this week GPs to convene crisis summit The chair of the BMA’s General sustainability is in serious question, and Chaand Nagpaul said the Practitioners Committee has warned the the ability of GPs to continue with their current crisis in general government that the future sustainability current workload and current pressures practice “can no longer be ignored by politicians” of UK general practice is “in serious is unsustainable. This conference has question,” ahead of a crisis summit later been called because we are in a desperate this month. situation with regards to general practice.” Chaand Nagpaul said that the first Nagpaul added, “The conference is special meeting of local medical bringing to the fore an issue that can no committees (the statutory bodies that longer be ignored by politicians. But it represent GPs locally) in 13 years—due is also about ensuring clear action is to take place on 30 January—highlighted taken to enable general practice to get the severity of the current crisis in general back on its feet.” practice and would bring to the fore “an Peter Holden, a member of issue that can no longer be ignored by Derbyshire Local Medical Committee politicians.” and a former negotiator on the BMA The meeting has been organised by General Practitioners Committee, NEWS ONLINE the BMA in response to growing concern has proposed a motion warning the Wider group of among members of local medical government that industrial action • health professionals committees that rising demand from from GPs was “on the cards” unless should be located patients, stretched resources, and over- the government acted to support the in emergency regulation were harming the care of beleaguered primary care system. departments patients and causing widespread burnout Holden told The BMJ, “The government Drug companies in the profession, leading to ongoing must not think that whatever happens • to pay $39.5m in problems with recruitment and retention. with the juniors isn’t on the cards with OxyContin and GPs will debate a range of motions the GPs. We have to have a restoration of Risperdal cases to decide what action to take to deliver the GP expenses system—also we have to • Government’s “a safe and sustainable service” in the make [general practice] attractive for the U turn on custodial future, including the possibility of taking young ones to want to come in.” healthcare will industrial action against the government. Gareth Iacobucci, The BMJ endanger vulnerable Nagpaul told The BMJ, “We are now at Cite this as: BMJ 2016;352:i14 people, says BMA a juncture where general practice’s future Find this at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i14 the bmj | 9 January 2016 1 SEVEN DAYS IN Johann Malawana, chair of the Junior doctors will strike next week BMA’s Junior Doctors Committee Junior doctors are set to take three days of industrial action, aft er negotiations between the association and the government over the terms of the junior doctor contract broke down on Monday, 4 January, the BMA has said. As The BMJ went to press the association announced that the action would take place in January and February, aft er the government failed to meet junior doctors’ concerns over changes to their contract. It said that the government did not recognise the need for robust contractual safeguards for safe working or the need for proper recognition of unsocial hours worked by junior doctors. The BMA said that the fi rst day of industrial action would be Tuesday 12 January, when for 24 hours junior doctors will provide emergency cover only. It said that, unless junior doctors’ concerns were dealt with, the action would be followed by a second, 48 hour period of industrial action, beginning on 26 January. This would be followed by a day of strike action on 10 February, which would see a full withdrawal of junior doctors’ labour between 8 am and 5 pm, the BMA said. In November 98% of junior doctors in a ballot voted in favour of industrial action. LYNCHPICS/ALAMY Abi Rimmer BMJ Careers Cite this as: BMJ 2016;352:i43 Saturday 2nd cessation aid, will be allowed research showing that children The areas covered were fine BMJ appeal update to be prescribed on the NHS aged 4 to 10 consume over 5500 motor skills, gross motor skills, Readers have so far raised when it becomes available. sugar cubes a year, equal to communication, personal-social £15 000 for Doctors of the World The Royal College of around functioning, and problem solving in The BMJ ’s Christmas appeal, General Practitioners 22 kg—the average ability. (See The BMJ ’s full story at which runs until the end of warned that GPs could weight of a 5 year old. doi:10.1136/bmj.h7028.) January. be overwhelmed The recommended with requests for daily maximum Midlands