Red Whale Primary Care Pod

Send us a text Gout is common, painful and might not get the attention it needs. This episode reframes gout as a long-term condition that deserves confident, compassionate consultations in primary care.  Nik and Fiona unpack the key practice-changing points from the latest guidelines and evidence, including why serum urate testing at presentation may challenge old habits.  Crucially, they also tac...

Send us a text Haven’t got time for CPD? Think again! In this super short special listener question episode, Nik and Fi respond to one of our listeners, Emma from Sheffield. She asks a deceptively tricky question: what actually counts as “normal” weight gain in pregnancy? With NICE not giving a neat definition of excessive gestational weight gain, they dig a bit deeper for answers… Press play for...

Send us a text PMS and PMDD can be easy to miss, hard to diagnose, and life altering for the people living with them. In this special episode, Nik and Red Whale mental health lead Lee David tackle the patterns, pitfalls and practicalities that primary care teams need to know — from spotting cyclical symptoms and distinguishing PMDD from other mental health conditions, to suicide risk, first-line t...

Send us a text Homelessness isn’t just “sleeping rough”, it’s far more common than most of us realise. In this special episode, Nik and Fi unpack why health outcomes are so stark (including a 30 year life expectancy gap) and how much of the harm is potentially modifiable with effective healthcare.  You’ll hear about a shocking “mystery shopper” study that looked at primary care access. There are a...

Send us a text Hay fever consultations on your triage list, and runners limping in after the marathon/parkrun boom? This episode is just what you need!  We challenge the “minor ailment” myth of allergic rhinitis with 3 practice‑changing takeaways you can start using today. We also highlight some new allergen immunotherapy options you’ll start seeing in letters from secondary care, so you’re not wr...

Send us a text Burnout often creeps in while you keep showing up for everyone else. In this special episode, Nik and GP and Red Whale Mental Health Lead Lee David explore: What burnout really looks like in healthcare The early signs we often miss in ourselves (and spot in others) How burnout can quietly affect thinking, empathy and clinical decisions Practical ways to check in with yourself or a c...

Send us a text Headache in the consultation room is common; a brain tumour is (thankfully) not — and that’s exactly why we’re so prone to worry and to miss the subtle clues. In this episode, Nik and Fi cut through the noise on headaches, red flags and brain tumours . They explore how no single symptom reliably hits the NICE “refer” threshold, what to do with “headache +” and “cognitive +” , when t...

Send us a text Do you ever feel a bit lost when you see someone with a sore mouth, a furry tongue, or bad breath? This episode is your rapid confidence boost, delivered as a cheeky (virtual) 'million pound question' quiz between Nik and Fi. You’ll get a practical, primary care friendly approach to: Dry mouth ( what it is, common causes, and when to worry) Oral thrush (the assessment bits...

Send us a text Are you ready for a prescription that comes with sequins? This episode dives into the Let’s Dance campaign with special guests Angela Rippon and our very own Hussain Al‑Zubaidi , unpacking why dance isn’t just “a bit of fun” but a proper health intervention. Only 2% of UK adults dance regularly, yet it improves cardiovascular fitness, mood, memory, balance and social connection, wit...

Send us a text Two potentially practice changing pearls in one episode: we tackle obesity & weight management in pregnancy: how to raise it sensitively, what to do with BMI at booking, how to handle GLP‑1s pre‑conception, and what to say about folate, vitamin D, diet and activity. Then we demystify perianal masses: the red flags, and why the clock is ticking for thrombosed haemorrhoids. Plus a...

Send us a text This time Fiona and Nik serve up two “don’t miss” clinical challenges: precocious puberty —what’s normal vs red flags, who warrants urgent paediatric referral, and how to use the RCPCH puberty growth charts. And bullous pemphigoid —how to spot it fast, common drug links and when to phone dermatology today: when was the last time you did that? Useful Links Growth charts from the Roya...

Send us a text Grief touches every consulting room. In this episode we gently unpick how to support people after loss , using the RCGP framework “A Compassionate Bereavement Response”. Practical language you can use tomorrow, how to recognise prolonged grief disorder (including in children) and when to refer. The overlap with PTSD, and realistic ways we can look after ourselves as clinicians. Then...

Send us a text Fiona and Nik break down the latest evidence on menopause, HRT and cognition so you can feel confident when patients ask, “Should I be worried?” Plus: in our second Pearl in this episode,  practical tips for behaviour change that actually sticks, including how to spot those golden moments and use the STOP IT model to turn advice into action. Tune in for clear answers and real‑world...

Send us a text Domestic abuse affects patients and colleagues, yet it’s often unseen- so in this compassionate, practical episode Fiona and Nik walk you through what primary care can do right now: How to spot warning signs How we should use clinical inquiry (not universal screening) How to respond to a disclosure with the LIVES framework How to document safely in the electronic medical record You’...

Send us a text Have you heard of Alpha-gal syndrome? It was new for nearly all of us at Red Whale too. Kick off the year with some free CPD as Fi and Nik share what you need to know in this week’s round-up of Red Whale Pearls. They discuss: What Alpha-gal syndrome is and how it affects patients The serious consequences of this rare, tick-borne allergy to red meat How it manifests as urticaria occu...

Send us a text Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or even shake your jingle bells, and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss:  It’s beginning to look a lot like…flu season. There’s been a LOT of media coverage on seasonal influenza over the past few weeks. But asi...

Send us a text Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or even shake your jingle bells, and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss :  Spotting adrenal crisis. Adrenal insufficiency and Addison’s disease can be easy to miss. We've recently updated our article on thi...

Send us a text Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom. In the second of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss:  Genital warts: spotting, treating and referring. Are you confident to diagnose? Do you know what additional screening should be offered? Are you c...

Send us a text Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik have special guest Lucy Cox, the Red Whale women’s health course lead to discuss :  Managing menopause after breast cancer. A diagnosis of breast cancer is...

Send us a text Grab your trainers, your dog lead, and perhaps a pumpkin spice latte, and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss:  The NEW cervical screening intervals that apply in England from 1 July 2025: moving to a 5-yearly screening interval for all women an...

Send us a text Grab your trainers, your dog lead, and enjoy the crunchy leaves under your feet as you savour your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss:  Asthma: the autumn spike. The Primary Care Respiratory Society has drawn our attention to...

Send us a text Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss:  Obesity and weight management in pregnancy. NICE produced updated guidance on nutrition and weight management in pregnancy earlier this year. Sp...

Send us a text Grab your trainers, your dog lead, a cozy jumper, or your drink of choice and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Ali and Nik discuss:  Gonorrhoea: prevention through vaccination. The UK ‘gonorrhoea vaccine’ recently became widely available through sexual health ser...

Send us a text Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice-with ice- and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the second of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss:  Hyperhidrosis- a year-round challenge for those who are affected. It significantly impacts quality of life, relationships and work. Hyp...

Send us a text Grab your trainers, your dog lead, or your drink of choice-with ice-  and join us for some free CPD as we have another relaxed round up of recent Red Whale primary care Pearls of wisdom.  In the first of two episodes this month, Fi and Nik discuss:  Contraception, weight and GLP-1s: “Women on ‘skinny jabs’ must use effective contraception, MHRA urges in latest guidance” – Government...