Dr Charlotte Lee, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Fellow and BPS-accredited Chartered Research Psychologist at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, is the joint overall winner of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research Paper of the Year 2025. The award was announced at the RCGP Annual Conference in Glasgow today [29 October 2026].
Dr Charlotte Lee, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Fellow and BPS-accredited Chartered Research Psychologist at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, is the joint overall winner of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research Paper of the Year 2025. The award was announced at the RCGP Annual Conference in Glasgow today [29 October 2026].
A second survey to help identify the most important research questions to improve care for people living with more than one long-term health condition has been launched. The survey is open to anyone with lived experience - including patients, family or carers - and professionals involved in their care.
People from ethnically diverse communities are being failed by bereavement support services, according to new University of Bristol-led research from the national Equitable Bereavement Care For All study. The research found that services are often designed around "white-centred" models of grief and do not adequately meet the needs of increasingly diverse populations.
This year we have been joining the celebrations to mark 20 years of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The NIHR is publicly funded through the Department of Health and Social Care. It is the UK’s largest funder of health and social care research. The Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) is a member of the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR), with a focus on improving primary care for all. CAPC has continuously been a member of the SPCR since it was established in 2006.
The Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at the University of Bristol in association with the Severn Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) GP training scheme, has four-year Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) programmes in general practice available, funded either by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), or locally funded (but will receive NIHR recognition). Applicants for GP specialty training who would like to pursue an academic career attached to a very successful academic centre are invited to apply for these fellowships.
Researchers from National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) institutions across the South West gathered with partners and public contributors at Bristol Beacon on 22 September to celebrate 20 years of NIHR-funded research in the region.
People are open to artificial intelligence (AI) being used to help detect skin cancer, but only if it is highly accurate, does not miss skin cancer, and works well for people of all skin tones, according to new research published in the British Journal of Cancer.
A pioneering community-led programme that has transformed HIV awareness, testing and prevention among African and Caribbean heritage communities in Bristol has been commended in recognition of inclusion in this year’s NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Impact Awards.
Good Grief Weston returns to locations across North Somerset from 15-18 October 2026 opening up conversations about death, dying, and bereavement. Through a range of free and low-cost events, the festival aims to help people talk openly and compassionately about loss by blending art, performance, and community gatherings.
The Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) has launched a short new film introducing the work of the Centre.
The NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) has announced the recipients of their Outstanding Contribution to Public and Community Involvement Awards, recognising the individuals, groups and project teams that have made exceptional contributions to public and community involvement across SPCR research.
Dr Rachel Johnson, GP and Associate Professor in Primary Care, and Dr Jessica Watson, GP and Consultant Senior Lecturer, have been appointed co-leads of the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at the University of Bristol. They take on the role from Professor Katrina Turner, who has been appointed Deputy Head of Population Health Sciences and Head of Section for Applied Health Research in Bristol Medical School.
New independent research published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Paediatrics Open found that many parents attending weight management groups reported positive changes in their children’s health behaviours, including increased physical activity and eating healthier food.
Two academics, Dr Ashley Hammond and Dr Sam Creavin, from the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC), University of Bristol have been recognised with a prestigious National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) national research leadership prize.
GPs working alongside ambulance services can help ensure patients get the most appropriate care while freeing up emergency ambulances for the most serious cases, according to new research from the University of Bristol.
A new way of delivering therapist-led online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can reduce symptoms of depression and improve function, according to new University of Bristol-led research published in The Lancet Primary Care.
Portable air filters made no difference to rates of respiratory and other infections in older people’s care homes, a University of Bristol-led trial, published in JAMA Internal Medicine today [27 July] has found. The study’s authors advise care homes to continue with standard infection control measures, including vaccines.
Bristol study one of six projects funded
A new study led by researchers at the University of Bristol has found that a key NHS digital system designed to improve care for people nearing the end of life is not being widely used as intended, raising questions about its effectiveness.
Patients, carers, health professionals and researchers have come together to identify the top 10 priorities for childhood food allergy research in the UK. The priorities will be used to shape future research in line with what matters most to children and young people and those who care for them.
GPs give patients advice about when, why, and how to seek further medical help in around two-thirds of telephone consultations – similar to the rate for face-to-face consultations - according to new University of Bristol research. However, this advice is not always documented in patients’ notes, given in writing, or recalled by patients afterwards. This type of advice, known as ‘safety-netting advice’, is an important part of helping patients know what to do if their symptoms change, worsen, or fail to improve.
A survey has been launched to get people’s views on how to improve care for people with more than one long-term health condition. The survey is open to anyone with relevant lived or professional experience. All responses will help shape future research priorities.
New research has revealed key insights into the experiences of people with skin of colour living with common skin conditions. The findings from the SOCX study, led by researchers from the Centre for Applied Excellence in Skin and Allergy Research at the University of Bristol, are published in the British Journal of General Practice today [19 May 2026].
A rapid microbiological point-of-care test designed to help GPs identify whether a respiratory infection is caused by a virus did not lead to an expected overall reduction in same-day antibiotic prescribing, a University of Bristol-led study has found.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Commercial Research Delivery Fellows within the South West Central Research Delivery Network (SWC RRDN) region.
A new study to better understand how young people experience safety in public spaces and what trusted adults - including teachers, youth workers, police and doctors - can do to help prevent serious youth violence has been launched by researchers at the University of Bristol, University of West England, and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Challenges in infection control highlight need for tailored guidance and improved infrastructure in future pandemics.
As members of the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR), we are pleased to offer one of 11 SPCR-funded Nursing Commercial Research Fellowships for 2026.
Online consultation tools are increasingly used by patients seeking support for common mental health conditions in primary care. New University of Bristol led research published in BMC Primary Care has found that significant concerns remain about their suitability, accessibility and impact on continuity of care.
Insights to better support families at risk of having children taken into care are part of a newly published report, funded by the NIHR Three Schools Prevention Programme.
NIHR launches £50m Inequalities Challenge Consortium to tackle inequalities in cardiovascular disease
We have two exciting summer internship opportunities for UK undergraduates, irrespective of degree discipline, who are interested in primary care research. These are a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on experience conducting primary care research with experts in the field.
Applications are invited from individuals with a strong academic record who wish to develop a career in primary care research. Applicants must have a first degree in a discipline relevant to primary care research and will be expected to complete a Phd/DPhil during the award period.
Applications are open for the National Institute for Health and Care Research School for Primary Care Research (NIHR SPCR) Primary Care Clinical Fellowships 2026.
People living with severe mental illness (SMI) face a much higher risk of poor physical health and early death than the general population, often from preventable conditions. Physical health checks can play a vital role in catching problems early, but too few people with SMI receive them. A new study published in the British Journal of General Practice has examined what works to improve uptake of these important checks.
Applications are open for The National Institute for Health and Care Research School for Primary Care Research (NIHR SPCR) post-doctoral fellowships to start in October 2026. These awards provide funding to cover the costs of a 24-month fellowship at one of the nine SPCR member institutions. Applicants should have a strong academic record and wish to develop a career in primary care research.
Community drop-in events dates announced.
Today (10 December) sees the launch of the first NHS Domestic Abuse Awareness Day (NHSDAAD). The day highlights the urgent need to recognise and respond to domestic abuse affecting NHS staff. It also recognises the unique barriers they can face seeking help.
West Walk Surgery in Yate an awardee
A new initiative could transform how HIV is diagnosed and prevented in UK general practice, according to a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded study published in the British Journal of General Practice.
Inequities in how bereavement is experienced and supported among people of Black British and Black Caribbean heritage in England has been revealed in a new study led by the University of Bristol. The research, published in Death Studies today [2 December], calls for widespread changes to improve bereavement experiences and access to support for Black British and Black Caribbean communities.
Researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at the University of Bristol have launched a new ‘Bristol Continuity of Care Calculator’ to help general practices measure their continuity of care.
A major study has found that people with eczema are able to bathe either daily or weekly, without any impact to their symptoms.
A major new clinical trial has been launched aimed at reducing the use of street-sourced benzodiazepines among people receiving treatment for opioid dependency.
Cross-sector collaboration and long-term stable funding are key to making services more trauma-informed for people facing multiple disadvantage, according to a new study. The evaluation was conducted by University of Bristol and NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (NIHR ARC) West staff in collaboration with Changing Futures Bristol, and funded by the NIHR Three Research Schools Mental Health Practice Evaluation Scheme.
How healthcare managers and frontline staff influence the delivery and sustainability of a key infant abuse prevention initiative across the NHS has been revealed in a new study. The NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West (ARC West)-led evaluation of ICON, a UK-wide programme designed to reduce the risk of abusive head trauma (AHT) in infants, is published in BMC Public Health.
Local authorities and health partners across the Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Integrated Care System (ICS) have come together to celebrate the launch of the Why Weight? Pledge for creating healthier places together. The event, held at St Michael’s Centre in Stoke Gifford on 6 October was a celebration of the commitment to a collective effort to create a future where everyone has the access and ability to eat well, feel well and be active.
Current NHS policies designed to improve care for people taking multiple medicines may not be effective, according to new research.
A pilot randomised controlled clinical trial of mistletoe therapy for breast cancer patients has shown that it is feasible to conduct a UK NHS trial. The Mistletoe and Breast Cancer (MAB) Study was led by researchers Professor Gene Feder and Dr Alyson Huntley from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol with NHS partners. A paper published in the journal Cancers describes the trial challenges and achievements.
A recent study has looked at ways to improve cancer care for people with disabilities and long-term conditions. It has highlighted improvements that can be made to ensure adjustments support the needs of these groups.
GPs need training to spot mental health issues related to the perimenopause, according to new University of Bristol-led research published in the British Journal of General Practice.
More than half of healthcare workers who responded to a survey at a major NHS trust have experienced domestic abuse, with many reporting serious impacts on their health, wellbeing and ability to work.
People with severe mental illness gain 4kg more weight than peers over 15 years but aren't offered more weight-management support, identifying crucial five-year intervention window.
A new review published in Clinical Obesity highlights the vital role that primary care services can play in helping support people with obesity – but also reveals the challenges that must be overcome.
Community pharmacies should be at the heart of HIV prevention efforts by raising awareness of and providing access to PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), according to a new policy briefing from the University of Bristol. PrEP is a pill that prevents HIV transmission.
A new study from researchers at Bristol Medical School has shed light on how cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) helps people with depression, and it turns out that improving people’s understanding of mental health may be a big part of the answer.
A critical review of relevant research suggests that substance use services for individuals working in the sex industry must be flexible, non-judgmental, and responsive to the complex needs of this group. The review, conducted by a team involving ARC West and University of Bristol researchers, is published in Health & Social Care in the Community.
New BMJ series uncovers the role of the arms trade in health and calls for more scrutiny of its health-harming activities and its unhealthy relationship with governments.
A new study led by researchers from the University of Bristol and collaborators across the UK and Finland has shed light on the critical role of psychological discomfort in promoting behavioural change among men participating in domestic abuse perpetrator programmes (DAPPs).
Remembering our colleague Jon Banks, 1962-2025
Some of the most vulnerable people in society were less able to access GP care during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the general population, according to new research published in BJGP Open. The study, led by researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Oxford and Glasgow, also found those effects continued long after lockdowns ended.
The Welsh Ambulance Service is leading on a study into the use of live video consultations to help decision making when deploying critical care teams in response to 999 calls. The project is a collaboration between clinicians and researchers across the Welsh Ambulance Service, West Midlands Ambulance Service, University of Warwick, University of Bristol, Imperial College, Aberystwyth University, the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service, and the Wales Air Ambulance Charity.
