Contents – September 2006

Editorial

New role for NICE should help PCTs with funding decisions

News

BTS guideline highlights differences between acute and chronic cough

Final guidance issued on Herceptin for early breast cancer

Personal View

GPs are still lacking decent guidance for diagnosing RA

Dr Louise Warburton discusses the new BSR guideline on rheumatoid arthritis, and its shortfalls in primary care

New Guidelines: Development

Communication is key with your Parkinson's disease patients

Dr John Hindle discusses the PD guidance from NICE, which promotes quick referral to a specialist for diagnosis and management of non-motor symptoms

New Guidelines: Review

Guideline updates the treatment algorithm for hypertension

The partial update of the NICE hypertension guideline focuses on beta-blockers and the order in which drugs are prescribed, says Dr Rubin Minhas

GP Contract: QOF2

Practices should have clinical summaries for the majority of patients

All practices should record the ethnicity of new patients, and keep up-to-date clinical summaries in patient records, as Dr Nigel Watson explains

Medico-legal Issues in Practice

The changing role of the General Medical Council

Proposed changes to the GMC should ensure an ongoing revalidation and appraisal system for all doctors in practice, says Dr Gerard Panting

Focus on CME

Guidelines in Practice CME questions: 60

Write the answers in the spaces provided, then cut out the pages and put them in your personal development plan

QOF2 Indicators

QOF2 clinical indicators: summary tables

NICE Referral Guide

NICE referral summaries

Notes for Authors

Writing for Guidelines in Practice: instructions for authors

Meetings & Conferences

Diary of events

Please let us know of you forthcoming meetings and workshops for inclusion in our events diary

Out of Hours

There's only one NHS in the UK – isn't there?

Dr Phil Hammond, broadcaster and GP returner in Bristol