Contents May 2001
News
New guidance aims to clarify the diagnosis of meningitis
NICE launches guideline on post-MI patients
Editorial
Controlling pain is a vital aspect of cancer care
Dr John Wiles, consultant in palliative medicine, Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust, and Medical Director, South Bromley HospisCare
Personal View
New guidance rationalises approach to meningitis
Dr Matthew Lockyer welcomes guidance on meningitis and septicaemia which helps GPs make the vital diagnosis
In Reply
Why primary care cannot afford to ignore obesity
Dr Ian Campbell, of the National Obesity Forum, explains why he believes that obesity management is worthwhile in general practice
Guideline Development
Guideline helps GPs choose appropriate psychological therapy
A new DoH guideline provides the first evidence-based recommendations for referral to psychological therapies,as Professor Glenys Parry and Dr John Cape explain
Guideline Development
SIGN guideline paves the way for better control of cancer pain
Dr David Millar explains how a recent SIGN guideline aims to improve pain control in cancer patients by applying the basic principles of pain management
Beacon Awards
Developing a shared care urology service for general practice
Dr John Pillinger describes a community-based shared-care initiative for the diagnosis and management of common LUTS associated with prostate and bladder problems
Locality Initiative
MMR Mythbuster helps parents to make informed decisions
Dr Richard Roberts and colleagues have developed an evidence-based resource to help health professionals explain the facts about MMR vaccine to parents
Practice Initiative
Why PGDs for travel vaccination should be a practice priority
Jane Chiodini, chair of the RCN Travel Health Forum, explains why those responsible for travel vaccinations in primary care need to devise appropriate PGDs urgently
Medico-legal Issues in Practice
Time to reform the NHS complaints procedure
In the fifth article in this series, Dr Gerard Panting, of the MPS, discusses criticisms of the NHS complaints procedure and recommendations for its reform
Electronic Communication
Setting up an intranet for your practice from basic equipment
In the fifth article in this series, Dr Nigel Watson explains how to set up a practice-based intranet from basic equipment
Key Organisations
The National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health
Stephen Pilling and Dr Tim Kendall, co-directors of the NICE National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health
eGuidelines
eGuidelines update
Guidelines summaries and Guidelines in Practice online at https://eguidelines.co.uk
CLIP Database
Clinical Improvements Online Database
Coming soon to eGuidelines: a new initiative supporting and informing local clinical practice
Questions & Answers
Your problems solved
Our editorial board answer questions on discussing guidelines with patients and choosing between practice and PCG protocols
Notes for Authors
Writing for Guidelines in Practice: instructions for authors
Authors are advised to follow these instructions carefully to ensure that their article is processed smoothly and quickly
Out of Hours
How to answer some of those tricky questions
Dr Phil Hammond, GP, lecturer and presenter of BBC2's Trust Me, I'm a Doctor
