Pulse in Focus: The Podcast for GPs

False penicillin allergies; when back pain could be cancer; and Gerada at Pulse LIVE

In this month's episode, the team reports exclusively from Pulse LIVE London. Pulse's editorial adviser Dr Keith Hopcroft takes us through his favourite clinical sessions, and Pulse editor Sofia Lind gives us the highlights from her Big Interview with Baroness Clare Gerada. Dr Hopcroft interviews Dr Stephanie Kayode, consultant allergist at the department of adult allergy at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She explores how GPs can identify patients who are falsely labelled as having a penicillin allergy, and how GPs should go about attempting to de-label them. He then speaks to GP, locum consultant in pain and musculoskeletal medicine and NHS Northwest London musculoskeletal and diagnostics clinical lead Dr Imran Sajid, about how GPs can assess and manage back pain with or without sciatica or radiculopathy in primary care - including when it could indicate bone cancer. Lastly, Sofia and Baroness Gerada discuss the failed assisted dying bill and how it may return, what GPs can do to get policy makers to sit up and listen, and how general practice can learn to work with AI. Continue your learning by registering for our upcoming Pulse Virtual Events. These events are designed for GPs and primary care professionals seeking practical, CPD-accredited clinical updates and expert-led insights they can apply straight into everyday consultations. Taking place in May, we’ll be focusing on Chronic Conditions [https://events.cogora.com/pulsevirtual-chronic-conditions-dermatology-diabetes/register-step1?c_mkrf=editorialblurb&utm_source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pulsetoday.co.uk%2F&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=Pvemay26_Blurb], Dermatology and Diabetes [https://events.cogora.com/pulsevirtual-chronic-conditions-dermatology-diabetes/register-step1?c_mkrf=editorialblurb&utm_source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pulsetoday.co.uk%2F&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=Pvemay26_Blurb], and in June, Women’s Health [https://events.cogora.com/pulsevirtual-womens-health-urology-and-dermatology/register-step1?c_mkrf=editorialblurb&utm_source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pulsetoday.co.uk%2F&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=Pvejun26_Blurb], Urology and Dermatology. [https://events.cogora.com/pulsevirtual-womens-health-urology-and-dermatology/register-step1?c_mkrf=editorialblurb&utm_source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pulsetoday.co.uk%2F&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=Pvejun26_Blurb] We’ll also be travelling to Birmingham, Newcastle, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast and Liverpool this year, delivering our Pulse LIVE Events. Book your free place today. [https://pulse365.uk/events/?utm_source=Editorial&utm_medium=blurb&utm_campaign=pulse365] Free registration for Pulse newsletters here [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/pulse-register/]. This episode was produced by Maya Dhillon and Mollie Fraser-Andrews.

An expert look at semaglutide for CVD prevention; and the BMA's GP collective action dilemma

The new episode of Pulse in Focus: The Podcast for GPs is now live and available on all podcast platforms. In this month’s episode, our team unpicks the new guidance from NICE, recommending use of weight loss drug semaglutide (Wegovy) to prevent further heart attack and stroke [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinical-areas/cardiovascular/nice-recommends-semaglutide-injections-to-prevent-heart-attack-and-stroke/]. Pulse editorial adviser Dr Keith Hopcroft is joined by Professor Ahmet Fuat, honorary professor of primary care cardiology at Durham University and GP with extended role in cardiorenal medicine. The pair discuss the evidence base behind the recommendation, what the rollout might look like, who is eligible [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/category/clinical-areas/cardiovascular/], who will be responsible for managing care including lifestyle support, and how it fits in with existing NICE guidance on treating patients with type 2 diabetes [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinical-areas/diabetes-endocrinology/nice-confirms-first-line-sglt-2-prescribing-in-final-type-2-diabetes-guidance/]. Professor Fuat also considers whether semaglutide has the potential to go to be used for primary prevention in future. We round up our episode with editor Sofia Lind discussing where general practice stands following a referendum on the 2026/27 GP contract, in which 98.9% rejected the Government’s imposed changes [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/breaking-news/gps-in-england-vote-overwhelmingly-to-reject-imposed-contract-changes/]. She tells senior journalist Maya Dhillon about ‘the difficult position’ she believes the GPC is in, as it has threatened collective action by 30 April (unless the Government pauses its implementation of ‘mandatory’ A&G) while the Government has said this may mean missing out on a primary negotiation role in new GMS contract [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/views/editors-blog/could-gps-really-do-a-dentist/] discussions. For more information about how to attend the Community Pharmacy and General Practice Conference, click here [https://events.cogora.com/cpgp-conference].  Free registration for Pulse newsletters here [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/pulse-register/]. This episode was produced by Maya Dhillon and Mollie Fraser-Andrews.