Patients and surgeons have reported that a new, automated system to monitor patients’ views on how much they have felt involved in decision-making about their surgery is acceptable. The study, led by researchers from NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) and the Centre for Academic Primary Care, is published in BMJ Open.
How does it feel to live in Weston-super-Mare when you are struggling with your mental health? What resources exist in the local community – and what barriers are there to accessing them? A new free exhibition coming to Weston Museum from Tuesday 8 to Thursday 17 July explores these questions through the creative storytelling of people who often feel excluded.
A revolutionary handheld device that helps to save lives by detecting dangerous synthetic drugs almost instantly has won its creators - including researchers from the University of Bristol - a prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry Horizon Prize.
Our study aims to understand UK Chinese residents’ views and experiences of accessing and using health services, with a focus on healthcare in relation to cancer screening and vaccinations, mental health and sexually transmitted infections, where there are known health inequities within the Chinese population. / 本研究计划了解在英华人在获取和使用医疗服务方面的看法与经历。研究将重点关注癌症筛查和疫苗接种、心理健康以及性传播感染等方面的医疗服务，华人群体在这些健康服务方面已面临不平等的情况。/ 本研究計劃了解在英華人在獲取和使用醫療服務方面的看法與經歷。研究將重點關注癌症篩查與疫苗接種、心理健康以及性傳播感染等方面的醫療服務；華人群體在這些健康服務方面已面臨不平等的情況。
A new Friends and Family Handbook, written by Dr Alison Gregory, an Independent Academic and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, has been launched by Women’s Aid Federation of England. The handbook provides practical support and information for anyone worried about someone who is or may be experiencing domestic abuse.
Researchers have produced a standard set of outcomes that should be measured and reported in future studies involving common acute ear infections. This ‘core outcome set’ will allow future ear infection studies to be more consistent with each other, so evidence can be accumulated over time.
Young men growing up around parents who are physically violent to each other are 43% more likely to carry out violence or abuse in their own relationships, new University of Bristol research has found.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research School for Primary Care Research (NIHR SPCR) is offering up to 11 General Practice Commercial Research Fellowships, with positions available at various universities across the UK, including Bristol.
The Primary Care Academic CollaboraTive (PACT) has published its Summary & Impact Report 2019–2024, highlighting five years of collaborative research achievements supported by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR).
Grief affects everyone but is still very much a taboo subject in the UK. A new Centre - the first of its kind in the UK - hopes to shift public attitudes towards grief and create communities that are compassionate and connected in their support of people who are bereaved. The Centre for Grief Research and Community Engagement (Grief Centre) at the University of Bristol is launched today [24 April].
A new national research partnership will explore ways to support wellbeing and sustainability in the NHS and social care same day and urgent care workforce. Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and led by UWE Bristol in collaboration with the University of Bristol and nine other institutions, the partnership will investigate the root causes of frequent staff shortages, high employee sickness rates and difficulties recruiting new staff with a view to finding solutions.
Relaxation techniques may help lower high blood pressure—at least in the short term—but the longer term effects are unclear, finds a pooled data analysis of the existing research. The study, led by the Universities of Bristol and Exeter and published and published in BMJ Medicine, is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
New University of Bristol research on how healthcare professionals can support people with heart failure who want to be more physically active has been published in BMJ Open. The study recommends a personalised approach facilitated by health professionals focusing on both physical and mental health.
A powerful new documentary film, created through the Healthcare Responding to Violence and Abuse (HERA) study, captures the transformative potential of healthcare systems to support women affected by domestic violence. The film was created to amplify women’s voices, shed light on their experiences, and explore how healthcare providers in low-resource settings can better respond to domestic violence.
New guidance for primary care clinicians on how to conduct personalised annual reviews for patients with multiple long-term conditions has been developed by researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol and NIHR Applied Research Collaboration West (ARC West). Patients with multiple long-term conditions need regular reviews to monitor their health, wellbeing and medications.
Three University of Bristol academics have been awarded Senior Investigator status by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), including Alastair Hay, Professor of Primary Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care .
We have two exciting summer internship opportunities for UK undergraduates, irrespective of degree discipline, who are interested in primary care research. These are a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on experience conducting primary care research with experts in the field.
Paramedics working in GP surgeries help reduce GP workload but do not contribute to cost savings to the NHS, according to the first major study of the clinical and cost-effectiveness of paramedic compared with GP consultations.
Greater openness about complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) use has the potential to strengthen farmer-vet relationships, which may prevent potential unintended harm to animals, reduce antibiotic use and improve herd health management, new research has found. The study led by the University of Bristol is published today [26 February] in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
Online access to test results is generally well accepted by patients, but reliance on electronic communication methods alone is not sufficient to meet the needs of different patients and different types of test result, according to University of Bristol led research published in the British Journal of General Practice today [25 February].
Children are nearly three-quarters (71%) more likely to develop mental health problems between the ages of five and 18, if the firstborn child in their family experienced adversity during their first 1,000 days, finds a new UCL-led study involving Bristol researchers.
Parents attending an adult weight management programme, who were worried about their child’s weight, would accept support and signposting to services for their child if it was offered, new research has found. The study is published today [21 January] in BMJ Paediatrics Open.
A study by researchers at the University of Bristol exploring patients’ understanding and experience of shingles has found that many had a limited understanding of the illness before diagnosis and were unprepared for the symptoms they experienced. Health care professionals highlighted stress as a trigger for shingles which led some people to blame themselves for its onset.
Food allergies affect one in five children in the UK. To help set the priorities for future research, University of Bristol researchers are asking children and young people with food allergies, their parents, and health care professionals who care for them for their views.
As Kim Leadbeater’s Bill on Assisted Dying enters debate in the Commons, it’s a timely moment to reflect on our attitudes to death and bereavement. 59% of adults in the UK believe society still doesn’t talk enough about death and dying (Ref 1), and many of us are unsure how to support someone who’s been bereaved (Ref 2).
Culturally appropriate women-centred interventions can help healthcare systems respond to domestic violence, research has found. HERA (Healthcare Responding to Violence and Abuse) has been co-developing and evaluating a domestic violence and abuse healthcare intervention in low- and middle-income countries for the past five years. This National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Research Group will report their findings, and publish a PolicyBristol report, at a conference in London today [27 November].
The Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) is associated with a small improvement in patient satisfaction and perceptions of access, according to a new study published in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP). However, the scheme did not improve outcomes in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF).
A play jointly developed and performed by public contributors and a community theatre team raised awareness of domestic abuse, according to a new paper published in Health Expectations. However, opinions were divided on whether it was also able to successfully disseminate messages about patient and public involvement (PPI) in research on sensitive subjects.
A new study has found that community pharmacies could play a significant role in expanding access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a highly effective pill for preventing HIV infection. The researchers found that pharmacies could provide a more convenient and discreet option for those who are underserved by the current model of PrEP delivery through sexual health clinics in England.
Having blood tests or getting blood test results can be worrying and sometimes confusing, especially if communication around them is poor. Dr Jess Watson, a GP and academic clinical lecturer at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, has been exploring how GPs and others working in general practice communicate with patients about blood tests to see if there might be ways of doing it better.
More must be done to raise awareness of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) according to a Coventry University-led study, conducted in collaboration with the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Leicester, Hertfordshire and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.
GPs could potentially use a psychosis risk prediction tool (P-risk) developed by researchers to detect whether their patients are at risk of experiencing psychosis. The University of Bristol team developed P-risk to help GPs identify at-risk patients as early as possible.
Pioneering local HIV programme Common Ambition Bristol has won the Commissioning for Patient Experience award at the 2024 Patient Experience Network National Awards.
Members of the public are invited to be part of a live Irish-style wake this week [Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 October] to explore how new digital technologies can influence the way we memorialise and remember loved ones.
A trial that showed a cheap and widely available prescription drug can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in patients seen in GP surgeries has been awarded Research Paper of the Year by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).
The Centre for Academic Primary Care/NIHR ARC West Bridging Gaps project and Liverpool’s Tackling Racial Inequalities in Health project are case studies in a new British Journal of General Practice (BJGP) paper. The analysis explores how people with lived experience can be centred and empowered in co-designing trauma-informed primary care services that address health inequalities.
Applications for the 2025 NIHR School for Primary Care Research funded doctoral programme for primary care clinicians are now open.
Following the success of last year’s inaugural Good Grief Weston, the festival returns to Weston-super-Mare in October for its second edition. This year’s event, taking place from 10 to 13 October, will also see the festival extending to communities in North Somerset in a varied, creative programme that aims to open up conversations around death and bereavement, with honesty, compassion, joy and sometimes with humour.
A new study by researchers at the University of Bristol has revealed differences in victims’ and perpetrators’ experiences of domestic abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conducted as part of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded REPROVIDE trial, which is evaluating a group-based programme for domestic abuse perpetrators, the research involved interviews with male perpetrators and female survivors.
Alastair Hay, a GP and Professor of Primary Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, has been elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP).
A team led by the University of Bristol has been awarded more than £1.4m to develop a point of care test for antibiotic resistant urinary tract infections from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Researchers from the University of Bristol and the Primary Care Academic Collaborative (PACT) reviewed how GPs action and communicate blood test results and found significant differences and gaps in how blood test results are managed in primary care across the UK. A new study published in BMJ Open Quality asked GPs from PACT to review the results of 2,572 patients who had had blood tests in April 2021.
From 3-5 July, we will be welcoming over 400 delegates from the UK and internationally to Bristol for this year’s Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) Annual Scientific Meeting. SAPC is the leading organisation championing academic primary care in the UK.
This week we celebrated the distinguished career of our esteemed colleague, Chris Salisbury, Professor of Primary Health Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator, who will be retiring at the end of the month.
Professor Gene Feder OBE, Professor of Primary Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, has been elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences’ respected and influential Fellowship. He joins 58 biomedical and health scientists selected for their exceptional contributions to the advancement of medical science.
The Game of Stones research study offered men £400 for losing weight.
A major clinical trial investigating whether GP use of rapid diagnostic tests for respiratory (chest) infections can reduce same-day antibiotic prescribing in primary care has completed recruitment early.
As part of the programme for this year’s Society for Academic Primary Care Annual Scientific Meeting (SAPC ASM), which we are hosting in Bristol on 3-5 July, we are inviting submissions for an art exhibition on the theme of water and health. Successful submissions will be displayed at the conference and online. There will be prizes of £150 for outstanding entries. Anyone is welcome to make a submission, including delegates to the conference.
Clinicians have found the ‘CHIldren with acute COugh’ (CHICO) intervention valuable in supporting decision-making around antibiotic prescribing and facilitating discussions with carers about concerns and treatment options, according to University of Bristol led research published in the British Journal of General Practice.
The University of Bristol is home to a new Centre for Applied Excellence in Skin and Allergy Research (CAESAR), which has been established to improve the diagnosis and treatment of common skin and allergy problems in primary care.
First-year University of Bristol PhD student, Anna Pathmanathan, is exploring respiratory health outcomes and antibiotic prescribing trends among different ethnicities. She shared information about her project during one of the People in Health West of England’s researcher coffee catch-ups.
Evidence on the effectiveness of knowledge sharing techniques and approaches in National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded research could be improved, according to a newly published systematic review, which was supported by the NIHR Dissemination and Knowledge Mobilisation team.
You can now register for this year’s Society for Academic Primary Care Annual Scientific Meeting (SAPC ASM) , which is being held at the University of Bristol on 3-5 July.
A new study exploring the use of repeat antibiotic prescriptions for the same respiratory tract infection (RTI) episode – known as repeat ‘within-episode’ prescriptions – in primary care has found high rates of their use in England, despite evidence that they are of little benefit. The study authors, from the Universities of Bristol and Bath, King’s College London, and University Medical Center Utrecht, are calling for a reduction in their use and to make them a target for antimicrobial stewardship interventions.
