Clinical Update

Achieving balance is not about a ‘perfect sense of calm’, but is about learning how to realign when you are pulled off-centre, according to Dr Farnaaz Sharief. She says that part of resilience is about ‘small, intentional pauses’ that can help you manage your energy and regain your clarity and focus. In this podcast, Dr Sharief talks to MIMS Learning editor Pat Anderson about practical steps that...

Asthma and COPD may be the ‘bread and butter’ of the respiratory conditions seen in primary care, but other respiratory conditions, such as bronchiectasis, will also be seen.  In this episode of the MIMS Learning Clinical Update podcast, MIMS Learning editors Dawn and Pat survey the wide range of respiratory conditions seen in primary care that are not COPD or asthma. They look at the di...

Pancreatic cancer is the deadliest common cancer, with more than half of people dying within three months of diagnosis and 80% of people diagnosed at a late stage. In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, part of MIMS Learning's ‘ Patient, Presentation, Pathway for Cancer ’ campaign, Rhiannon speaks to Rachel Richardson, a pancreatic cancer specialist nurse at Pancreatic Cancer UK. During t...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, MIMS Learning medical editors Sangeeta and Dawn discuss the management of thyroid and hypertensive disorders during the antenatal period, including latest guidelines and prescribing recommendations.  Educational objectives After listening to this podcast, healthcare professionals should be better able to: Recall the target TSH level for women wh...

Pat from MIMS Learning speaks to GP Dr Pipin Singh about diagnosis, management and referral in this episode of the Clinical Update podcast. Dr Pipin Singh presents a way through the diagnostic maze, emphasising the need to distinguish between acute and chronic presentations, and the importance of taking time to get to the bottom of chronic symptoms. His thorough discussion of this topic emphasises...

Dementia is a major challenge for the NHS, with one in six people in their eighties developing the condition. For many people, fear and stigma surrounds the condition, so the GP's role as the first port of call is crucial. In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, MIMS Learning’s Rhiannon and Sangeeta draw on the expertise of MIMS Learning’s professional clinical writers and speakers to disc...

‘Alcohol use disorder is very, very prevalent and the harm occurs long before people have physical dependence,’ Dr Steve Brinksman says in this episode of the MIMS Learning Clinical Update podcast. He adds that if patients are concerned that they are drinking too much, they may hesitate to raise the issue with their GP because they might fear being told to stop drinking completely, and GPs may fee...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, MIMS Learning editor Pat Anderson and deputy editor Rhiannon Ashman discuss chickenpox and shingles, their prevention, diagnosis and management. This podcast draws on the expertise of MIMS Learning’s professional clinical writers and speakers, to bring you key learning points on prevention, diagnosis and management.   Educational objectives...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, guests from Future Dreams and Breast Cancer Now talk to MIMS Learning deputy editor Rhiannon Ashman. In the first section of this podcast, you'll learn about the varied presentations of breast cancer and how to sensitively approach consultations with breast cancer survivors. In the second section, the podcast focuses on signs and symptoms of secondar...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, MIMS Learning’s medical editor Sangeeta Krishnan and editor Pat Anderson discuss neurodiversity and how to approach consultations with neurodivergent patients. This podcast, which includes excerpts from a MIMS Learning interview with Dr Heidi Philips, founder of the British Association for Neurodiversity, discusses common neurodivergent conditions li...

One in five children and young people have a diagnosable mental health condition. In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, GP DrAmina Al-Yassin, clinical lead for Children’s Services in the London borough of Brent, talks to medical editor Sangeeta Krishnan about why prevalence is increasing, key risk factors, the importance of early intervention, and practical tools GPs can use to support t...

The traditional approach to up-titrating medication in chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been slow and cautious, meaning that many patients do not attain maximal benefits, and this is something ‘we need to change’, Dr Andrew Frankel says in a new three-part podcourse on CKD. This series is exclusive to MIMS Learning subscribers and follows the case of a patient with CKD, from initial diagnosis to t...

