Pulse Magazine

Pulse is a monthly publication and online platform focused on primary care in the UK. Since its launch in 1960, it has been provided free of charge to general practitioners across the country. The content featured in Pulse is often highlighted by both national and local newspapers. The magazine regularly conducts surveys to gauge the opinions of GPs. For instance, in 2005, when over 1,000 GPs were surveyed about their voting preferences, only 10% indicated they would vote for Labour, a finding that received significant attention from the Daily Telegraph. Similarly, in 2007, a survey revealed that 19% of 309 GPs did not support the legality of abortion, which was reported by the Daily Mail and the Evening Standard.

National, Trade/B2B

English

Magazine

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Global

#124261

United Kingdom

#5387

Health/Health

#105

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Articles

Pulse journalist wins prestigious award for GP campaigning

1 month ago | pulsetoday.co.uk | Eliza Parr

Pulse senior reporter Anna Colivicchi has won a prestigious award for her investigation into hospital trusts failing to send clinical letters to GPs. At the Chartered Institute of Journalists (CIoJ) Young Journalist Awards last night, Anna took home the ‘Young Campaigning Journalist of the Year’, which recognises impactful journalism serving the public interest.
NHS figures show further drop in spending on dependency-forming medicines

1 month ago | pulsetoday.co.uk | Emma Wilkinson |Sofia Lind

NHS data has shown a further fall in prescribing costs for dependency-forming medicines. A quarterly update from the NHS Business Services Authority showed that while there had been little change in the numbers of items prescribed, costs of the drugs, which include opioid pain medicine, benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids, fell by £2m in October to December 2024. The cost of dependency-forming medicines prescribed was £91.1m – a 2.6% decrease from the £93.5m reported for July to September 2024.
Primary care minister Stephen Kinnock to give keynote at PCN London

1 month ago | pulsetoday.co.uk | Beth Gault

PCN leaders will have a chance to quiz primary care minister Stephen Kinnock at a Pulse PCN event in London this week. Mr Kinnock, who is the minister of state for care, will be speaking at the event and will accept questions from the audience.
ICB agrees to fund new locally-commissioned services following GP collective action

1 month ago | pulsetoday.co.uk | Anna Colivicchi

GP collective action in Kent has led to an agreement from the ICB to fund new locally-commissioned services, including for CVD and ADHD. Kent and Medway ICB agreed to work with the LMC to develop the services after GP practices served notice on unfunded work as part of collective action.
Pulse LIVE London gets underway with workforce debate and minister on agenda

1 month ago | pulsetoday.co.uk | Maya Dhillon

Pulse LIVE is taking place in London today and tomorrow, with highlights including a panel discussion on GP unemployment, and a special address from primary care minister Stephen Kinnock. Pulse editor-in-chief Jaimie Kaffash will lead the workforce debate today, entitled ‘Are unemployed GPs collateral damage of the NHS’s big plans?’, following on from the recent white paper from Pulse publisher Cogora on the recruitment/unemployment crisis.
People with long-term conditions should have BMI check every year, says NICE

1 month ago | pulsetoday.co.uk | Anna Colivicchi

People with long-term conditions such as COPD, diabetes and heart disease should have their BMI checked and recorded ‘at least once a year’, NICE has said. In draft guidance published today, NICE said that adults with long-term conditions should have their BMI recorded ‘annually’, with additional waist-to-height measurements for those with a BMI under 35.
More than 2,200 GP practices affected by IT issue leading to missed cancer screenings

2 months ago | pulsetoday.co.uk | Emma Wilkinson |Sofia Lind

More than 2,200 GP practices had patients who had not been invited for screening due to an IT error related to incomplete registrations, a letter seen by Pulse has confirmed. A review by NHS England had found 5,261 people across the country had not been contacted to participate in one or more NHS screening programmes. The issue came to light after NHS England were contacted by a small number of people in the summer of 2024 due for screening who had not received an invite.
Is this the beginning of the end for the tick-box culture?

2 months ago | pulsetoday.co.uk | Maya Dhillon

Dr David Turner welcomes the reduction of QOF as the end of tick-box culture in general practice As we count down to QOF year-end, we are once again reminded how the law of diminishing returns works. Repeated phone calls to the reluctant attenders to ‘please book in for your annual BP check/foot check/mental health annual review/smear’, are frequently met by an unanswered phone, a reluctant agreement to attend which will never materialise or a flat refusal.
PCSE mistakenly refunded GP pension contributions

2 months ago | pulsetoday.co.uk | Anna Colivicchi

Exclusive About 25 practices in London have been affected by a ‘significant’ issue with pension contributions, Pulse has learnt. North East London ICB told practices last week that it was made aware of an issue where pension contributions ‘have been refunded’ by Primary Care Support England (PCSE) this month, according to communication seen by Pulse.
WHO issues warning as Europe sees 25-year spike in measles cases

2 months ago | pulsetoday.co.uk | Emma Wilkinson |Sofia Lind

Europe saw the highest number of measles cases in 25 years in 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. Across the region which includes 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia, there were 127,350 cases of measles reported last year, double that seen in 2023. The rise is linked to a drop in immunisation coverage in many countries during Covid-19, which has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, officials said.