General practice teams changed their services to better include patients with severe and multiple disadvantage (SMD) after facilitated collaboration with people with lived experience according to a paper published in the British Journal of General Practice. Implementing these changes brought joy and satisfaction to general practice staff and increased connections with patients and community organisations.
A new toolkit to support cancer professionals to identify and respond to signs of domestic abuse in patients with cancer and their carers is being launched today [26 March]. The toolkit has been developed in partnership with the University of Bristol, Standing Together Against Domestic Abuse, and Macmillan Cancer Support.
A new clinical trial of a general practice programme to improve the identification and referral of men and children affected by domestic abuse begins in May thanks to a £2.2 million National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) award to University of Bristol researchers, in partnership with Oxford University and the social enterprise IRISi.
Applications are open for The National Institute for Health and Care Research School for Primary Care Research (NIHR SPCR) post-doctoral fellowships to start in October 2024.
Applications are invited from individuals with a strong academic record who want to develop a career in primary care research and are able to start a PhD September 2024. Applicants should have a first degree relevant to primary care research.
We have two exciting summer internship opportunities for UK undergraduates who are interested in primary care research. These are a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on experience conducting primary care research with experts in the field.
Sharing prescription medications is common and a public health concern, according to researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Sheffield, whose study investigating the behaviour was published in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP) today [20 February].
Blackpool, Weston-super-Mare and Hastings are focus areas under the scheme.
A detailed study of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) among young people in the UK has found that a ‘loneliness loop’ risks trapping young people in a repeating cycle of abuse. The University of Bristol-led research, which analysed survey data from 3,000 young people, recommends early intervention to prevent young people from experiencing IPVA.
Expanding the IRIS (Identification and Referral to Improve Safety) domestic abuse programme to include men and children and young people is both feasible and potentially cost-effective, University of Bristol researchers have found.
Applications for these part-time awards are invited from primary care clinicians with a strong academic record and a commitment to a career in academic primary care.
Updated 13 February 2024: Final call for abstracts for the Society for Academic Primary Care Annual Scientific Meeting (SAPC ASM) 2024. Deadline: 19 February 2024.
Patients experience uncertainty when following the traditional diagnostic pathway for coeliac disease, according to a study published in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP).
A four-part audio-drama, Tobias and Syd, launched earlier this year and inspired by University of Bristol and Durham University research, is currently ranked second in the Audio Fiction World Cup and is the top UK podcast.
A newly published randomised controlled trial (RCT) used an innovative trial design to rapidly roll out a behavioural intervention aimed at reducing infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the trial’s results, published in Implementation Science, found the Germ Defence website did not appear to reduce infections during the pandemic, they do show how trusted research environments (TREs) can be used to evaluate new treatments safely and quickly.
The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has awarded Fellowships to three Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) researchers: Professor Katrina Turner, Dr Jessica Watson and Dr Ciaran Conway.
A new intervention for men with urinary problems trialled across GP practices has shown a sustained reduction in symptoms. Findings from the University of Bristol-led Treating Urinary Symptoms in Men in Primary Healthcare (TRIUMPH) study, involving over 1,000 participants and 30 GP practices, have been published in the BMJ. The study was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
Six outstanding researchers have been awarded National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Professorships, including Professor Matthew Ridd from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol. They will carry out research which aims to positively impact people across the UK.
The implementation of trauma-informed approaches in UK healthcare requires policy commitment, leadership support and a solid evidence base.
University of Bristol-led research comparing the effectiveness and safety of different types of moisturiser for childhood eczema has won the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research Paper of the Year (RPY) Award 2022.
A cheap and widely available prescription drug can improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in patients seen in GP surgeries, new research presented today at United European Gastroenterology (UEG) Week 2023 has found.
The experiences of patients who sought help in general practice for domestic violence and abuse (DVA) during the COVID-19 pandemic have been revealed in a study by researchers at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol.
The National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research (NIHR SPCR) has launched its call for post-doctoral fellowships (previously known as launching fellowships) to start around April 2024.
A joint University of Bristol and Cardiff University study investigating experiences of end-of-life care and grief during the COVID-19 pandemic has been shortlisted by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for the prestigious ‘Celebrating Impact Prize 2023’.
Research into inflammatory marker testing has led to a reduction and rationalisation in their use by GPs in both Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) and the South West Peninsula. In BNSSG alone, data suggests the research saved the local NHS nearly £115,000 and GPs more than 600 hours a year. Further savings will have come from avoiding follow-on appointments for thousands of false positives.
Primary care data on more than 1.8 million adults with overweight or obesity found that only about 3 percent were referred to weight management interventions.
New research finds higher than expected rates of Prolonged Grief Disorder among the pandemic bereaved.
The Society for Academic Primary Care’s Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) rotates around member institutions annually. The 2024 Conference will be hosted by the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at the University of Bristol and will be held in the Wills Memorial Building on 3-5 July.
Eliciting patients’ Ideas, Concerns, Expectations and whether their medical problem or associated treatment has an Effect on their daily activities (ICEE) is widely recommended in patient-centred consulting in primary care. A new study, led by researchers at the Centre for Academic Primary, University of Bristol and published in BJGP Open, has found that, while most GP consultations included at least one ICEE component (90.2%), most of these were raised by patients rather than GPs.
A new app to access naloxone, the life-saving medicine to prevent an opioid overdose, is launched in Somerset today on International Overdose Awareness Day [31 August]. The app, which is supported by University of Bristol research, is the first-of-its kind in England.
GPs and academics at the University of Bristol have launched a new network to support GPs who work in the most deprived areas of Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG). The launch took place at an event at Engineers House in Bristol on 14 July.
An audit of blood tests in UK GP practices has found that 6.2% of test results led to a new diagnosis or confirmation of a diagnosis, and abnormal or borderline results were common with only around a quarter (26.6%) of patients having results in the normal range.
A University of Bristol Professor of Primary Health Care and an NIHR Senior Investigator has been awarded the George Abercrombie Award for his outstanding contributions to the literature of general practice.
From 1 to 8 May 2023, Good Grief Weston filled the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare with over thirty workshops, performances and grassroot community activities which aimed to open up conversations around death and bereavement.
Designing services with people who have experienced trauma can help make them more welcoming, accessible and supportive for those who might otherwise struggle to access healthcare, according to new research published in Health Expectations.
New research led by the University of Bristol aims to help GPs choose the best antibiotic for treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) and reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), thanks to a £3 million award by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
The detailed plans for how patient and public involvement (PPI) will be embedded in a primary care study have been published in the journal Research Involvement and Engagement.
Researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol supported by the NIHR Bristol Biomedical Research Centre have demonstrated that it is possible to conduct a full-size randomised controlled trial of a trauma-specific mindfulness course for women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a history of domestic abuse (DA).
Patients with newly diagnosed shingles are already taking part in the largest trial of its type in the world but even more patients are needed to help. The study, being run by the University of Bristol, wants to find out if the long-term pain caused by shingles that commonly persists after the rash has healed can be prevented.
A study, led by Southampton University and involving researchers from the University of Bristol's Centre for Academic Primary Care, has shown that a cheap and readily available drug, used to treat high blood pressure, could help the thousands of women who suffer from persistent acne.
Trauma-informed organisational change programmes may improve conditions for staff and patients in primary care and community mental healthcare, according to University of Bristol-led research published in Health & Social Care in the Community. Evidence was very limited and conflicting, but researchers found potential improvements to: staff readiness and sense of community, patient readiness for disease management and their access to services, staff and patient safety and some patient health outcomes.
Parents of young children with eczema are being asked to consider taking part in a major new food allergy study run by researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Manchester, and Southampton.
A large randomised controlled clinical trial of a complex intervention aimed at reducing antibiotic prescribing for children with respiratory tract infections in primary care found that the intervention, liked by GPs, neither reduced overall antibiotic prescribing nor increased hospital admissions.
To celebrate The King and Queen Consort’s historic Coronation, Dr Lucy Selman will join a Garden Party held in the grounds of Buckingham Palace tomorrow [Tuesday 9 May]. A tradition dating back to Queen Victoria, the Royal Family’s annual summer Garden Parties came to be closely associated with the late Queen Elizabeth II during her 70-year-reign.
Good Grief Festival, founded by Dr Lucy Selman, Associate Professor in Palliative and End of Life Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, has been shortlisted for a Demystifying Death Award 2023. The Awards recognise pioneering work that shines a light on death, dying and bereavement.
Good Grief Weston, Monday 1 to Monday 8 May 2023
Clinical guidelines about providing early support to patients with an at-risk mental state for psychosis might not be being met, suggests research published in Early Intervention in Psychiatry. Researchers at the NIHR Bristol BRC and the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol identified high thresholds for accessing treatment and limited treatment availability as barriers to successful guideline implementation.
We are delighted to be hosting the Primary Care Mental Health Research Conference in Bristol this year. This one day annual conference brings together researchers from academic primary care and mental health departments across the UK. This year, it will take place, in person, at Engineers’ House, Bristol, on 16 May.
Video recordings of talks and workshops from the ‘Boys at the Crossroads’ Conference held in Bristol last October are now available to view online.
A group of doctors and researchers looking at which tests should be used for monitoring patients with long-term conditions want to hear the views of health professionals working in primary care. The conditions being studied are type 2 diabetes, hypertension and chronic kidney disease.
A new festival that aims to open up conversations around death and bereavement will take place in May. Good Grief Weston will offer 30 workshops and events over eight days (Monday 1 to Monday 8 May) across more than 20 venues.
We have two exciting summer internship opportunities for UK undergraduates from medicine, allied health professions or other disciplines who are interested in primary care research. These are a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on experience conducting primary care research with experts in the field.
Applications are invited from individuals with a strong academic record who want to develop a career in primary care research and can start a PhD in October 2023.
Deadline: 1pm, 25 April 2023
Deadline: 1pm, 25 April 2023
Guidelines to speed up the diagnosis and treatment of patients with nerve swelling at the back of the eye, known as papilloedema, are being developed by researchers at the University of Bristol.
A new animation, co-produced by researchers at the University of Bristol, explains what a trauma-informed approach in healthcare is and how UK healthcare organisations can become trauma-informed to prevent re-traumatisation in services and improve experiences and outcomes for all.
A GP and leading primary health care academic at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol has urged health leaders to review public messaging that contributed to health care pressures in the wake of an upsurge in group A Streptococcus infections in the UK this winter.
Dr Barbara Caddick, a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, is one of 30 researchers who have been selected to take part in the GW4 Alliance Crucible 2023 Programme.
A new University of Bristol led study, TAP CARE GP, will investigate the gaps, enablers and obstacles to implementing a trauma-informed approach to service provision in UK general practice.
A new University of Bristol led study will investigate the benefits and challenges of remote consultations for patients with anxiety and depression in primary care.
The experiences of people from ethnic minority groups with NHS mental healthcare are being seriously undermined by failures to consider the everyday realities of people’s lives in services in the UK, reports a new study led by researchers at the University of Bristol and Keele University. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded study is published in PLOS Medicine today [13 December].
Over three quarters of acute NHS trusts in England (77%) do not have a child weight management service, despite being responsible for providing specialist services for the most severely obese, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Bristol and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
A new randomised controlled clinical trial, led by the University of Bristol, will investigate whether rapid microbiological ‘point-of-care’ tests for respiratory infections could reduce antibiotic prescribing in primary care, thanks to funding of £1.6 million by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). The tests, which are carried out in GP surgeries rather than sent to a laboratory, detect the presence of viruses and some bacteria, with results available on the same day.
