Richard Baker

Prof Emeritus, Leicester. Primary care is good for health.

[The British Journal of General Practice @BJGPjournal]

Higher #GeneralPractice funding, more fully qualified GPs per 1000 patients, improved continuity, and some measures of clinical care were associated with higher patient life expectancy https://t.co/kpBW2QIhkh @Richard41698459 @uniofleicester @UoLPressOffice #PrimaryCare

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

@danielgoyal Should we recognise more often that delay in, or not getting, an appointment with a GP can have health consequences? Patients of practices with fewer GPs have lower life expectancy: https://t.co/Wsgd8ElTEo

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

@swoolnough @TheKingsFund There's been little discussion of the decline in general practice as a possible small contributory factor in the flatlining of life expectancy. But life expectancy is associated with GP numbers and funding for practices (https://t.co/Wsgd8ElTEo).

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

@danielgoyal Higher numbers of fully qualified GPs and higher payments per patient to practices are associated with higher life expectancy: https://t.co/Wsgd8ElTEo

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

Does shortage of GPs matter? A cross-sectional study of practice population life expectancy https://t.co/Wsgd8ElTEo In England, numbers of fully qualified GPs are associated with the life expectancy of general practice populations.

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

UK government keeping files on teaching assistants and librarians’ internet activity https://t.co/RXjpRvhoUf

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

Doi:10.1001/jamasurgery.2023.2742
US study showing lower mortality in 6 the months following emergency general surgery among patients having a primary care visit in year before hospital admission. More evidence of the importance of primary care in health care outcomes.

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

@davesheph @Azeem_Majeed My 2 week GP placement (all the GP teaching we had in those days - 1973) coincided with a measles outbreak. It was one home visit after another to see ill children with running eyes, fever, cough and rash, plus various complications. A nasty disease easily prevented.

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

Vaccine hesitancy may explain higher covid deaths in Republicans in Florida & Ohio. See: Excess Death Rates for Republican and Democratic Voters in Florida and Ohio During the COVID-19 Pandemic https://t.co/jqnSI0XvL9

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

Association of Established Primary Care Use With Postoperative Mortality Following Emergency General Surgery Procedures https://t.co/dkyx0FJVYy
US evidence showing prior use of primary care associated with lower post op mortality - shows the value of primary care.

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

Improving life expectancy with primary health care https://t.co/iJLUAMOpKX
Primary care saves lives. J o PHC editorial has summary of the mechanisms & discusses some implications. But 15 yrs to reach numbers of GPs needed even if new NHS plan succeeds.

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

‘the UK seems to have a more specialist-dominated mix of doctors than average for our basket of countries’ Says Kings Fund report How does the NHS compare to the health systems of other countries. UK once led the world in primary care. What went wrong?

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

Lessons From Across the Pacific—Health Policy Debates Worth Having, Part 1 https://t.co/YTdaAPiqG5
Here is a US commentator looking enviously at countries building strong primary care. Can we restore primary care in this country too?

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

In-Hospital Deaths From ACSCs Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic https://t.co/jHd6ALMBTc
Should the Covid inquiry consider the role of primary care in the pandemic? The findings in this paper about hospital deaths in Japan suggests it ought to.

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

@kamleshkhunti @dundeeuni @uniofleicester @LDC_tweets @SouthAsianHF @LRWEUnit @EthnicHealthRes @ARC_EM Well done, Dundee, great to have recognised the achievements of an old student, and many congratulations to Kamlesh. Simply brilliant.

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

@danielgoyal Well said. Year after year of avoidable deaths because of decisions about the funding and staffing of health and social care.

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

Testing for Covid on hospital admission stopped in England in August 2022 and in September in Scotland. In both countries new hospital onset infections increased. Did we stop testing too soon?
Pak et al. Doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.1261

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

@MichaelMarmot The global inequalities are breathtaking. There is a long way to go before we humans can claim to be a civilised species.

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

@bmj_latest @WHO The combination of care for NCDs and maternal and child health sound much like primary health care. Comprehensive PHC needs better support and funding in too many low income countries.

[Richard Baker @Richard41698458]

@NuffieldTrust These figures are alarming. It’s irresponsible to rely on international recruits to such an extent.