In this month's episode, we look a what the landmark Government-commissioned review into ADHD means for general practice.

Editor Sofia Lind is joined by Dr David Crocker, a psychiatrist specialising in adult ADHD. The pair discuss whether ADHD is actually overdiagnosed - as a Pulse survey recently suggested, whether all assessment services can be trusted, when and why GPs should do shared care prescribing, and how GPs can improve their care of patients with ADHD.

And deputy news editor Anna Colivicchi speaks to Dr Tom Dolphin, chair of council for the BMA, about the Government's draft guidance on how physician associates (PAs) in primary care could be allowed to see limited groups of undifferentiated patients - under heavy supervision from GPs.

Dr Dolphin outlines the union's concerns over these 'dangerous' proposals for PAs working in GP practices, and whether the long-running issue of PAs holds any similarities to recent concerns about advanced practitioners.

This episode was produced by Maya Dhillon.

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.

Senior journalist Maya Dhillon is joined by reporter Harry Hetherington to discuss the findings of Pulse's survey which exclusively revealed that an estimated quarter of patient referrals are now returned as unsolicited advice and guidance (A&G) to general practice.

This comes despite NHS England denying the existence of a 25% target for GP referrals to be ‘diverted’ back to GPs as A&G.

Harry explains how this has impacted patient safety and the extra workload it is creating for GPs. The pair also consider how this could affect the rollout of the consultant-led 'single point of access' triage - due to begin from 1 October.

Following a flurry of news stories in the past few months about PSA testing and prostate cancer, this episode's clinical segment sees GP and Pulse editorial adviser Dr Keith Hopcroft look at the Government's updated guidance on when GPs should offer PSA testing.

Dr Hopcroft speaks with Dr Samuel Merriel - GP and clinical senior lecturer who has sat on expert advisory groups relating to prostate cancer for NICE and NHS England - to clarify the National Screening Committee's (NSC) recommendations; whether GPs should be proactively looking to offer PSAs to patients; and more.

Dr Merriel also shares some insight from the TRANSFORM trial, on which he is a co-investigator, which is researching the best ways to detect prostate cancer earlier.

Free registration for Pulse newsletters here.

This month, senior journalist Maya Dhillon is joined by deputy news editor Anna Colivicchi and reporter Harry Hetherington. The team takes stock of the change in Government over the past month and considers what this will mean for general practice.

Drawing from his investigation into local enhanced services, Harry asks how Andy Burnham’s history as health secretary and mayor who oversaw health devolution in Manchester may impact the rollout of neighbourhoods.

GP and editorial adviser Dr Keith Hopcroft returns for our clinical segment, in which he goes through a new review which shows that patients with hypertension may be having more blood tests than they need.

Dr Hopcroft explains which tests were and weren’t deemed necessary by researchers, and why the outcome will benefit both GPs and patients.

And finally, Harry returns to the studio to talk about his interview with newly-elected chair of the BMA’s sessional GP committee Dr Lucy-Jane Davis.

She shares how it took her three years to find a substantive GP post amid the under and unemployment crisis; the importance of not undervaluing locums; and how she hopes to use her term to address the gender pay gap and support neurodivergent GPs.

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.