GPs and care home staff see the Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) as positive and empowering for residents, according to an evaluation carried out by researchers at NIHR ARC West in collaboration with the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol and West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN).
A new wave of research projects, including a consortium-building initiative led by the University of Bristol, has been announced to investigate the role of community assets such as parks, galleries and creative organisations in improving health outcomes.
New research has shown there continue to be inequities in access to bereavement support in the UK. In particular, even though minoritised ethnic communities were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic overall, proportions of ethnically minoritised clients did not increase, according to bereavement services.
Giving patients online access to their GP health records has unintended consequences that can limit its usefulness, an ARC West and University of Bristol Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) study published in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP) has shown.
Clinical academics at the University of Bristol have called for the effective regulation of private companies who sell blood tests directly to patients.
Closing date: 2 November 2022
Deadline: 27 October 2022
New findings from one of the largest ever consultations on bereavement support in the UK have been published today by the UK Commission on Bereavement (UKCB). The research, which involved University of Bristol academics, shows around 750,000 excess bereavements occurred during the pandemic in the UK.
Confidential online survey open
Since its launch in 2020, the virtual Good Grief Festival, founded by Dr Lucy Selman, Associate Professor in Palliative and End of Life Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, has reached over 25,000 people. Speakers and participants have come from all walks of life, including academia, journalism, medicine, sport, politics and the arts, united in sharing their knowledge and experiences of grief.
People at risk of heart disease are more likely to be prescribed relevant medications if they see the same GP over time (known as continuity of care) but not more likely to take their medications (known as adherence), according to researchers at the University of Bristol.
Regular review of treatment plans for patients on long-term antidepressants, recommend researchers
Free webinar: Wednesday, 9 November 2022, 12-1pm, via Zoom
While a trauma-informed approach in health care is being endorsed in government and NHS policies, its implementation has been driven by trauma experts at the level of organisations and local authorities, finds a new study led by the University of Bristol’s TAP CARE Study team. A coordinated, evidence-informed government and NHS position statement, guidance, and explicit commitment are needed alongside UK evidence on the effectiveness and acceptability of trauma-informed approaches in health care.
Online: 17 October 2022, 1:30-4:30pm
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funding a definitive follow-on trial to TEST (Trial of Eczema allergy Screening Tests), which investigated the feasibility of evaluating the use of routine food allergy tests for the control of childhood eczema.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) INCLUDE project found that many groups in the UK are under-served by clinical trials. To help address this, Dr Shoba Dawson from the University of Bristol and Professor Shaun Treweek from the University of Aberdeen, in collaboration with colleagues in other UK and Irish universities (for a full list, see below), have produced guidance on recruiting and retaining people from ethnic minority groups in randomised clinical trials.
Researchers from the University of Bristol, in partnership with Bristol Young Men’s Network, are inviting professionals working with boys and young men to contribute to a conference around masculinity, violence and mental health.
A lack of clear systems for communicating test results in primary care can lead to confusion, frustration and anxiety for patients and potential delays in diagnosis and treatment, according to research published in the British Journal of General Practice today [12 July 2022].
Dr Jessica Watson, NIHR Clinical Lecturer in General Practice at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, is joint winner of this year’s Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) Doctoral prize.
A new project to build community leadership among communities that are often under-represented in health research has been given a £10k boost.
Hard Evidence, a performance piece about two women affected by domestic abuse, their journey of mutual support, newfound confidence, and the empowering effect of public involvement in research is going on tour in Bristol. It has also secured evaluation funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Bristol BRC) Director’s Fund.
A newly funded project, led by the Centre for Academic Primary Care and NIHR ARC West, will evaluate how Changing Futures in Bristol can provide more trauma-informed support for people with multiple disadvantages.
Child sex abuse victims whose cases are going through the criminal justice process, are going through the trial alone or faced with on average a two and a half year wait to access pre-trial therapy, according to one of the findings from a new Home Office-funded report led by University of Bristol researchers.
A major community-powered project in Bristol is set to launch an outreach programme to address HIV stigma and increase testing among people of African and Caribbean heritage.
Professor Sarah Purdy is one of two University of Bristol academics to receive awards in the Queen's Birthday Honours list which recognises the outstanding achievements and service of people across the UK, in celebration of Her Majesty’s unprecedented 70 years of service.
Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) could be identified in the future using an already established national database of serious injuries, according to new University of Bristol-led research. The pilot study, published in Injury Prevention [26 May], developed a method to identify DVA victim-survivors from hospital records.
The Best Emollients for Eczema trial has found that no one type of moisturiser is better than another. This study, the first in the world to directly compare different types of moisturisers, highlights the importance of patient education and choice when deciding which moisturisers to use for children with eczema. The results from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded study are published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health and British Journal of General Practice today [24 May].
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) affects half a million children and young people every year. In Bristol alone, it is estimated that 13,000 children and young people are currently living with experiences of sexual abuse. In the first event of its kind, University of Bristol researchers and The Green House, Bristol’s only specialist provider of therapeutic support, are collaborating to stage a Festival to support survivors. The Beyond Therapy Festival of Activism Against Child Sexual Abuse will be held on Thursday 19 May at the Watershed.
Using inhaled antibiotics to treat lower respiratory tract infections could help reduce antimicrobial resistance, according to researchers from the University of Bristol and University of Bath.
New University of Bristol-led research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Maastricht, the Netherlands (4-7 May), has found that just three per cent of adults with a recording of overweight or obesity in England are referred to weight management programmes by their GP.
New research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Maastricht, the Netherlands (4-7 May), has found that many parents attending commercial weight management programmes would be happy for their child, if overweight, to also receive support to reach a healthier weight.
Researchers from the University of Bristol have found that there have been increases in incident prescribing of most anti-anxiety medications (called anxiolytics) in recent years, which have been substantial in young adults (aged under 25).
We have two exciting summer 2022 internship opportunities for UK undergraduates from medicine, allied health professions or other disciplines who are interested in primary care research. These are a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on experience conducting primary care research with experts in the field.
Researchers from the University of Bristol are recruiting patients with newly diagnosed shingles into a new study, to see if they can prevent the long-term pain which commonly persists after the rash has healed.
Grief effects everyone but is still very much a taboo subject in the UK. A new research project - Good Grief Connects - led by the University of Bristol aims to change society’s attitude towards grief, death and dying thanks to funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK.
Researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care have conducted a systematic review of the evidence for the use of herbal mistletoe as a complementary therapy. They found gaps, biases and weaknesses in the research but concluded that further research for its use in cancer patients is warranted.
Domestic abuse is expected to rise over Christmas and New Year, but men who worry the holiday season could trigger them to be abusive at home can now find help. Barnardo's, who are partners on the REPROVIDE study, are offering men a 23-week support programme designed to change abusive behaviour and make families happier, safer places.
Online GP consultations have unintended consequences that may put some patients at a disadvantage and create additional work for GP practice staff, a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-funded study at the University of Bristol has shown. The DECODE study, published in the British Journal of General Practice, examined the use of online consultations in primary care to improve how they will be used in the future.
Wednesday, 26 January 2022, 12:00-13:00, via Zoom
International guidelines developed to help doctors diagnose cow’s milk allergy may lead to over-diagnosis, according to University of Bristol-led research published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Allergy today [8 December]. The study found that three-quarters of infants have two or more symptoms at some point in the first year of life which guidelines say may be caused by cow’s milk allergy, yet the condition only affects one in 100.
A new project will investigate why blood tests are requested in primary care and how the results are managed. The project, Why Test?, is a collaboration between the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, the Primary Care Academic Collaborative (PACT) and NIHR ARC West.
Pharmacies could play a crucial role in identifying and referring victims of domestic and sexual violence and abuse to specialist services but need ongoing training, support and adequate funding to do so, according to researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol and National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West).
Nose swab samples collected by parents are as good as those collected by nurses at detecting respiratory infections in children, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol published in the journal Microbiology Spectrum today [10 November].
Next week (9 and 12 November) sees the premiere of a new theatre piece written by two women with experience of domestic abuse, supported by Ingrid Jones from acta community theatre in Bristol. The performance is a collaboration with researchers from the National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR Bristol BRC) and the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol.
A major new randomised controlled trial will investigate the effectiveness of air filtration systems in preventing respiratory infections (such as coughs, colds and flu) and COVID-19 among care home residents in England. The AFRI-c (Air Filters to Prevent Respiratory Infections including COVID-19 in Care Homes) study, which received funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), is led by researchers at the University of Bristol.
The research day will be held on 29 November 2021, 9.30-4.30, in person at Engineer's House, Bristol BS8 3NB.
Bristol Rovers, Bath City FC and Newport’s County In The Community, three of the region’s leading football clubs and charitable organisations, are teaming up with University of Bristol researchers to back #ChangeChampions — a new domestic abuse campaign aimed at supporting men who want to change their behaviour in relationships with women.
A study that demonstrated the ‘real world’ effectiveness (outside a clinical trial) of IRIS, a specialist domestic violence and abuse training, support and referral programme for general practice teams, has won the 2020 Royal College of General Practitioners’ Research Paper of the Year award.
Professor Trevor Thompson, Head of Primary Care Teaching at the Centre for Academic Primary (CAPC) Care, Bristol Medical School, is co-author of the winning paper in the Royal College of General Practitioners’ 2020 Paper of the Year Medical Education category.
When people stop taking antidepressants after a long period of use, just over half (56 per cent) experience a relapse within a year, compared to 39 per cent of those who stay on medication, finds a new study led by UCL and involving researchers from the universities of Bristol, Southampton, York and McMaster University in Canada.
The largest randomised placebo-controlled trial of the antibiotic amoxicillin for treating chest infections in children, one of the most common acute illnesses treated in primary care in developed countries, has found it is little more effective at relieving symptoms than the use of no medication. The study, published in The Lancet, was led by researchers from the University of Southampton and supported by centres at the Universities of Bristol, Oxford and Cardiff.
Dr Natalia Lewis has been awarded a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) post-doctoral fellowship of £145K. Natalia is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol and part of the influential Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse and Health group led by Professor Gene Feder.
Good Grief Festival returns this October 30th and 31st with a packed programme of 30 free events. The ‘virtual festival of love and loss’ explores the universal human experience of grief through panel discussions, conversations and workshops. The festival that started just one year ago has already attracted over 20,000 people to its events.
The event is online on Monday 18 October 2021, from 1-4pm. It's open to anyone interested in hearing about REACH or contributing to the future of urgent and emergency care research.
New research has highlighted the experiences of those who were bereaved during the pandemic and found that two thirds (67%) experienced social isolation and loneliness, with bereaved partners and people bereaved due to Covid-19 at particular risk of social isolation and loneliness. Those bereaved due to Covid-19 were also less likely to be involved in care decisions and be well supported by healthcare professionals after the death of their loved one.
Hard Evidence, a new theatre production developed in collaboration with acta, shines light on how getting involved with research empowered women who have experienced domestic abuse to support others.
GP practices working in areas of deprivation in Bristol are warmly invited to a webinar to launch the MaPP Study (MaxWELL in Pilot Practices) on 12 October 2021 from 18:30 to 19.30.
General practices creatively and rapidly adjusted the way they operate during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue face-to-face contact for patients who needed it most, research by the Centre for Academic Primary Care and NIHR ARC West at the University of Bristol has shown.
GPs frequently do not document spoken safety-netting advice – advice given to patients about what to do if symptoms change or worsen – according to researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care. This could lead to higher medico-legal risk in the event of an untoward incident, they warn.
A new study called ATHENA will find out if a medicine called amitriptyline can prevent pain after shingles.
