rating of 4.9 out of 5, and many positive reviews of the content.

“Excellent presentation with easy to understand and remember the key messages”,

“Excellent webinar, relatable and enjoyable. Case studies always help put things into focus”.

Results so far show significant improvements from pre-learning assessment scores to post-learning assessment scores, with an average gain in competence of 27% and an average gain in knowledge of 33%.

The complete HCM Academy primary care series is now available on-demand on the HCM Academy website and healthcare professionals can gain three CME credits for completing the series.

Pulse have been shortlisted for Feature of the Year at the Medical Journalists’ Association (MJA) Awards.

Shortlisted for the ‘Lost Practices’ investigation in 2022, the MJA Award judges noted it to be ‘a thorough, detailed, and well-crafted examination of an important social issue. It tackles a vital issue in medicine today. Well researched and constructed into a powerful narrative’.

The September 2022 issue of Pulse magazine featured a major investigation on GP practice closures – Lost Practices. This revealed that 474 surgeries across the UK have closed in the past nine years without being replaced, with small practices on lower funding in more deprived areas most likely to be affected.

The investigation was picked up across the national press – including the Times, the Telegraph, ITV news, the Daily Mail, Channel 5 News, the Daily Express, and the Sun. Pulse Editor Jaimie Kaffash was also on LBC Radio to discuss the findings.

Previous investigations by Pulse and other groups have looked at the number of practices where GP partners have handed their contracts back, or closed branch surgeries, but this investigation was the first to focus only on those where a surgery has not been replaced in the same postcode.

With a membership of over 450 health and medical writers, broadcasters and editors, the MJA seeks promotes excellence in journalism.

Winners will be announced at the MJA Awards ceremony on September 13th 2023 in London.

A Pulse survey revealing that almost a third of GP practices have been forced to stop routine care in the past year due to overwhelming demand, has been picked up by the national press.

The survey of 400 GP partners surveyed found that 30% have had to stop taking bookings for routine appointments at any point from June 2022 to June 2023. The GPs, from across the UK, said this was due to staff shortages and excess demand across general practice, while some said it resulted in abuse from patients.

The story has appeared across a number of different titles including Lorraine, The Times, The Sun, the Daily Mail, the Telegraph and the Evening Standard.

The number of appointments carried out in general practice in England increased from 25.9 million in June 2022 to 29.4 million in June 2023. This compares with 23.8 million in June 2019, before the Covid pandemic began.

Meanwhile, the number of permanent fully qualified GPs in England decreased from 26,859 in June 2022, to 26,521 in June 2023 – and this is way down on the 29,364 in September 2016.  

In July, another Pulse survey, revealing that GPs would consider taking collective action if funding is not significantly increased, was also picked up across the national press.

Management in Practice’s newly launched Salary Survey 2023 has revealed the extensive level of responsibilities GP practice managers hold – and the size of the budgets they control.

More than half (51%) of Management in Practice’s Salary Survey’s 975 respondents said they are responsible for practice budgets exceeding £1 million, while 18% are in charge of budgets of more than £2 million.

Just under a tenth (8%) look after budgets bigger than £2.5 million, initial findings from the 2023 Practice Manager Salary Survey have shown.

Practice managers also reported having a very broad job remit, with responsibilities that encompass decisions on purchasing; growing practice revenue; shaping business strategy; and managing teams.

Practice manager respondents reported their main responsibilities as including:

• line management and supervision of the practice’s non-clinical team (74%)
• maximising finances and funding streams (73%)
• setting policies and procedures (71%)
• recruitment (68%)
• HR policy and admin (67%)
• CQC inspection preparation (66%)
• meeting QOF targets (62%)
• generating new or non-NHS incomes (62%)
• line management of clinical teams, including GP partners (54%)
• procurement of professional services (such as accounting, legal etc. (52%)
• purchasing office consumables (46%)
• purchasing IT business platforms, systems and software (45%)
• purchasing medical supplies, including drugs, instruments and vaccines (43%).

Our survey results also highlighted the size of surgeries practice managers are working in. The biggest group (42%) are in practices with a patient list size of between 10,001 and 20,000. A total of 39% are in practices with a list size of between 5,001 and 10,000. And 10% work in surgeries with a list size of between 20,001 and 30,001.

Meanwhile, 37% manage multi-site practices. Of those respondents, 53% manage between 2 and 4 sites. A total of 15% manage 11 to 15 sites, 16% manage 8 to 10 sites and 3% manage 16 to 20 sites.

More results from Management in Practice’s Salary Survey, including on practice manager salary levels and job satisfaction will be released shortly.

Management in Practice is a free-to-use site for practice managers, GPs and healthcare professionals working in primary care, that carries essential news updates, blogs and business information for GP surgeries.

