Pulse: A very Capita Christmas

For the Pulse Christmas issue, we feature an investigation on Capita and its running of support services for GPs, such as processing pensions statements and payments to GPs.

Capita had its contract extended earlier this year for three years, but GPs are continuing to report how problems with the service are affecting their professional and personal lives. GPs tell us they are having to delay retirement and even how problems are holding up divorce proceedings.

Elsewhere, Pulse review what has been a tough year for GPs, and our annual awards honour the vast number of health secretaries as well as more of the great and the good.

We answer GPs’ key questions on renal and ureteric stones, we look at sports injuries in children and adolescents and for clinical clangers we review whether a baby does actually have conjunctivitis, or whether it could be something more serious.

To finish the Christmas theme, we spend some time with a husband and wife GP team who spend Christmas Day in hospices.