Personalised care, which aims to give people more say in their healthcare, and Digital First Primary Care, a move towards remote consulting, are both important NHS England policies, but they can be in tension. A new report aims to explore this tension and understand how remote consulting could be best set up to support personalised care. The report was commissioned by the NHS Personalised Care Institute and was conducted by researchers from the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West) and the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at the University of Bristol.
Continuous, risk-based peer review of out-of-hours GP consultations may help identify and reduce unnecessary variation in how patients with the same problems are treated, a new study published in the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP) has found.
The University of Bristol has featured the work of the Domestic Violence and Health Research Group at the Centre for Academic Primary Care on its new multimedia platform showcasing research that has had significant social impact.
The way GPs record anxiety in patient records could be leading to a reduction in formal anxiety diagnoses, new research from the University of Bristol has found. Anxiety disorders are common in the UK, with the level of anxiety symptoms being recorded by GPs increasing between 1998 and 2008. However, studies have shown that the recording of anxiety disorders decreased in the same period.
Funded with a £7 million UKPRP grant, the five-year data analysis project aims to reduce harms caused by violence.
A research team led by the MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics (MRC CNGG) at Cardiff University and involving researchers from the University of Bristol has received significant funding for an international collaborative project.
We have three exciting 4-week internship opportunities for UK undergraduates from medicine or other disciplines who are interested in primary care research this summer. These are a fantastic opportunity to get hands-on experience conducting primary care research with experts in the field.
We welcome applications for this year's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research funded PhD Fellowship here at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol.
Primary care is the first port of call when we have a health problem or concern. It includes GPs, pharmacists, dentists and opticians. At the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, we want to make primary care better for everyone through our research. To do this we need members of the public to help us shape our research. We’ve launched a new animated video that explains what primary care is and how you can get involved.
New guidance for GPs and other health professionals on how to interpret and communicate results from Lateral Flow Device (LFDs) tests based on the current understanding of the tests’ performance is published in the BMJ. Researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, and Trinity College Dublin have devised a calculator which aims to help doctors, who are increasingly asked by patients what they should do after receiving their results, to better advise patients on what their LFD test result means.
In usual times, women experiencing domestic abuse reach out to those around them for support, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated social restrictions have made this more difficult to do. New research has found friends, family, neighbours and colleagues (informal supporters) used creative ways to keep in touch with and continue offering support to domestic abuse survivors.
A significant new research programme will investigate factors linked to the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced young people during two transition periods: moving from primary to secondary school and moving from adolescence into adulthood.
New research has highlighted the difficulties and distress people experienced when trying to get support after the death of a loved one during the pandemic, with more than half of people (51%) experiencing high or severe vulnerability in their grief and those seeking support facing long waiting lists or being told they are ineligible.
The READY study, launched today, will evaluate how paramedics support GPs and whether they can help reduce GP workloads.
Researchers at the University of Bristol are looking for men to take part in a National Institute for Health Research funded study that uses text messages to help men lose weight and keep it off.
The number of patients aged over 50 reporting possible cancer symptoms to their GPs fell during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, a study at the University of Bristol has found. The reduction in reporting was most pronounced for common symptoms, which rarely indicate cancer. It was also significant for ‘alarm’ symptoms, which are more likely to indicate cancer in older age groups, though most of the time they don’t.
Dr Shoba Dawson, a Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, has won a Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)/Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award.
There is an important absence of evidence regarding the effectiveness of a potentially cost-efficient intervention to prevent indoor transmission of respiratory infections, including COVID-19, warns a study by researchers at the University of Bristol.
Health Education England e-Learning for Healthcare (HEE e-LfH) in partnership with the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol, University of Southampton, University of Oxford, and University College London are delighted to launch a new antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) out of hours e-learning programme.
The NIHR has announced the fourth phase of the School for Primary Care Research (SPCR), with a refreshed membership and a new focus on supporting the full spectrum of primary care research and building research capacity. The Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol has been confirmed as one of the nine member institutions.
Incidence of domestic abuse may have doubled in some countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests a British Medical Journal (BMJ) editorial by Prof Gene Feder from the University of Bristol, colleagues in Brazil and Nepal, and the CEO of IRISi, a social enterprise in the UK domestic violence sector. The editorial highlights the need for improved access to support services and ‘safe spaces’ due to the global rise in calls to domestic abuse hotlines and in police incident reports.
Even though COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out, it is still important to try to reduce the spread of infection in the home. During restrictions, infections are most likely to be transmitted in households. Research has shown people who follow the advice from the Germ Defence website are less likely to catch flu or other viruses and less likely to pass it on to members of their household.
Children's author Michael Rosen, rap artist Guvna B, and comedians James Acaster, Seann Walsh and Ed Gamble are just some of the speakers and artists who will take part in this month's Good Grief Festival [Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 March].
A rapid microbiological point-of-care test to diagnose respiratory infections has proved popular with GPs and could reduce antibiotic prescribing in primary care, according to a National Institute for Health Research funded study by researchers at the Centre for Academic Primary Care and NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Behavioural Science and Evaluation, University of Bristol.
Professor John Macleod, joint Head of the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol and Director of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) West, is one of 31 academics in the UK to be awarded Senior Investigator status by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in 2021.
Marta Lewandowska, a deputy practice manager from Leicester delivered the winning pitch in the Primary Care Academic Collaborative (PACT) Dragons’ Den at the Royal College of General Practitioners’ (RCGP) ‘Fresh Approach to General Practice’ conference in February.
As COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out, and a roadmap for unlocking Britain is announced, new research which looked at data from over 28,000 users of the website 'Germ Defence' since May 2020 highlights the continued, critical importance of breaking chains of virus transmission within our homes.
A new study, led by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care in collaboration with colleagues in Queen Mary University of London, UCL, University of Oxford and IRISi will explore whether and how GP referrals to domestic abuse services have changed during the coronavirus pandemic.
What is long COVID and how can diagnosis be improved? Using data from electronic health records at a national scale alongside information from thousands of participants in the UK's population-based cohort studies, these and other questions will be tackled following today's [18 February] announcement of a nationwide long COVID study led by University College London (UCL). The study will include Bristol’s Children of the 90s health study, based at the University of Bristol.
Good Grief Festival - a virtual festival exploring the many faces of grief - will return to our screens next month [Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 March]. The festival has a programme of over 70 speakers and 50 free online events to help the many thousands of people in the UK and across the world who are grieving.
The Centre for Academic Primary Care in partnership with NIHR ARC West and IRISi are launching IRIS ADViSE programme and commissioning prospectus (PDF) on 24 March 2021 at a webinar at 10-11am. IRIS ADViSE (Assessing for Domestic Violence and Abuse in Sexual Health Environments) is an initiative that supports sexual health staff to identify and respond to patients affected by domestic violence and abuse (DVA), helping to refer them on to specialist services.
One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the rapid move to telephone, video and online GP consultations. In a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded study, researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol and NIHR ARC West found that while the rapid shift to remote GP consulting was successful and maintained a focus on vulnerable patients, it was driven by necessity and may have risks.
GPs are in a good position to identify patients who are at risk of developing psychosis. However, it is not always easy for them to do so. In a recent study of the possible barriers, researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care and Centre for Academic Mental Health found that not all GPs were familiar with the concept of being ‘at risk of developing psychosis’ and some felt they would benefit from further training in identifying patients who might fall into this group.
Many GPs believe that their consultations are increasingly complex and demanding, thanks to changes in the population and greater expectations of what GPs should do within a 10-minute consultation. Researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care and the University of Oxford have developed and validated a new measure of complexity in primary care, which could help with allocating resources based on the practice population’s level of need.
Street sex workers may require trauma treatment in combination with specialised drug treatment groups, a Bristol study has suggested. Trauma treatment is not usually readily available to sex workers, but the feasibility of offering this as part of a drug treatment service designed specifically for them was tested in the University of Bristol and NIHR ARC West’s DUSSK study.
A major new project is inviting people to its virtual launch event, to find out more about how it will be working with people of African and Caribbean heritage to tackle HIV infections and stigma in these communities in Bristol and the surrounding area.
Respiratory infections in children are common and often result in a trip to the GP. Researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care and the Universities of York, Manchester and Oxford have developed a symptoms-based guide for clinicians that could in future help parents decide when to home care and when to seek medical help.
Nurse-led telephone management of patients with chlamydia and gonorrhoea could provide a better service for patients and reduce GP workloads, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol and NIHR ARC West published in BMC Family Practice.
Behavioural psychologists behind the app Germ Defence are reminding people of the simple things we can do at home to help reduce infection spread at Christmas.
Domestic violence and health experts from the University of Bristol are urging men in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gwent (South Wales) to get in touch if they are worried about being abusive or controlling in their relationships with women.
In a year that has seen a national outpouring of grief, Good Grief Festival took place online in October, with 12,000 people tuning in to 60 events over three days. Funded by the Wellcome Trust, and supported by the University of Bristol and Cruse Bereavement Care, the festival’s aim was to help people to better understand grief and loss, and engage with research and scholarship in this area, through a diverse programme of talks, webinars and workshops.
Young men’s voices in research about domestic violence are not often heard. Researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Lancaster would like to speak to young men aged between 18 and 25, in confidence, about their experiences of domestic violence when growing up and/or about violence they may have experienced or instigated in their own intimate partner relationships.
Urgent call for more bereaved men and people from ethnic minority backgrounds to take part in the study and share their experiences
The REPROVIDE study is testing a group intervention to help men who are violent or abusive in their relationships with women. We are looking for the support of agencies who work with families affected by domestic violence to refer men who are willing to participate in the study.
With Covid-19 infections still high and people preparing for Christmas gatherings, it is vitally important to try to reduce the spread of infection in people’s homes as this is where infections are now most likely to be transmitted. Research suggests people who follow the advice from Germ Defence are less likely to catch flu or other viruses and less likely to pass it on to members of their household.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the point-of-care testing industry was investing millions of pounds to develop rapid tests to tell us the cause of respiratory infections. The pandemic has accelerated this process. In an editorial published in the British Journal of General Practice today [17 November], researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care ask if we know enough about these tests to merit their widespread use in primary care.
A major new clinical trial led by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care and Centre for Academic Mental Health will develop and evaluate a new way of delivering Cognitive Behavioural therapy (CBT) for patients with depression.
Women who experience sexual violence combined with other forms of intimate partner violence suffer greater damage to their health and are much more likely to attempt suicide, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care published in the International Journal of Epidemiology today [12 November 2020].
Findings from new research into the efforts and costs of informal palliative care across UK, Ireland and USA.
A major three-year-project is to launch in Bristol to work with people of African and Caribbean heritage to increase HIV testing and awareness and reduce the stigma of the virus.
PACT - the Primary Care Academic Collaborative - is running its first national call for a grassroots research project this Autumn, culminating in a Dragon's Den at the 2021 Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) conference.
CPD credits available through the Federation of the Royal College of Physicians
The University of Bristol and UWE Bristol have joined forces with health care partners in the city to set up a collaborative research hub to improve the delivery of emergency care in Bristol and the surrounding area. The new hub, Research in Emergency Care, Avon Collaborative Hub (REACH), was launched on Friday, 9 October.
The final report from a study that monitored changes in general practice during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic reveals how staff have coped and how consultations with patients have changed. The report, by researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol and NIHR ARC West, analysed data gathered between April and July 2020.
The Centre for Academic Primary Care has a successful GP Academic Clinical Fellow (ACF) training programme. Two or three posts are funded by both National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Severn Postgraduate Medical Education (Severn PGME) each year. Applications are now open for ACF posts commencing in August 2021.
A free online festival exploring the many faces of grief will take place for the first time this October (30th to November 1st), reaching thousands of people all over the UK. Broadcast from a studio in Bristol, Good Grief will include 70 events exploring the universal human experience of grief through panel discussions, conversations, interactive workshops and webinars.
Researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol and NIHR ARC West have been awarded £1.2 million by the National Institute for Health Research to review and evaluate the use of blood tests in primary care.
A new free online festival exploring the many faces of grief will launch in Bristol from 30 October to 1 November, reaching thousands of people all over the UK. Broadcast from a studio in Bristol, Good Grief, founded by the Centre for Academic Primary Care's Dr Lucy Selman, will bring over 100 speakers together to help people to better understand and process grief and loss at this time of global crisis.
Researchers from the Marie Curie Palliative Care Research Centre in Cardiff and the University of Bristol's Centre for Academic Primary Care have looked to 9/11 and other mass death events for approaches to support people bereaved through COVID-19.
Relationships between GPs and patients are changing. It is becoming more difficult for patients to see their preferred GP. In a study by researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care, patients reported that, regardless of whether they were able to see the same GP or not, what they most wanted is to be trusted and respected by their GP.
Researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care are leading a study to inform the development of a UK-specific trauma-informed model of care that will help GPs and community mental health professionals care more sensitively for patients.
The Hepatitis C Assessment Through to Treatment Trial (HepCATT) investigated a multi-part intervention to increase the identification and treatment of patients with hepatitis C in primary care. We are sharing the learning from this trial to support the implementation of the NHS England Hepatitis C Virus Elimination Initiative in Primary Care.
Social distancing measures introduced by the UK government to reduce the spread of coronavirus have been most effective in areas of high population density, according to research by Dr Peter Tammes from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care.
Patients with advanced heart failure and their carers have collaborated with clinicians and researchers to identify a top 10 list of questions for advanced heart failure research. The project was led by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care. Details of the project and the priority questions have been published in the journal Open Heart today [30 June].
The creation of a social enterprise company IRISi, which helps survivors of domestic violence and abuse get specialist help, has won a national award.
The REPROVIDE study, led by Professor Gene Feder at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care, is one of two studies to have been awarded Urgent Public Health Research national priority status by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) today [3 June].
A study by academics at the University of Bristol has found reductions in overall and individual antibiotic dispensing between 2013 and 2016 after evaluating, for the first time, national primary care prescribing policy on community antibiotic resistant infection.
The rapid redeployment of the infection control website ‘Germ Defence’ in response to COVID-19 can play an important role in changing people’s behaviours and cutting infection, say researchers.
A new study by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care will link hospital and GP practice data to identify patients who are most at risk of harm from coronavirus.
A paper published in the BMJ today argues that since most people with Covid-19 are cared for at home, it may be important to try to protect the people caring for them by limiting how much virus they come in contact with, the ‘viral load'.
A training programme that teaches GPs how to identify domestic violence and abuse (DVA) victims has led to a 30-fold increase in DVA referrals, according to a collaborative study of 205 general practices led by Queen Mary University of London, in partnership with the Centre for Academic Primary Care, Bristol Medical School.
A new project led by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care will collect intelligence about the demands on GP practices, the challenges, and the creative solutions practices have developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This information will be used to support GP practices more effectively.
A new partnership led by the University of Bristol that will join up data and improve patient care in the South West has been announced by Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) today [29 April]. The HDR UK Better Care South West Partnership is being awarded £1.2 million over three years to drive forward data-led research projects and join up the region’s considerable health data expertise.
Researchers at the Centre for Academic Primary Care are supporting the local applied research community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is being co-ordinated by NIHR ARC West.
A statement from Professor John Macleod and Dr Katrina Turner, Joint Heads of the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at the University of Bristol.
Women who have experienced domestic violence and abuse (DVA) often develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which includes reliving traumatic events through nightmares and disturbing memories. Researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol and Bristol Biomedical Research Centre have adapted a standard mindfulness course for depression to address the special needs of DVA survivors with PTSD and are piloting it in a small-scale study.
The University of Bristol's Centre for Academic Primary Care is hosting the 2020 South West Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) conference in Bristol today and tomorrow (5-6 March). The conference is being held in The Bristol Hotel on Bristol's harbourside. It is the annual gathering of primary health care researchers from across the South West region and Wales.
The first UK clinical trial to increase the identification and treatment of hepatitis C (HCV) patients in primary care has been found to be effective, acceptable to staff and highly cost-effective for the NHS. The University of Bristol-led Hepatitis C Assessment to Treatment Trial (HepCATT), published in the British Medical Journal today [27 February], provides robust evidence of effective action GPs should take to increase HCV testing and treatment.
Using moisturisers on newborn babies does not prevent eczema as previously thought, according to a major new study.
Researchers are looking for men who are concerned that they are, or have been, abusive in their relationships with women to take part in a new study that will help improve how we support men in changing their behaviour.
GPs and pharmacists work best together when they understand and value one another’s expertise, according to a new study by researchers at the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol.
The Cambridge Multimorbidity Score is a new method for measuring multiple long-term health conditions amongst primary care patients, intended to help healthcare planners trying to respond to the needs of patients with multiple health conditions, or multimorbidity. It outperforms the most commonly used current measure, called the Charlson index.
Last night (Thursday 30 January) IRISi had the honour of attending the Voscurs and accepting the Partnership Award for the Bristol & South Gloucestershire IRIS Partnership.
Three papers by researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) were in the top five of the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP) top 10 most read papers in 2019.
Patients in GP surgeries in Bristol are being invited to take part in a large trial of low-dose amitriptyline for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) led by researchers from the universities of Bristol, Leeds and Southampton.
Applications are invited for a 12-month launching fellowship from individuals with a strong academic record who wish to develop a career in primary care research.
Local organisations invited to take part
Doctors should avoid co-prescribing benzodiazepines to opioid dependent patients who are being treated with methadone or buprenorphine, also known as opioid agonist treatment (OAT), due to a three-fold increase in risk of overdose death, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Bristol.
Dr Rupert Payne, Consultant Senior Lecturer in Primary Health Care at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, has been awarded a Fellowship from the British Pharmacological Society. Fellows are members who have “demonstrated distinction and peer recognition in pharmacology.”
Women who spend longer periods of their early lives in less affluent neighbourhoods are at greater risk of experiencing violence during their early adulthoods at the hands of their intimate partners, finds a new study published in Epidemiology.
Safety netting advice is used in almost two-thirds of consultations but GPs vary in how they use it and documentation rates are poor, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care.
A new study by researchers at the Centre for Academic Primary Care and the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Evaluation of Interventions at the University of Bristol will review and evaluate the electronic test results services currently offered to patients in general practice across England, in order to understand what works well, for whom, in what circumstances and why.
This two-day annual conference will be held in Bristol on 4-5 March 2020.
PACT stands for the Primary Care Academic CollaboraTive – a UK-wide network of enthusiastic primary care health professionals that collectively design and take part in well thought out research that seeks to improve patient care. Researchers at the University of Bristol are in the early stages of setting up PACT and hope to launch the first project in January 2020.
Registration now open. Abstract deadline: 8 November 2019.
Toolkit aims to share good practice underpinned by evidence
Researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) have scooped awards at this year’s Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Annual Conference.
Research showing that one of the most widely used treatments for childhood eczema is not helpful has been awarded the 2019 Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research Paper of the Year award.
The Centre for Academic Primary Care has a very successful GP Academic Clinical Fellow (ACF) training programme. Two or three posts are funded by both National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and Severn Postgraduate Medical Education (Severn PGME) each year. Applications are now open for ACF posts commencing in August 2020.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in the South West is driving forward groundbreaking research to understand the experiences and needs of children affected by domestic violence and abuse and looking at innovative ways of delivering support.
We are proud to be hosting the South West Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) regional meeting in 2020. The call for abstracts is now open.
One of the most common antidepressants, sertraline, leads to an early reduction in anxiety symptoms, commonly found in depression, several weeks before any improvement in depressive symptoms, a clinical trial involving researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care and Centre for Academic Mental Health at the University of Bristol has found.
An NHS scheme to give every patient aged 75 and over in England a named GP responsible for their care has failed to deliver hoped-for improvements, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care.
Children and young people’s experiences of domestic violence and abuse are diverse and complex and need a tailored response from professionals, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care.
Health researchers in the west country have been given a £9 million award from the Government’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to enable them to tackle the area’s most pressing health problems. The funding will enable new research projects including forecasting demand in hospitals, increasing people’s physical activity levels, supporting people who self-harm and improving outcomes for children in care.
Researchers at the Universities of Bristol and Southampton have started a new clinical trial that will investigate whether a drug called spironolactone can help improve acne in women. They are looking for women with acne aged 18 and over in Bristol to take part.
The programme for the 7th International Meeting on Conversation Analysis & Clinical Encounters (#CACE2019) is available now. This three-day international meeting will be held at Engineers’ House in Bristol on 8-10 July.
Blood tests that detect inflammation, known as inflammatory marker tests, are not sensitive enough to rule out serious underlying conditions and GPs should not use them for this purpose, according to researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Exeter and the National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West (NIHR CLAHRC West).
A telephone outreach programme to encourage people from more deprived and minority ethnic communities to attend an NHS Health Check was well received by patients researchers from the University of Bristol's Centre for Academic Primary Care and NIHR CLAHRC West research has shown. The research also showed GP practice staff valued outreach workers’ specialised communication skills and highlighted how changes to the programme could make it more successful.
Guidelines used by GPs to monitor chronic diseases are based on expert opinion rather than evidence, according to a review of the guidelines by National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) researchers at the University of Bristol. The review, published today [13 June 2019] in the British Medical Journal, looked at guidelines for chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, which are monitored through a range of tests in GP surgeries.
Local doctors and academics from the University of Bristol will be joined by one of the country's bestselling authors to encourage people in Bristol to be braver when it comes to discussing death, at an event today [13 June] at Arnos Vale Cemetery in Bristol.
Men who experience domestic violence and abuse face significant barriers to getting help and access to specialist support services, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care and Centre for Gender and Violence Research published in BMJ Open today.
A new Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) dermatology toolkit has been launched to help primary care teams, including GPs and nurses, care for patients suffering from a range of skin problems.
One-off training sessions for GPs are not enough to increase rates of HIV testing in general practice and greater support is needed, according to researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care and National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Evaluation of Interventions published in BMC Family Practice.
A new study, led by the Domestic Violence and Health research group at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care, will examine how a behaviour change programme for men who cause harm to their partners, ex-partners and children works, and how the men account for and explain their behaviour.
Are health care services accessible to street sex workers and meeting their needs? Help us find out.
New study will explore how communication between patients and out-of-hours practitioners can influence prescribing in cases of common infections.
A new study, DECODE (unexpecteD consEquenCes Of Digital hEalth), is aiming to improve how digital health tools are used in primary care by identifying and understanding their unexpected consequences for patients, GPs and practice staff.
This two-day international meeting will be held at Engineers’ House in Bristol on 3-4 June. It will be of interest to academics from any discipline and at different stages of their careers. Attendees can register for one or both days.
Researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol have won the best poster prize at this year’s South West Society for Academic Primary Care (SW SAPC) conference in Southampton.
Applications are invited for a 12-month launching fellowship from individuals with a strong academic record who wish to develop a career in primary care research.
We are excited to announce that the Palliative and End of Life Care Research Group has been formally recognised by the University of Bristol.
This three-day international conference will be held at Engineers’ House in Bristol on 8-10 July.
Visa restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on doctors in the Palestinian diaspora, and on other international clinical academics wishing to travel to Palestine to share their expertise, are having a serious impact on the further development of Palestinian health care, according to senior medics in a letter published in the Lancet today.
