Our aim was to compare the return-to-work rates between individuals supported by their GP plus workplace health advisers (intervention group) and those supported by their GP alone.

Workplace sickness absence places a significant cost burden on individuals and the wider economy. Previous research shows better outcomes for individuals if they are supported while still in employment, or have been on sick leave for four weeks or less. Those helped back to work at an early stage are more likely to remain at work. A non-medicalised case-managed approach appears to have the best outcomes and can prevent or reduce the slide onto out-of-work benefits, but UK literature on its effectiveness is sparse.

The design was a feasibility-controlled trial in which participants were sickness absentees, or presentees in employment with work-related health problems. Individuals completed health status measures (SF-36; EQ-5D) and a Job Content Questionnaire at baseline and again at four-month follow-up.

In the intervention group, 29/60 participants completed both phases of the trial. GP practices referred two control patients, and, despite various attempts by the research team, GPs failed to engage with the trial. This finding is of concern, although not unique in primary care research. In earlier studies, GPs reported a lack of knowledge and confidence in dealing with workplace health issues. Despite this, we report interesting findings from the case-managed group, the majority of whom returned to work within a month. Age and length of sickness absence at recruitment were better predictors of return-to-work rates than the number of case-managed contacts. The traditional randomised controlled trial approach was unsuitable for this study. GPs showed low interest in workplace sickness absence, despite their pivotal role in the process. This study informed a larger Department for Work and Pensions study of case-managed support.

To understand the effects of Nurse Case Managers (NCMs) working in primary care in the English National Health Service (NHS) from multiple perspectives and how this new role impacts on social workers, this paper reports and discusses findings from a multi-level study of the role of NCMs working in primary care in the English NHS.

Case management as understood by the NHS is equivalent to key-worker type care management as understood by social workers. However, English health and social services are separately organised with different organisational principles; health services are free at the time of need, whereas social services are means-tested and access is restricted.

The study included reviews of evaluations and policy, a national survey of nurse case management in Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and case studies in three purposively selected PCTs. The views and experiences of patients were collected through face-to-face and telephone interviews with 51 older people and their carers, and these experiences are illustrated. In this paper, we further draw on data reporting the views of NCMs and stakeholders from other disciplines and services.

The opinions of older people receiving nurse case management reveal the value of high intensity support to individuals with major health and social needs. The NCMs’ clinical expertise, the improved continuity of care they provided and the psychosocial support they offered, were all emphasised by older people or their carers. NCMs substituted for social workers in some cases, when the older person would not have been eligible for publicly funded social care or had declined it. In other cases, they supplemented social services by identifying unmet needs. In a third category of cases, they may have curtailed social services’ involvement by preventing hospital admission and social services’ involvement as a consequence. The implications of this from the viewpoint of other study participants are discussed.

To determine the effects of a community-based training programme in self-care on the lay population.

Self Care is recognised as being a cornerstone of the populations health, but to date there have been few large-scale studies of its effectiveness on the general public. This paper reports on an evaluation of a self-care skills training course delivered in small group sessions within workplace and parent and toddler group settings to a lay population.

A quasi-experimental longitudinal study of 12-month duration was conducted in three intervention primary care trusts (PCTs) and two similar comparison PCTs in England. The sample comprised 1568 self-selecting participants: 868 received the intervention and 700 did not.

No changes were seen in usage of General Practitioner services, the primary outcome, however, statistical analysis suggested that being in the intervention group may be associated with increased use of out-of-hours and secondary care services. At six months’ follow-up small but statistically significant positive effects of being in the intervention group were seen on self-esteem, well-being and anxiety scores. At 12 months’ follow-up small but statistically significant positive effects of being in the intervention group were also seen on recovery locus of control, health literacy and self-esteem scores, and on knowledge of adult cough. The clinical significance of these very small changes is unclear.

The training programme had a small but positive effect, which was still evident at 12 months, on individuals’ knowledge and confidence levels with regard to managing their own health, but did not lead to reductions in health service use.

To explore the experiences of student and novice health visitors in implementing health visiting policy reform pre- and post-qualification.

In England, public health nursing has been subject to major policy reform. The Health Visitor Implementation Plan (2011) set out a plan to recruit increasing numbers of nurses and midwives to the profession to deliver an expanded and refocussed health visiting service. Exploring this policy change from the viewpoint of those new to health visiting offers a unique perspective into how a specific policy vision is translated into nursing practice.

A descriptive qualitative study in which participants were enrolled on a one-year post-graduate health visiting course at a University in South West of England. Qualitative data were collected pre- and post-qualification. A total of 16 interviews and a focus group were conducted with nine participants between September 2012 and March 2013.

