Pulse in Focus Podcast: False penicillin allergies; when back pain could be cancer; and Gerada at Pulse LIVE

In this month’s Pulse in Focus: The Podcast for GPs episode, the team reports exclusively from Pulse LIVE London. Pulse’s editorial adviser Dr Keith Hopcroft takes us through his favourite clinical sessions, and Pulse editor Sofia Lind gives us the highlights from her Big Interview with Baroness Clare Gerada.

Dr Hopcroft interviews Dr Stephanie Kayode, consultant allergist at the department of adult allergy at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She explores how GPs can identify patients who are falsely labelled as having a penicillin allergy, and how GPs should go about attempting to de-label them.

He then speaks to GP, locum consultant in pain and musculoskeletal medicine and NHS Northwest London musculoskeletal and diagnostics clinical lead Dr Imran Sajid, about how GPs can assess and manage back pain with or without sciatica or radiculopathy in primary care – including when it could indicate bone cancer.

Lastly, Sofia and Baroness Gerada discuss the failed assisted dying bill and how it may return, what GPs can do to get policy makers to sit up and listen, and how general practice can learn to work with AI.

GPs can continue their learning by registering for our upcoming Pulse Virtual Events. These events are designed for GPs and primary care professionals seeking practical, CPD-accredited clinical updates and expert-led insights they can apply straight into everyday consultations. Taking place in May, we’ll be focusing on Chronic Conditions, Dermatology and Diabetes, and in June, Women’s Health, Urology and Dermatology.

We’ll also be travelling to Birmingham, Newcastle, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast and Liverpool this year, delivering our Pulse LIVE Events.

Pulse in Focus: The Podcast for GPs is hosted on Buzzsprout but you can find it wherever you get your podcasts. Listen to the full episcode here.

Pulse provides an indispensable and comprehensive range of trusted content that meets the needs of all GPs, through its political and financial news, cutting-edge investigations, clinical updates or practical business advice. Last month, the podcast explored the new guidance from NICE, recommending use of weight loss drug semaglutide (Wegovy) to prevent heart attack and stroke.