Professor Alastair Hay from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care is one of 46 academics in the UK to be awarded Senior Investigator status by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in 2019.
We need GPs to help researchers at the University of Bristol design a new app that could help track response to therapy.
Parents generally tend to consider their child more unwell than GPs and use different factors to judge symptom severity, according to researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care in a study published in the British Journal of General Practice today [12 March].
Today [Friday 8 March] International Women’s Day [IWD 2019] is celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women but worldwide, domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is still experienced by almost one in three women. It has become a major public health issue, with profound physical and mental health impact. A research project by the University of Bristol, funded by AXA Research Fund, aims to develop resources that will help informal groups, such as friends and family, support women who experience domestic violence.
Study is first UK trial to test efficacy of therapy on medical students
Professor Alastair Hay, from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care, has responded to new research on when and how GPs should prescribe antibiotics for common infections in an editorial published in The British Medical Journal (BMJ) today (Wednesday, 27 February).
Depression is common in older age and with an ageing population how late-life depression is managed will become increasingly important. Researchers from the University of Bristol and University College London (UCL) suggest mental health in later life should be given greater priority by healthcare professionals.
GPs and pharmacists struggle to find the time to involve patients in medication reviews, despite National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance advising them to do so, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care.
Children’s respiratory infection symptoms, including runny nose, dry cough and sore throat, can seem never-ending. Researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care have found that it can take up to three weeks for 90 per cent of children’s respiratory infection symptoms to resolve, with one in 12 parents seeking help from their GP.
These research internships will be based in the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at Bristol Medical School. The successful applicants will join established research teams and gain skills in primary care focused research which may include research methods training, attendance at workshops and seminars, secondary data analysis and literature reviewing.
School for Primary Care Research - Increasing the evidence base for primary care practice
The new NHS 10-year plan launched on 7 January states all patients in England will have access to a 'digital first primary care offer', such as GP online consultations, by 2022/23. Online consultations have the potential to improve patient access and reduce face-to-face contacts, freeing up GP time. But research led by NIHR CLAHRC West and the Centre for Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol found that unless these systems are carefully implemented, they won’t yield the benefits policymakers are hoping for.
Training GPs in a consultation technique designed to find out about the wider context to patients’ problems, and support patient knowledge, skills and confidence to self-care, is feasible and could reduce costs, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care.
Professor Chris Salisbury’s 2018 RCGP James Mackenzie Lecture
Women who experience domestic violence and abuse (DVA) are more than twice as likely to seek emergency contraception as other women, according to a study by National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-funded researchers at the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London, suggesting that requests for emergency contraception could be an important sign of abuse.
Training domestic violence and abuse (DVA) advocates to deliver psychological support to women experiencing DVA could significantly improve the health of those affected. In a randomised controlled trial led by researchers from the University of Bristol, women who received the intervention showed reduced symptoms of psychological distress, depression and post-traumatic stress compared to those who received just advocacy.
Middle ear infections, known medically as acute otitis media (AOM), are common painful infections in children, for which there are up to three million treatment episodes in England and Wales each year. They are often treated with antibiotics by mouth. However, these can cause side effects like rashes, diarrhoea and vomiting, and their over-use contributes to the growing global health threat of antibiotic resistance.
Use of practitioner-led complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), such as acupuncture, massage, osteopathy and chiropractic treatment, rose from 12% of the population in 2005 to 16% of the population in 2015, according to a survey led by researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care. However, access to these treatments was unequal, with women, those who are better off and those in the south of England more likely to use CAM.
Psychiatrists and GPs increasingly combine mirtazapine with an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) or SNRI (serotonin-noradenaline reuptake inhibitor) antidepressant for patients whose depression does not respond to a single antidepressant. A large clinical trial led by researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Exeter, Keele, Manchester and Hull York Medical School, and published in the British Medical Journal today, looked at the effectiveness of adding mirtazapine to an SSRI or SNRI in patients who remain depressed after at least six weeks of conventional (SSRI or SNRI) antidepressant treatment. They found that this combination was no more effective in improving depression than placebo and call on doctors to rethink its use.
The number of people with multiple long-term conditions, known as multimorbidity, is rising internationally, putting increased pressure on health care systems, including the NHS. Researchers from the 3D Study – the largest ever trial of a person-centred approach to caring for patients with multimorbidity in primary care - at the Universities of Bristol, Dundee, Manchester and Glasgow, are hosting a conference today [Thursday 25 October] with the Royal College of General Practitioners to discuss the challenges facing general practice and how the health care system needs to respond.
GPs need to be able to recognise the early stages of a psychotic illness and quickly refer to specialist mental health services for treatment.
In a letter published in The Guardian today, Professor Gene Feder, a GP and domestic violence and abuse research lead at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, has highlighted the risks of local authorities using algorithms to predict child abuse risk in social care.
The Centre for Academic Primary Care has joined with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) to deliver a conference on the challenges GPs face in providing care to patients with multiple long-term conditions.
Doctors and nurses often prescribe antibiotics for children with cough and respiratory infection to avoid return visits, symptoms getting worse or hospitalisation. In a study published in the British Journal of General Practice today [Tuesday 11 September], researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Southampton, Oxford and Kings College London found little evidence that antibiotics reduce the risk of children with cough ending up in hospital, suggesting that this is an area in which unnecessary antibiotic prescribing could be reduced.
A new study exploring the unexpected consequences of the use of digital health tools in primary care has been awarded funding by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research. The research team from the Universities of Bristol, Oxford, Manchester, Warwick, University College London and the West of England Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) will use a variety of approaches and methods to understand the impact of these tools, which include online patient portals and health monitoring apps.
GP Journal Club (#gpjc) is a popular monthly discussion group on Twitter for academics, students and professionals with an interest in primary care. The club is re-launching on Sunday 9 September at 19:30 (BST), with the first tweet chat on the topic of resilience in primary care.
Researchers will speak to around 1,000 sexual assault victims to understand how the support they receive affects their long-term health and wellbeing.
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely than other women to have an autistic child, according to an analysis of NHS data carried out by a team at Cambridge University’s Autism Research Centre, although the risk remains very low. The research, co-authored by the Centre for Academic Primary Care's Dr Rupert Payne, is published today in the journal Translational Psychiatry.
Unit part of £65 million new NIHR investment in research to inform government decision-making
Researchers from the University of Bristol have highlighted the potentially negative impact the deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital may have on end-of-life care delivered at home.
Growing up in a household with domestic violence and abuse can affect children for the rest of their lives. Support programmes specifically aimed at children who have been exposed to abuse exist but determining how and when parents and children are ready to engage with them is challenging. A review, carried out by researchers at the University of Bristol together with NIHR CLAHRC West, NIHR CLAHRC East of England and the University of Central Lancashire, sheds light on some of these factors.
Professor Gene Feder at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care has been awarded £1.7 million by the National Institute for Health Research to fund a Global Health Group for research into health systems responses to violence against women in Palestine, Brazil, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
As part of the #NHS70 celebrations, we're saying thank you to NHS staff and patients who help us do research to improve outcomes, treatment and service delivery in primary care. Together we're definitely better! Click on the image below to find out more.
In the largest ever trial of an intervention to treat people with multiple long-term conditions (multimorbidity) in primary care, researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Manchester, Dundee and Glasgow found that the patient-centred approach taken improved patients’ experience of their care but did not improve their health-related quality of life. This is a challenge to current thinking on which UK and international guidelines are based.
Dr Emma Le Roux, Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care, has been appointed Clinical Champion for Dermatology for the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).
PolicyBristol have published a briefing highlighting the policy implications of research into the clinical and cost-effectiveness of short versus long duration prescriptions for patients with chronic health conditions in England.
People with advanced heart failure, their carers, families and friends are being asked to help set the priorities for future research into the condition.
Antimicrobial resistance is a significant threat to public health. Researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care and NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Evaluation of Interventions have found promising evidence that local real-time surveillance of infectious disease, such as flu, could help GPs make better diagnostic and treatment decisions, reducing the amount of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing.
A multidisciplinary research team from the Universities of Bristol, Southampton, Oxford and University College London have been funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research to undertake a study to explore antibiotic prescribing out of hours.
New research has highlighted a lack of guidance for health and social care professionals who encounter children exposed to domestic violence.
Dr Ben Davies from the Centre for Academic Primary Care and Population Health Sciences at the University of Bristol has secured 'Proximity to Discovery' funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to support a scoping exercise to assess the impact of the Social Careline service in elderly and vulnerable communities.
The BATHE trial has found that pouring emollient additives into the bath do not add any benefit over standard management. Standard management of childhood eczema includes soap avoidance, leave-on emollients and corticosteroid ointments.
GPs and researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Southampton and Nottingham have been funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research to undertake a study to explore the role of food allergy testing in children with eczema.
Professor John Macleod, Joint Head of the Centre for Academic Primary Care, has received £1.5 million as part of a large grant from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to develop a platform for conducting research into early years influences on mental health.
The less commonly prescribed opioid substitute buprenorphine may be safer than methadone for problem opioid users, especially if used during the first month of treatment, according to a study by researchers from the University of Bristol, King’s College London, University of Manchester and Bristol Drugs Project, with implications for guidance on GP prescribing.
Patients with multiple health problems, known as multimorbidity, have many things to think about and do to take care of their health. Experts from the Centre of Academic Primary Care at the University of Bristol have developed a questionnaire to help researchers measure this treatment ‘burden’, so that they can understand the impact that interventions to improve care might have on patients’ daily lives.
Patients are more likely to attend an NHS Health Check if they’re already at lower risk of stroke or heart attack, a University of Bristol evaluation has found. The patient groups most likely to respond to the standard invitation to attend a check are female, ‘white British’, older or from more affluent areas.
There should be a rethink in how doctors talk to some patients with reduced kidney health, replacing the term ‘chronic kidney disease’ (CKD) with different bands of kidney age, according to a group of experts writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The Primary Care Outcomes Questionnaire (PCOQ) developed by researchers at the University of Bristol's Centre for Academic Primary Care has been tested and found to be valid and responsive as an instrument for measuring patient-reported outcomes. The questionnaire has the potential to improve researchers’ ability to measure effectiveness of interventions and may also be useful to GPs for assessing the effectiveness of individual patient care.
Use of complementary/alternative medicine may help reduce over-prescribing of antibiotics
The findings of the joint NIHR CLAHRC West and North Thames study of the IRIS ADViSE pilot, which aimed to improve sexual health professionals’ response to women who have experienced domestic violence, are now available as a CLAHRC BITE and BMJ STI podcast.
The widely adopted practice of issuing 28-day rather than longer duration prescriptions for people with long-term conditions lacks a robust evidence base and should be reconsidered, according to a study published in the British Journal of General Practice today [Tuesday 13 March]. Related research shows that considerable savings could be made by the NHS switching to longer prescriptions.
Call for applications now open. Deadline: Monday, 19 March, 4pm
Bacterial resistance may persist for up to three months after treatment in children
Applications are invited for two-year launching fellowships from individuals with a strong academic record who wish to develop a career in primary care research. The goal of these fellowships is for the fellow to publish papers from their PhD and write grant applications to secure future funding, for example for a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) fellowship.
Expecting GPs to use medical records to identify individual patients who are most vulnerable to cold weather is unrealistic, according to a study by researchers at the University of Bristol, UCL and University of Birmingham.
The realities of implementing alternatives to face-to-face GP consultations, such as telephone, email, online and video consultations, mean that hoped-for reductions in GP workload and increases in available appointments for patients might not be realised. This is the finding of a study by led by researchers at the University of Bristol, published in the British Journal of General Practice today.
Researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care have been involved in a study examining how the oversight of clinical trials is implemented to inform future guidelines for those planning and conducting trials.