Descriptive data were interpreted using Lipsky’s theoretical framework of street-level bureaucracy. Three themes emerged which relate to this ‘bottom-up’ perspective on policy implementation; readiness to operationalise policy, challenges in delivering the service vision; and using discretion in delivering the vision. Community public health nurses operate as street-level bureaucrats in negotiating the demands of policy and practice, and by this means, attempt to reconcile professional values with institutional constraints. Barriers to policy implementation at a local level mediate the effects of policy reform, ultimately impacting upon outcomes for children and families.

The study explored the knowledge and service delivery skills of primary health care (PHC) workers to conduct cervical cancer screening programmes in Sango primary health centre in Sango town, Ado-Odo Ota, Ogun State in Nigeria.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer affecting women. The prevention and control services in Nigeria are provided mainly at post-primary health facilities. Authorities have advocated the integration of cervical cancer prevention into reproductive health services provided at PHC centres. The service delivery capabilities of PHC workers are critical for successful implementation of screening programmes.

Exploratory qualitative research design was used. Data were collected among 10 PHC workers who were purposively sampled at Sango PHC. Semi-structured interview guide with broad items and a checklist were used to assess participants’ cervical cancer screening knowledge and service delivery skills using visual inspection screening methods. Data were analysed thematically and triangulated.

A range of roles were represented in the interviews of the health care workers at the PHC studied. They had poor knowledge and skills about cervical cancer screening using visual inspection with acetic acid and visual inspection with Lugol’s iodine. Study participants perceived nurses as most equipped PHC workers to conduct screening at PHC level, followed by the community health officers. Participants reported no cervical cancer services at the centre and community. The findings provided useful insight that guided the training of primary health workers and the development of a community-based cervical cancer screening model for women in rural communities.

Nurses and other PHC workers should be trained on visual inspection screening method. This low-cost but effective methodology could be incorporated into their training curricula as a strategy for scaling up cervical cancer prevention programmes across Nigeria.

To describe the role, contribution and value of research nurses in New Zealand community-based or primary health care research.

Research nurses are increasingly recognised as having a key role in undertaking successful research in hospitals and clinical trial units however only limited work has been undertaken to examine their role in community-based research. Undertaking health research in the community has unique challenges particularly in relation to research design and recruitment and retention of participants.

We describe four community-based research projects involving research nurses, each with particular recruitment, retention and logistical problems. Vignettes are used to illustrate the role, contribution and value of research nurses in a diverse range of community research projects.

The knowledge and skills used by research nurses in these projects included familiarity with communities, cultural competence, health care systems and practice philosophies and in particular with vulnerable populations. Their research actions and activities include competence with a broad range of research methodologies, organisational efficiency, family-centred approach, along with advocacy and flexibility. These are underpinned by nursing knowledge and clinical expertise contributing to an ability to work autonomously. These four projects demonstrate that research nurses in community-based research possess specific attributes which facilitate successful study development, implementation and outcome.

Appropriate communication between general practitioners (GPs) and physiotherapists is vital for providing optimal care. Differing opinions exist as to key inclusion in this communication. This study aims to identify the key components that both GPs and physiotherapists would include in inter-professional communication.

Qualitative study design, using 14 in-depth, semi-structured telephone interviews.

Physiotherapists identified relevant past medical history, psycho-social history, yellow flags, anticipated time frame for follow-up and objective measures of current function as the more useful inclusions in written communication. GPs identified the inclusion of a working diagnosis, treatment summary and likely long-term outcomes as the key components to effective communication.

Effective interprofessional communication requires the provision of information that is both succinct and relevant. While there are individual preferences, this study suggests that certain key characteristics exist, and the inclusion of these in interprofessional communication may lead to improved communication and patient outcomes.

To evaluate the long-term utilisation of strategic communication as a factor of importance when changing work practices among primary care staff.

In many health care organisations, there is a gap between theory and practice. This gap hinders the provision of optimal evidence-based practice and, in the long term, is unfavourable for patient care. One way of overcoming this barrier is systematically structured communication between the scientific theoretical platform and clinical practice.

This longitudinal evaluative study was conducted among a primary care staff cohort. Strategic communication was considered to be the intervention platform and included a network of ambassadors who acted as a component of the implementation. Measurements occurred 7 and 12 years after formation of the cohort. A questionnaire was used to obtain information from participants. In total, 846 employees (70%) agreed to take part in the study. After 12 years, the 352 individuals (60%) who had remained in the organisation were identified and followed up. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis were used to analyse the data.

