Pulse: No room at the practice

The Pulse December issue leads with our nativity-themes ‘No room at the practice’ investigation into surgeries closing their lists to new patient registrations.

The Pulse December investigation finds that an increasing number of GP partners are taking the last throw of the dice before handing their contracts back. One BMA leader tells us ‘If I opened my list to new patients I would have to report myself to the GMC’.

In the back pages of our penultimate print issue, we have a special on homeless care, looking into how practices can best manage their administration to support people experiencing homelessness, and the special clinical needs of that cohort of patients. Our Working Life feature focuses on a GP providing care to people experiencing homelessness at a church this Christmas.

Nabi provides a heart-rending account of forming a relationship with a palliative care patient, while Copperfield channels his inner Alan Partridge.

In our clinical section, we answer key questions on Palliative care pain relief, ask whether attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and provide tips on referring for respiratory conditions.

Elsewhere, our review of 2023 looks at a year when general practice was promised much, but provided with little. Although the likes of Matt Hancock and the BMA GP Committee at least come away with a Pulse award.

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