About the survey:

An online survey was carried out among Management in Practice readers based in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland between 13 June and 16 July 2023, and had 975 respondents. Only non-partner practice managers based in permanent roles (part-time or full-time) were allowed to participate.

Nursing in Practice 365 – our education platform for UK primary care and community nurses, brought to you by Nursing in Practice – what’s it all about?

Launched earlier this year, it is designed to give easy access to the best CPD and professional educational content in a variety of formats. Nursing in Practice 365 allows nurses to learn anytime, anywhere – as illustrated in our new promotional video for users.

A mix of bite-sized, interactive and longer-form content spans over 27 clinical areas, meeting users’ preferences and time available. Relevant and constantly updated, content is presented in a variety of formats: CPD modules, virtual seminars, on-demand sessions, and in-person events; with tools to help nurses to plan their engagement throughout the year: ‘save favourites’, ‘track progress’, ‘add to calendar’, and more.

With almost 14,000 subscribers, Nursing in Practice 365 offers clients a unique way to target a large pool of UK based primary care nurses.

If you would like to find out more about sponsoring a module, or about any other sponsorship opportunities, please get in touch with us.

Pulse PCN Events are the source of practical information for PCN Clinical Directors. Intimate, small-scale discussion forums – the events have been specifically created for PCN Clinical Directors, PCN Managers, and senior staff.

The aim of the Pulse PCN Events is to provide an environment in which the challenges facing PCNs can be discussed and debated by those working at the frontline of population health management and service development.  

We have welcomed over 170 PCN Clinical Directors, PCN Managers, and other senior PCN staff to events this year in Leeds, Birmingham and London. Popular topics so far include: 

• Population health: A clinician’s perspective 
• Where are we going? The future of PCNs and navigating the IIF 

• Sharing excellence in practice and working together as an MDT 

A brilliant panel of experts have presided over the talks, encouraging our attendees to share their views and experiences of working in a PCN. The nature of the events is to allow everyone’s voice to be heard. 

As well as hearing from leaders in primary and secondary care, attendees have enjoyed networking with an exclusive array of relevant service providers, medical providers and pharmaceutical companies who are on hand at Pulse PCN to inform and update the audience on the latest products and services that can aid in improving patient care and streamlining processes.  

The feedback for the events speaks for itself: 

“Good networking, interesting debates and like-minded people” 

 “All of the sessions I attended were very well presented and the information useful food for thought” 

100% of our London attendees would recommend the event to a colleague, and with a second London event planned for November as well as a date in Manchester in October, we are confident of ending the year with great attendance and engagement.  

If you want to know more about sponsor and exhibitor opportunities, please contact us.

A Pulse survey, revealing that GPs would consider taking collective action if funding is not significantly increased, has been picked up across the national press.

Nearly a third (31%) of GP partners in England would consider taking collective action in the form of shutting routine services for a week if funding is not significantly increased for 2024/25, a Pulse survey has revealed.

The Pulse survey of 362 partners in England reveals that there is an appetite among GPs to follow the leads of consultants and junior doctors in taking some form of action.

The survey revealed:

• 54% of GPs would consider shutting routine services for a day;
• 51% would consider lowering thresholds for referring to secondary care;
• 46% would consider undated resignations;
• 61% would consider diverting all on-the-day/urgent cases to 111 or A&E.

The story has been picked up by the Times and Daily Mail. Pulse Editor Jaimie Kaffash also appeared on Times Radio and LBC to discuss the findings.

Pulse offers GPs a daily dose of politics and financial news, CPD, cutting-edge investigations, clinical updates, thought provoking debate, and practical business advice, along with updates delivered via regular newsletters and a magazine. Please contact us for more details on our available advertising packages to our community of GPs.

Pulse launches an investigation into GP recruitment, analysing each stage of the GP career. We scrutinise efforts to improve training recruitment, and how many trainees end up as full-time equivalent fully trained GPs.

Pulse asks why GPs in the early stages of their career are leaving the profession and reducing hours. And we look at retirement numbers, and the potential timebomb of an ageing workforce. We then ask how the Government’s recruitment plan will support efforts to increase the number of GPs.

We also examine the issue of IT outages, and how it affects GP practices and patient care. We hear stories about how GPs have had to resort to pen and paper for days at a time, or been unable to access patient records with vital information around prescriptions.

Elsewhere, we have a casebook on skin care in the elderly, clinical clangers on ulcer swabs and a therapeutics update on continuous glucose monitoring. We also give tips on recording GP appointment data.

There is also the latest in our Art of Diagnosis series – can you spot the clues in a self portrait as to how the painter died?

