Red Whale Primary Care Pod
Welcome to the Primary Care Pod from Red Whale – join GPs Nik Kendrew and guests as each month they discuss a roundup of four key topics for primary care clinicians, which can also be found in our popular free Pearls.
We look at the evidence, the guidelines and the media coverage and make learning together as a primary care community as relaxing and enjoyable as possible. We invite you to nominate your primary care heroes and share your best intentions stories. So, grab a cuppa or put on your trainers and head out for some fresh air whilst you enjoy this month’s podcast.
We'd love to hear your feedback by email - podcast@redwhale.co.uk or leave us a voice message - https://www.speakpipe.com/RedWhalePrimaryCarePod
Red Whale Primary Care Pod
Who is eligible for cervical cancer screening, and how do you decide whether varicella post-exposure prophylaxis is needed?
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 and people with a cervix aged 25–64y who have tested negative for HPV and have no other risk factors (those living with HIV will be offered an annual screen).
- Varicella vaccination- this will finally be rolled out as part of the UK childhood vaccination schedule from 1 January 2026 – this is good news. What you might have missed is that guidance on post-exposure prophylaxis from the UKHSA has changed…wait for it…3 times in the past 2 years! We share our article on varicella and provide everything you need to know to decide whether post-exposure prophylaxis is needed.
Listen as soon as you can to ensure you have full access to all the free resources.
Cervical cancer screening
Cancer Research UK - cervical cancer screening (more information about HPV triage and what the results mean)
LGBT Health - smear leaflet (specific information leaflet for lesbian and bisexual women)
OUTpatients – cancer risk and screening
OUTpatients – trans clinics offering cervical screening
Varicella
UKHSA guidance on post exposure prophylaxis for chickenpox and shingles
GP Trainee Essentials support package information, and the Red Whale Calendar for October 2025
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Disclaimer: We make every effort to ensure the information in this podcast is accurate and correct at the date of publication, but it is of necessity of a brief and general nature, and this should not replace your own good clinical judgement, or be regarded as a substitute for taking professional advice in appropriate circumstances. In particular, check drug doses, side-effects and interactions with the British National Formulary. Save insofar as any such liability cannot be excluded at law, we do not accept any liability for loss of any type caused by reliance on the information in this podcast.