The Government’s 10-year plan for the NHS (‘Fit for the future’) has a dedicated section on prevention, including a ‘moonshot’ to end the obesity epidemic. But what is the role of GP in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD)? In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, the MIMS Learning editors explore NICE recommendations for combination therapy to help patients achieve lipid targets...

The updated NICE guidance on asthma is ‘absolutely superb’, advanced nurse practitioner Beverely (Bev) Bostock tells Dawn Liz Powell in this episode of the Clinical Update podcast.  She explains that the guidance could help to improve asthma outcomes in the UK. ‘We’re right at the top of the league for poor outcomes with asthma, and I suspect that that’s about to change because we’ve finally...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, MIMS Learning editor Pat Anderson and medical editor Dawn Liz Powell discuss common and less common presentations of nasal problems. This podcast draws on the expertise of MIMS Learning’s professional clinical writers and speakers, to bring you key learning points on nasal problems.  Potential problems include loss of sense of smell, obstruction...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, GP and RCGP safeguarding lead Dr Joy Shacklock talks to medical editor Sangeeta Krishnan about safeguarding children in primary care.  She shares insights into the roles and responsibilities of GPs and other healthcare professionals, , the importance of accurate documentation, and steps to take when a safeguarding concern arises. After listening...

Sexual difficulties are common — around 50% of women and 40% of men in Britain experienced sexual difficulty in the past year, according to the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles. However, both patients and clinicians can find it difficult to initiate discussions about sexual function, and these issues often go unmentioned in primary care.  In this episode of the Clinical Upda...

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) kills more women each year than all types of cancer combined, yet it may be under-recognised and under-treated in women. GP Dr Suneeta Kochhar offers practical advice on how GPs can address this.   Speaking to MIMS Learning medical editor Dawn Liz Powell, Dr Kochhar explains that the reasons for this include women continuing to be under-represented in clinica...

Not all people who present to their GP with low mood will meet the threshold for clinical depression, given distress or sadness can be a normal, even expected, response to a difficult life event (such as bereavement). In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, the MIMS Learning editors look at how to distinguish distress from more severe forms of depression, and how management of depression d...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, GP and associate specialist in dermatology Dr Angelika Razzaque delves into the most common acute skin conditions seen in general practice.  She shares her valuable insights on diagnosing and managing a range of these conditions, from impetigo to topical steroid withdrawal and severe drug reactions.  After listening to this podcast, healthc...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, the MIMS Learning team discusses red flags and risk factors for gynaecological cancers. Over 22,000 women are diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer in the UK every year. In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, the MIMS Learning editors consider when to investigate  postmenopausal bleeding, the impact of  combined oral contraceptives on cance...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, GP Dr Toni Hazell talks to MIMS Learning editor Pat Anderson about obesity, women’s health, and the use of weight loss medications by people who may be taking hormones for contraception or menopause. Dr Hazell talks about the nature of obesity and its effects on people’s lives, including the ‘heartbreaking’ stigma that they may experience. She says t...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, the MIMS Learning team discusses presentations of fever, and accompanying symptoms for GPs to look out for that could indicate potentially serious disease. Fever is a common symptom discovered during a GP consultation, and may be an indicator of potentially serious disease. MIMS Learning editor Pat Anderson and medical editor Sangeeta Krishnan l...

MIMS Learning’s deputy editor, Rhiannon Ashman, brings you key insights and discussions from MIMS Learning Live South (13 June 2025), taking a tour through hot topics — including asthma diagnosis, menopause management, why ‘old is new’ in childhood infections, and earlier cancer diagnosis. Our expert guests – Dr Steve Holmes, Dr Olivia Hum, Dr Justin Penner and Dr Owen Carter – distil complex...

Musculoskeletal disorders can range from acute injuries to chronic conditions and accounts for nearly one third of GP consultations. In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, the MIMS Learning’s medical editors discuss musculoskeletal symptoms that can be red flags, inflammatory conditions, and back pain. Educational objectives After listening to this podcast, GPs and other healthcare profes...