We are thrilled to announce that Cogora has been certified as a Great Place to Work™!

85% of our employees named Cogora as a Great Place to Work™, this recognition is a testament to the dedication, hard work, and enthusiasm of our exceptional team.

Great Place to Work™ is a global authority that assesses workplace cultures and identifies organisations that create an outstanding employee experience. Through their rigorous evaluation process, they measure employee satisfaction, trust, camaraderie, and other key factors that contribute to a positive work environment. We are honoured to have received this prestigious distinction.

Creating a supportive and fulfilling workplace is crucial not only for our team, but also for clients. It directly translates into better collaboration, enhanced creativity, and exceptional service delivery. We have always strived to foster an environment that promotes open communications, encourages innovation, and fosters personal and professional growth, allowing employees to achieve their fullest potential.

The results from our employee survey showcase our values of collaboration, innovation, transparency, celebration of success and growth.

• Taking everything into account, I would say this is a great place to work – 85% agreed
• When I look at what we accomplish, I feel a sense of pride – 86% agreed
• Our customers would rate the service we deliver as ‘excellent’ – 86% agreed
• I feel I make a difference here – 89% agreed
• When you join the company, you are made to feel welcome – 94% agreed
• People here are treated fairly, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender – 96% agreed
• I can be myself here – 82% agreed

What is unique or unusual about Cogora that makes it a great place to work?

• ‘We are nimble and are always looking for growth opportunities’
• ‘The company responds quickly to trends and conditions, and respectfully treats staff and colleagues as grownups’
• ‘Good team spirit with colleagues who are also friends’
• ‘I feel like I am the manager of my own time. I am often encouraged to attend webinars/events during work hours for self-improvement/ to explore new innovative ideas’
• ‘I am trusted to work as independently as I want to whilst also being given support’
• ‘Everyone is super friendly and approachable’
• ‘New members are welcomed and integrated into team almost instantly. It feels like we’ve been working for years even though we might only be working together for few months’
• ‘I like how flexible the company is, ability to work remotely/hybrid is a huge positive’
• ‘People genuinely care about one another and take pride in celebrating other’s accomplishments and achievements. You are encouraged to collaborate in a healthy way with all members of your team, no one is too busy to help or listen’
• ‘Everyone is valued for the unique role they play within the company, and this makes it a really lovely place to work’

The Nursing in Practice summer issue looks at how nursing provision in care homes has been hit by funding issues, poor pay and negative perceptions of the sector. But those working in social care are piecing together promising solutions.

The Covid pandemic was a clear reminder of just how important social care is, with nurses and other staff looking after the elderly and society’s most vulnerable, often under difficult circumstances.

The sector continues to be under stress, with government funding for places reduced, and an increasing number of providers in the sector making the decision that costly nursing care is something they no longer are able to offer. There is concern that the number of nurses working in care homes is dropping to a worrying level, with continuing issues with recruitment and pay.

In Nursing in Practice’s summer issue, England’s chief nurse for social care, Professor Deborah Sturdy, tells us about work to ‘shine a light’ on nursing in the social care sector and to raise its profile. However, ‘It’s about long-term investment,’ she says.

Rather than struggling to recruit, the adult social care sector needs to attract and retain and attract the most highly skilled nurses, for roles that are complex and highly demanding.

Our cover feature ‘Solving the social care puzzle’ argues that nursing in social care requires a unique skill set, and that issues around nurse recruitment and other issues for the sector, urgently need attention.

In Nursing in Practice’s summer issue, we also look at boosting child immunisation uptake, how nurses can help counter the rise in eating disorder, and key actions for chronic disease management and QOF in general practice.

We also examine how primary care can be more inclusive to transgender patients. A nurse lecturer and past general practice nurse says: ‘In our profession, for trans people to receive the best standards of health and social care, nurses and other clinicians must be properly informed.. my main advice is to treat everyone equally and without judgement.’

Articles in a busy summer edition also include a profile of the experience of an advanced nurse practitioner working as a homelessness outreach nurse, operating from a mobile van in Stoke-on-Trent. She tells us: ‘We’ll see people for a variety of reasons, from a simple chat to needle exchange or treatments… we’re all ANPs, so we can use electronic prescribing where appropriate’.

And in our Lessons in Leadership series, a lead nurse in a Primary Care Network shares her unique experience of advocating for general practice nursing through her place on a Local Medical Committee board. She has strong views on what needs to be discussed. ‘I think there is a lack of understanding about what general practice nurses do,’ she says. ‘There needs to be a greater appreciation of the value of these roles.’

More content from Nursing in Practice can be found at nursinginpractice.com, via the Nursing in Practice app, and on social media.