hospital appoints Councils call for calorie the device, which added sugar intake humanist “pastoral carer” count on alcohol labels is made by British is 19 g for 4 to 6 year Leicester Hospitals appointed The Local Government American Tobacco. Tim olds (five sugar cubes), a humanist pastoral carer to Association, which represents Ballard, vice chair of the royal 24 g for 7 to 10 year olds (six support patients, families, and around 400 councils college, said that he would like cubes), and 30 g for 11 year olds staff with non-religious beliefs. in England and to see e-cigarettes assessed by (seven cubes). The hospital group is thought Wales, said that the National Institute for Health to be the first to make such an the effect of hidden and Care Excellence. (See also: Infertility treatment appointment. Jane Flint, whose calories in alcohol is European watchdog is failing to is not associated with part time post is funded by the contributing to the hold tobacco industry to account developmental delays Leicester Hospitals Charity, has UK’s obesity crisis. Its over smuggling, at doi:10.1136/ A prospective cohort study of qualifications in psychotherapy, demand echoed that bmj.h6973.) 4824 mothers to 5841 children, adult education, and counselling of the Royal Society including 1830 conceived with and is accredited in non-religious for Public Health, Monday 4th infertility treatment and 2074 pastoral support by the British which has called for Campaign launches to twins, found that infertility Humanist Association, with calorie labels to be reduce children’s sugar treatment was not associated which she is also an accredited put in place, as well as intake with the risk of children funeral celebrant. (Full BMJ story MEPs’ calls in 2015 Public Health England failing any of five doi:10.1136/bmj.h7023.) for calorie labels to encouraged parents to take developmental be put on all alcoholic drinks in a control of their children’s domains up Tuesday 5th vote at the European Parliament, sugar consumption with a to age 3. Adult cancer although that vote is not binding. new Sugar Smart survivors are at app that scans risk of cardiac Sunday 3rd barcodes of abnormalities Government gives go ahead products to show A study of 1853 to e-cigarettes on NHS the amount of adults who received The Department of Health sugar they contain either anthracycline confirmed that e-Voke, an in sugar cubes chemotherapy or e-cigarette that has been given and grams. The cardiac directed a UK licence as a smoking campaign followed radiation therapy for 2 9 January 2016 | the bmj SIXTY SECONDS MEDICINE ON . a childhood cancer found that MINDFULNESS cardiomyopathy was present in I’M FEELING A BIT DISTRAIT. IS THERE 7.4%, coronary artery disease in A PILL FOR IT? 3.8%, valvular regurgitation or Try mindfulness. It’s the antidote to stress, stenosis in 28%, and conduction distilled from the wisdom of ancient or rhythm abnormalities in Buddhism and brought bang up to date to 4.4%. Often the survivors were ease the travails of the modern world. asymptomatic, with cardiac IT SOUNDS A BIT FLAKY TO ME abnormalities occurring at It’s easy to scoff. But plenty of people find it a younger age than usual, helpful, and it’s inching towards making the suggesting that research into transition from pop psychology to clinical screening this group of patients Candida infection alone could acceptance. is needed, said the researchers in result in pregnancy loss. E-CIGS SUM IT UP IN A SENTENCE the Annals of Internal Medicine. They concluded, “Until more E-Voke is the first (Full BMJ story doi:10.1136/bmj. data on the association are Mindfulness means paying attention in a h7026.) available, cautious prescribing e-cigarette to be particular way—on purpose, in the present of fluconazole in pregnancy may approved as an moment, and non-judgmentally, says Jon Wednesday 6th be advisable.” (Full BMJ story Kabat-Zinn, a student of Buddhist meditation who has been promoting the idea with Antibiotic reduces malaria doi:10.1136/bmj.h7029.) aid to stop risk in adults taking smoking growing success since 1979. The idea is to use meditation techniques to focus your antiretroviral therapy Thursday 7th mind on the here and now instead of having In malaria endemic regions, unhelpful thoughts about the past or the people with HIV infection who future. are treated with antiretroviral therapy do better if they also take BUDDHISM LITE, THEN? the antibiotic co-trimoxazole, That’s what critics say, accusing Kabat-Zinn’s a trial in Kenya published in successors of marketing “McMindfulness,” PLoS Medicine showed. The ripped from its context and lacking soul. World Health Organization NEVER MIND THE PURISTS, DOES IT recommended prophylactic WORK? use of co-trimoxazole in 2006, A bit.