Continuous information contributed to significant improvements over time with respect to new ideas and the intention to change work practices. There was a statistically significant synergistic effect on the new way of thinking, that is, willingness to change work practices. During the final two years, the network of ambassadors had created a distinctive image for itself in the sense that primary care staff members were aware of it and its activities. This awareness was associated with a positive change with regard to new ways of thinking. More years of practice was inversely associated with willingness to change work practices. Strategic communication may lead to a scientific platform that promotes high-quality patient care by means of new methods and research findings.

The introduction of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has provided smokers with an alternative source of nicotine. Interest and use of the device has increased exponentially in the last decade with an estimated 2.9 m adult users in Great Britain. Research so far on the attitudes and perceptions of smokers to this new product has largely focussed on the views of current e-cigarette users, smokers attempting to quit and former cigarette smokers.

This study aimed to explore the views of current tobacco smokers who were not using e-cigarettes and not looking for a cessation method, their understanding and knowledge of e-cigarettes, and their views of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid provided by the National Health Service (NHS).

Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 patients from a general practice in North London, who smoked conventional tobacco cigarettes on a daily or weekly basis, over 18 years old. An iterative approach allowed for constant data analysis using a thematic approach throughout the data collection stage, and generated four recurring themes.

E-cigarettes were primarily seen as a smoking cessation device, with the supply of nicotine viewed as a benefit helping to reduce withdrawal symptoms, although for some participants this supply could also be a hindrance to dealing with their addiction. Despite uncertainty about the components, e-cigarettes were mostly viewed as healthier due to their lack of carcinogens, tar and smoke inhalation. The lack of reliable information and strong evidence for both the effectiveness and the safety of e-cigarettes led participants to be apprehensive about their provision by the NHS, and acted as a barrier to their use as an aid to quitting. The recurring appeal for more information regarding e-cigarettes make it clear that further high-quality research is urgently needed in this field to provide reliable and accurate information to smokers.

To identify the appropriate service provider attendees of emergency departments (EDs) and walk-in centres (WiCs) in North East London and to match this to local service provision and patient choice.

An anonymous patient survey and a retrospective analysis of a random sample of patient records were performed. A nurse consultant, general practitioner (GP) and pharmacist used the presenting complaints in the patients’ records to independently stream the patient to primary care services, non-National Health Services or ED. Statistical analysis of level of agreement was undertaken. A stakeholder focus group reviewed the results.

Adult health consumers attending ED and urgent care services in North East London.

The health user survey identified younger rather than older users (mean age of 35.6 years – SD 15.5), where 50% had not seen a health professional about their concern, with over 40% unable to obtain a convenient or emergency appointment with their GP. Over a third of the attendees were already receiving treatment and over 40% of these saw their complaint as an emergency. Over half of respondents expected to see a doctor, one-quarter expected to see a nurse and only 1% expected to see a pharmacist across both services, although WiCs are nurse-led services. More respondents expected a prescription from a visit to a WiC, whereas in the ED a third of respondents sought health advice or reassurance.

A number of unscheduled care strategies are, or have just been, developed with the emphasis on moving demand into community-based services. Plurality of services provides service users with a range of alternative access points but can cause duplication of services and repeat attendance. Managing continued increase in emergency and unscheduled care is a challenge. The uncertainties in prospective decision making could be used to inform service development and delivery.

Dementia in the elderly constitutes a growing challenge in healthcare worldwide, including Hungary. There is no previous report on the role of general practitioners in the management of dementia.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the Hungarian general practitioners’ attitude toward their patients living with dementia as well as dementia care. Our goal was also to assess their willingness and habits in assessing dementia. Additionally we wanted to explore the role of education about dementia, and its impact on their attitude in dementia management.

As part of a large survey, a self-administered questionnaire was filled out voluntarily by 402 of general practitioners. According to our preset criteria, 277 surveys were selected for evaluation. Descriptive statistical analysis and Likert-scale analysis were performed.

Half of the doctors (49.8%) indicated that they conducted a test to assess cognitive functions in case of suspicion. Among the respondents who did not assess, 50.0% of physicians cited lack of time as the main reason for not doing so and 14.4% of them had not proper knowledge of testing methods. The respondents most often mentioned feelings toward their patients with dementia, were regret (Likert-scale mean: 3.33), helplessness (3.28) and sadness (3.07). The majority of physicians thought the treatment of dementia was difficult (4.46). Most of the respondents (81.2%) indicated that in the past 2 years they had not participated in any training about dementia. Those practitioners who had participated in some form of education were less likely to feel helpless facing a patient with dementia, and education also determined their approach to dementia care.