In collaboration with two KOLs, Cogora: The Agency researched and developed two Pfizer educational handbooks, tailored specifically to GPs and community pharmacists.

Funded by a corporate sponsorship from Pfizer (Pfizer had no involvement and received no input into the content), the content addressed the current landscape relating to Covid-19 antiviral medicines, patient eligibility criteria, access to treatment, patient considerations, and the future role of primary care.

Cogora enabled the communication of educational and product-centred messaging, through the creation of a visually appealing A5 handbook: written by and designed by Cogora: The Agency.

For optimum reach, the Pfizer educational handbooks were distributed in print and digitally via Pulse and The Pharmacist and hosted online for six months, to help educate our GP and pharmacist audiences on Covid-19 antiviral treatments.

Included in the hosting were two email sends, reaching 20,000+ healthcare professionals and generating a 54% open rate to the digital handbook, compared to a benchmark of 28%. These emails were written and designed in-house.

Organic traffic drivers were also put in place to help HCPs access and engage with the sponsored content. The handbook was promoted via our editorial newsletters, on the relevant website homepage and within the respiratory clinical zones.

This resulted in over 1,700 handbook downloads via Pulse and The Pharmacist in two months.

Please contact us to discuss Cogora handbook sponsorship opportunities.

Pulse PCN’s latest roundtable launches today bringing clinical directors and pharmacists together to discuss structured medication reviews (SMRs).  

Pulse PCN’s roundtables examine the core tasks PCNs must deliver as part of the PCN Network DES and the challenges and opportunities this work brings.

Explore 10 thought-provoking roundtables covering topics such as covid vaccination, population health management and early cancer diagnosis, highlighting the thoughts of clinical directors from across England.

In this latest roundtable, sponsored by GSK, clinical directors and pharmacists from PCNs in Gloucestershire, Manchester, Warrington, Cheshire, London and Hampshire give their opinions on SMRs, their recent removal from the impact and investment fund (IIF) incentive scheme and of the wider role of PCN clinical pharmacists.

Editor Victoria Vaughan says: ‘The tensions between community and PCN pharmacy are an issue at the moment, so it was really interesting to hear how this is playing out at a PCN level.

‘Clearly the SMRs and their now former targets leave a lot to be desired and GPs and pharmacists detail their concerns in this topical discussion.

‘This is another great read as part of our roundtable series giving readers and leaders direct insight into the thoughts of those clinicians running PCNs.’

Pulse PCN’s roundtable series is part of our comprehensive offering for our community of primary care network (PCN) clinical directors and their teams. And they are now hosted on a new Pulse PCN roundtable hub making it easier to access these great clinician-led debates.

For the opportunity to reach our audience of decision-makers across 1250 PCNs through a variety of digital advertising options, please contact us.

The annual Improving Outcomes in the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (IOTOD) conference returned for its 21^st year on 17^th and 18^th May 2023, with an exciting educational agenda including interactive seminars, thought-provoking talks, satellite symposia, and expert-led panel discussions.

Delivered by our CME division PCM Scientific, the IOTOD conference 2023 aims to provide high quality, CME-accredited education for primary and secondary care healthcare professionals across the globe, to improve patient outcomes in the treatment of opioid dependence.

Working with world leading experts in opioid dependence, the virtual conference, tackled the latest challenges, innovations, research and insights in opioid dependence management and treatment.

Utilising our virtual event platform, the conference was held virtually with live talks, panel discussions, and Q&A sessions from fifteen returning and new international experts across seven sessions.

Content was translated live into German and Spanish, and all sessions were recorded and made available on-demand for 30 days post-event.

Recruitment to the conference was driven via our primary and secondary care media brands Pulse, Nursing in Practice, The Pharmacist, Hospital Healthcare Europe, and Hospital Pharmacy Europe, as well as our existing IOTOD community.

Attendees included general practitioners, primary care nurses, community pharmacists, addiction specialists, pain specialists, psychiatrists, social workers, hospital pharmacists, and hospital nurses.

95% of attendees rated the quality/relevance of the content as excellent/good and 98% rated the speakers and organisation of the event as excellent/good.

Find out more in our case study.

We’re thrilled to announce that Jim Wilson, Cogora’s Head of Technology, has been named as a rising star of the UK IT industry by Next CIO.

Next CIO recognises and celebrates the biggest rising stars in the UK IT sector. It is an annual awards and mentoring programme to help aspiring IT leaders develop their careers, build their network and improve their skillsets.

As part of the Next CIO programme, Jim Wilson, Cogora’s Head of Technology, will gain exclusive access to mentoring sessions from some of the UK’s leading digital, data and technology professionals, and will also become a mentor to other professionals in the field.