FROM MY SURGERY

BP HOME MONITORS

Only a decade ago, doctors were sceptical about the benefits of home blood pressure monitoring. Were home devices accurate? How times have changed! Latest evidence shows that as long as your blood pressure monitor is validated (your pharmacist can advise) a £10-£30 monitor can provide accurate measurements that can provide much more information than a single measurement in your GP practice.

LONG COVID HELP

Sadly, people with asthma do seem to be at higher risk of long COVID (symptoms lasting over 1 month). It’s thought that 1.3 million people in the UK (1 in 50 people) now have long COVID, with over 1 in 3 struggling for more than a year. Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Scotland have launched a new online tool, My Long COVID Needs, to support Scots with long COVID.

GP EXPERIENCES

Some of the patients I see are frustrated at waiting times to see me, but that’s always been the case – the simple fact is, there aren’t enough GPs and unfortunately the situation is getting worse. But the 2021 NHS patient survey shows

4 in 5 patients rated their overall experience of their GP practice as good – 96% said they had trust and confidence in the health professional they saw.