Services for children who are exposed to domestic violence and abuse are vital, but NIHR-funded researchers have found that there is little evidence for what support works best. A new summary of a recent report on the current evidence base and what's needed has been published jointly by the NIHR's Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research (CLAHRC) West and CLAHRC East of England.
Community screening for osteoporosis could prevent more than a quarter of hip fractures in older women – according to new research involving researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol and local hospitals, and led by the University of East Anglia (UEA).
IRISi has been selected by the Health Foundation, an independent charity, to be part of an innovative programme to improve health care using novel scaling approaches to widen use of successful health and social care interventions.
Researchers from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care have developed an eczema written action plan (the eWAP) to help parents manage their child’s eczema at home. The plan, completed by parents with their GP, will help parents decide what treatments to use or when to contact their family doctor, depending on the severity of their child’s symptoms.
Professor Gene Feder, Medina Johnson and colleagues in the IRISi team – (IRIS – Identification and Referral to Improve Safety) were the ‘Policy and Practice’ category winners in this year’s University of Bristol Vice-Chancellor’s Impact Awards, for work to improve the primary healthcare response to domestic violence and abuse.
Free seminar series for health research staff and students: 4 to 15 December 2017
Online GP consultation systems may not be the silver bullet for reducing GP workload and patient waiting times that government policymakers are hoping for, NIHR-funded research from the University of Bristol has found. These systems offer the potential to revolutionise use of primary care, but only with careful implementation and effective marketing, the researchers concluded.
A highly successful, evidence-based domestic violence and abuse identification and referral programme (IRIS – Identification and Referral to Improve Safety) developed by researchers at the University of Bristol has launched as a social enterprise today, with plans to scale up its activity and grow the programme across the UK and internationally.
Balancing improvements in health against the cost of such improvements in primary care is vital to achieve a cost-effective and efficient healthcare system, finds a new report led by University of Bristol researchers and published in the BMJ.
We are inviting applications for a PhD studentship in primary healthcare funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research (SPCR).The award is for three years of study and includes fees and an annual tax-free stipend, normally of £16,000.
Older patients who do not see the same GP over a period of time are at higher risk of emergency hospital admission than those who see the same or a small number of GPs, according to new research.
Online GP consultation systems as they currently stand are unlikely to take the pressure off GPs and practices, despite NHS England’s drive to promote them through a £45 million fund.
There were multiple awards for Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) and University of Bristol Medical School staff and students at this year’s Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) conference in Liverpool this month.
Thursday 2 November 2017, 7.30pm to 9pm at St George’s Bristol, Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR
Teaching on domestic violence and abuse (DVA) should be mandatory in medical education according to a new University of Bristol study that highlights current levels as inadequate.
Research that helps GPs identify urinary tract infections in young children has been awarded a 2017 Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research Paper of the Year award.
Researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Nottingham and Southampton have been awarded £1.4 million by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment Programme to discover which is the best emollient (moisturiser) for treating childhood eczema.
A report on the progression of doctors in postgraduate training published by the General Medical Council (GMC) provides clear evidence of the outstanding achievement of Bristol Medical School graduates.
Each year, students on the University of Bristol’s undergraduate medical degree programme are asked to nominate teachers whom they feel have gone above and beyond in their teaching over the course of the academic year.
Research published in BMJ Open has found that alternatives to acute hospital admissions for older people appear safe and could reduce both the number and duration of acute hospital stays.
New research commissioned by British Red Cross shows that around a third of people (34.1%) who attend accident and emergency (A&E) departments are seeking help because they were ‘worried and didn’t know what to do’.
Oral steroids should not be used for treating acute lower respiratory tract infection (or ‘chest infections’) in adults who don’t have asthma or other chronic lung disease, as they do not reduce the duration or severity of symptoms, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA today.
PreScribed (a life written for me) opens in Edinburgh this week and explores the alarming statistic that one in five practising GPs suffer from chronic stress and anxiety.
Sexual health professionals feel that it is appropriate and valuable to ask their patients about domestic violence and abuse, NIHR-funded research at the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London has found. But time, workload and finding the right moment during consultations can be barriers to doing so.
A research team at the University of Bristol, which includes CAPC researchers, has won a prestigious international award for a technology that could help in the fight against antibiotic resistance.
The University of Bristol has launched a new Bristol Medical School today.
Dr Katrina Turner and Professor John Macleod have been appointed joint Heads of the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) and the Bristol NIHR School for Primary Care Research. They will take up the post on 2 October 2017.
Training clinicians to proactively ask patients about domestic violence is feasible for sexual health clinics to implement and could increase referrals to specialist services, according to a study by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and the University of Bristol involving over 4,300 women.
A new resource designed to support women experiencing domestic violence and abuse has been launched on the HealthTalk charity website today.
If you have type 2 diabetes, have you ever used an online app or worn a Fitbit to help you to look after your health? We would like to hear about your experience.
This three-day international conference will be held at Engineers’ House in Bristol on 12-14 July.
Researchers at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care are looking for men who are concerned that they are, or have been, abusive in their relationships with women to take part in a new study that will help improve how we support men in changing their behaviour.
Using the unique archive of video-recorded GP−patient consultations
Applications are invited for an 18-month Launching Fellowship from individuals with a strong academic record who wish to develop a career in primary care, community or public health research.
Two images by researchers at the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) have been selected for display as part of the University of Bristol’s ‘A Picture of Health’ exhibition at Beacon House.
The University of Bristol is involved in teaching the next generation of doctors and has launched today a new campaign to get practising GPs to ‘step up and teach’.
Chris Salisbury, Professor of Primary Care at the University of Bristol, has warned that high numbers of GPs leaving the profession will increase the pressure on doctors who are left, making them more likely to leave as well.
University of Bristol PhD student Elan Higueras has won the Inspired Composition competition with his piece 'It Felt Like Drowning' for trombone quartet.
Dr Trevor Thompson, GP and Head of Teaching at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, has won the Royal College of General Practitioners' 2016 Kieran Sweeney Prize, a UK prize for medical writing by GPs.
Estimates suggest that 40 percent of eczema flares are treated with topical antibiotics but findings from a study involving academics from the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care suggest there is no meaningful benefit from the use of either oral or topical antibiotics for milder clinically infected eczema in children.
A study published in the British Journal of General Practice today found that around 1 in 20 people waiting to see their GP in surgeries in Bristol reported having a gambling problem.
The Centre for Academic Primary Care’s (CAPC) Teaching team has won the Education and Training Team of the Year Award at Health Education England South West’s 2017 Star Awards.
Professor Gene Feder has taken on the role of head of the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) on an interim basis, until Autumn 2017, from Professor Chris Salisbury.
Continuity of care – seeing the same GP – has proven benefits and could be a key line of defence against rising hospital admissions argue leading academics in an editorial published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) today.
Guidance is urgently needed to help GPs decide what information to include on electronic records of children and families experiencing domestic violence and abuse (DVA).
Applications are invited for 2-year Launching Fellowships from individuals with a strong academic record who wish to develop a career in primary care research.
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has published the final report of a five-year research programme on the use of telehealth in primary care settings for patients with long-term conditions.
Alastair Hay, Professor of Primary Care at the University of Bristol’s Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC), has been appointed to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) managing common infections committee.
University of Bristol-led research on the primary healthcare response to gender violence in Palestine and Brazil has been awarded almost £600,000 from the Medical Research Council (MRC)’s Global Challenges Research Fund.
Professor Gene Feder has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List for services to healthcare and victims of domestic abuse.
*This call is now closed. Thank you to all those who contacted us.*
Services for children who are exposed to domestic violence and abuse are vital, but NIHR-funded researchers have found that there is little evidence for what support works best. While there is much good quality evidence for the support offered to adult survivors of domestic abuse, there is very little evidence for what might help children from these families.
Applications are invited from individuals with a strong academic record who wish to develop a career in primary care research based in the Centre for Academic Primary Care (CAPC) at the University of Bristol, one of the largest and most productive centres for primary care research in the UK.
Research from Bristol's Centre for Academic Primary Care has won the UK Society for Academic Primary Care's annual conference poster prize. The winning poster presented stills from an animation created to engage GP practices with findings from an ethnographic study.
Dr Matthew Ridd, a practising GP and Consultant Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Academic Primary Care has been awarded the 2017 John Fry Award by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and Society of Academic Primary Care (SAPC). His work explores continuity of care and person-centred care, with a foundation in dermatological issues in general practice and wider primary care.
Zoe Bush, a fifth-year medical student at the University of Bristol has won the 2016 'Choosing General Practice' competition, run by GPOnline and supported by the Royal College of General Practice.
Urinary tract infections (UTI) in young children can lead to kidney damage, but are notoriously difficult to diagnose in primary care because symptoms can often be vague and unclear. A definitive diagnosis can only be achieved by a urine test, but collecting urine samples from babies and children under five is a challenge. After a three-year study involving more than 7,000 children, researchers have developed a technique to help GPs and nurses to decide from which children a urine sample should be collected.
When considering admitting patients over the age of 65 for acute hospital care, alternatives such as hospital at home, admission to a local community hospital or extended stays and treatment in A&E are a viable option say NIHR-funded researchers from the University of Bristol and the University for the West of England (UWE).
Researchers at the University of Bristol are looking for pregnant women to take part in a study into preventing babies developing eczema.
Professor Debbie Sharp, who founded the Centre for Academic Primary Care in the 1990s, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
There is considerable optimism amongst policy-makers that greater use of digital health technologies (‘telehealth’) in combination with new ways of working could transform health care delivery, helping the NHS to be sustainable in the face of rising demand. But in a study published today in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), researchers conclude that, while telehealth could provide some benefit to some patients, it is not a simple answer to a complex problem.
Despite policy pressure on GPs to offer consultations by email or internet video programmes such as Skype, few GPs do and most have no plans to introduce them in future, according to a new study.
Essential Primary Care, a new undergraduate textbook written by GPs and academics from the Centre for Academic Primary Care, is now available to purchase.
New research funded by the British Red Cross and carried out by researchers from the Centre for Academic Primary Care together with colleagues from the University of the West of England aims to discover what information will help people know what to do and where to go when a person is unwell.
While online access to medical records is seen as a good thing by many, Prof Gene Feder, a GP and an expert in domestic violence research, is worried about coercion. Patients may be forced to unwillingly give others access to their online record or GPs, worried about coercion or information leakage within households, may not record anything deemed to be sensitive, including early concerns about abuse or maltreatment.
Researchers at the Universities of Bristol, Keele and University College London have fed back early research findings to help shape the development of a NHS England commissioned service for GPs with mental health problems.
A domestic violence training and support programme developed by Professor Gene Feder and his colleagues has been shortlisted for the BMJ Awards in the category Innovation into Practice.
People in England are visiting their GP practices more often, and are having longer consultations than they were in 2007, resulting in a 16% rise in clinical workload - these are the main findings from a study involving researchers from CAPC.
Researchers from the University of Bristol and Public Health England have found that, although the rates of hospital deaths in England are declining, nearly two-thirds of people aged 85 and over, and more than half of people aged 95 and over, still die in hospital.
Dr Rupert Payne has joined the Centre for Academic Primary Care as a senior clinical lecturer.
Researchers at the University of Bristol have received more than £2.5 million from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to carry out research that aims to increase the safety and well-being of victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA).
Antibiotic resistance in children with urinary infections is high and could render some antibiotics ineffective as first-line treatments, warns a study published by The BMJ today.
CAPC researchers, led by Prof Alastair Hay, are asking families in the city to take part in a new study to find out how children’s common illnesses such as coughs, colds, chest and ear infections develop out in the community.
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