2026/27 contract: Will mandatory A&G strip GPs of their right to refer?

Senior journalist Maya Dhillon is joined by Anna Colivicchi, deputy news editor, and Dr Keith Hopcroft, GP and editorial adviser, to analyse and explain the changes introduced by the 2026/27 GP [https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/changes-to-the-gp-contract-in-2026-27/] contract. The trio go through all the major headlines [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/category/2026-27-gp-contract/] - including new same-day requirements around ‘clinically urgent patients', a shift in funding for a new practice-level recruitment scheme, and mandated collaboration between practices and ICBs. Anna and Keith discuss the absorption of advice and guidance (A&G) from an enhanced service into the core contract, contemplating how this 'blurs' the line between GP and specialist remit; and how this will work in practice. The discussion comes as NHS England's national director for primary care Dr Amanda Doyle wrote exclusively for Pulse last week [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/views/guest-opinion/dr-amanda-doyle-new-ag-pathways-do-not-impact-a-gps-decision-to-refer/], explaining their rationale for the move. Keith also provides a handy overview of the changes to QOF, including the addition of two new obesity indicators and the provision of 'improvement incentives' for childhood vaccination rates. Free registration for Pulse newsletters here [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/pulse-register/]. This episode was produced by Maya Dhillon and Mollie Fraser-Andrews.

Uncovering NHS Health Check rationing; and are SGLT-2s the new statins?

Free registration for Pulse newsletters here [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/pulse-register/]. This episode was produced by Maya Dhillon and Mollie Fraser-Andrews.

RCGP's Victoria Tzortziou Brown on how continuity can boost access; and are GPs following heart failure referral guidance?

In our first 'Big Interview' of the year, Pulse editor Sofia Lind speaks to the new chair of the RCGP, Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, to discuss the role of the college in a particularly tumultuous time for the profession. The pair discuss the RCGP's position and approach to new-look GP contract consultations [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/breaking-news/bma-set-to-lose-exclusive-gp-contract-negotiating-role-in-england/] - in which the college is now involved alongside other stakeholders, as revealed exclusively by Pulse last year. Professor Tzortziou Brown reflects on how the contract needs to change; relations with the BMA; as well as advising the Government on its new workforce strategy - with a focus on retaining experienced GPs. She also shares her thoughts on how GPs need to be kept at the centre of the implementation of neighbourhood services as the 10-year plan is rolled out, as well as how access and continuity in general practice are not mutually exclusive. For this month's clinical section, senior journalist Maya Dhillon is joined by Pulse clinical adviser Dr Keith Hopcroft to look over a new report suggesting that mandatory NT-proBNP testing before heart failure referral would improve diagnosis of the condition in primary care [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinical-areas/cardiovascular/compulsory-nt-probnp-test-before-heart-failure-referral-would-boost-care/]. Their discussion focus on a much-debated report [https://allianceforheartfailure.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/AHF-CTA-Transforming-FINAL-05-12-2025.pdf] published by The Alliance for Heart Failure, which suggests that the condition is routinely being missed in primary care, and that GP practices and CDCs are not following 2010 NICE guidelines requiring the use of NT-proBNP testing to rule out heart failure. This episode was produced by Maya Dhillon and Mollie Fraser-Andrews. Pulse in Focus: The Podcast for GPs is hosted on Buzzsprout but you can find it wherever you get your podcasts. Free registration for Pulse newsletters here [https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/pulse-register/]. This episode was produced by Maya Dhillon and Mollie Fraser-Andrews.