Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge

Call for abstracts on any topic relating to research and educational activities in primary care! 👇

Dr Mohammad Sharif Razai said, “The data informs that uptake is growing, but in uneven ways, with disparities in ethnicity and socio-economic status. This points to the need for equitable, targeted public health strategies for people to make informed decisions; particularly in communities with historically lower uptake.”

The first UK-based analysis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine uptake during pregnancy and its association with perinatal outcomes has found no evidence of increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes among vaccinated women.

Read more: www.phpc.cam.ac.uk/news/new-stu...

There's still time to submit your abstracts to the Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) South East 2026 Conference!

Send us your presentation, workshop and creative enquiry abstracts on 'advancing equity in primary care: building healthier communities together’:

www.phpc.cam.ac.uk/sapc-se-2026

🎉We're pleased to share that @arceastofengland.bsky.social, hosted by @cpft-nhs.bsky.social, has secured £15.3m from @nihr.bsky.social to deliver impactful applied research tackling health & care inequalities and improving outcomes for all over the next 5 years.

🔗 arc-eoe.nihr.ac.uk/news-blogs/n...

Sign up for tomorrow's hybrid Bradford Hill Seminar with Professor Danny Dorling of @ox.ac.uk. He'll be discussing the politics of epidemiology & public health in the UK

📅 Wed 15 October, 1 PM (UK)

Register - buff.ly/wblZfOx

@dphpc.bsky.social @mrc-bsu.bsky.social @phgfoundation.bsky.social

A randomised controlled trial to assess the feasibility and acceptability of remote psychosocial and exercise interventions for people with lupus: The ADAPT feasibility trial - Rheumatology International Limited psychosocial support is available for people with lupus despite the highly reduced quality of life. This study assessed the acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness estimations, of three (two psychosocial, one exercise) interventions. Lupus patients (N = 124) were randomised to a control arm or one of three interventions delivered remotely over 8–12 weeks: (1) listening support (The Wren project), (2) online Pilates classes, and (3) a text message and video support programme. Online follow up surveys post-intervention and six-months post-baseline included validated instruments for depression (PHQ-8), fatigue (FACIT-F), resilience (CD-RISC), acceptability measures and our co-designed “ADAPT” measure. A subsample of participants completed qualitative interviews. Hedge’s g and linear regression were used to estimate effectiveness. All interventions were feasible in terms of recruitment, time, and costs, and met the pre-defined acceptability criteria of > 75% rating the intervention as acceptable/highly acceptable. Helpfulness ratings were highest for listening support with 89% rating it as often/always helpful (62% for Pilates and 52% for Text/videos). Proportions of participants reporting that the intervention had made them feel better mentally often/always was 71% for The Wren, 57% for Pilates and 48% for the text/video group. Qualitatively, the listening support participants valued the “safe space” to talk, and several of the exercise class participants reported improvements to physical and mental health. Although the text message and video programme was acceptable, feasible, and very low cost, 41% of participants would rather have received a different intervention. Suggested text/video adaptations included greater tailoring, particularly to stage of disease journey. Attendance was low for Pilates (only 55% attended > 50% of classes). Estimates of effectiveness favoured all interventions compared to control, although most improvements reduced with time. The interventions were feasible to deliver and acceptable to patients, with indications of potential effectiveness. Further studies are needed to determine effectiveness.Trial registration: ISRCTN72406488.

Over 8-12 weeks, programmes in listening support, pilates and text/video support all showed signs of improving fatigue, depression and resilience.

Read the full journal article here:

link.springer.com/article/10.1...

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Dr Melanie Sloan, Lead researcher of the ADAPT Feasibility Study and Head of the Long-Term Conditions Research Group said: "“The impact of these diseases on lives is huge, and people need much more support than they are currently getting. We hope to co-design and trial more interventions in order to help people adapt to these life-changing diseases.”

A new study led by our Long-Term Conditions Research Group has found that psychosocial and exercise interventions contribute to improving the lives of patients with lupus.

Read the article in the thread below.

#Lupus #Fatigue #MentalHealth #Pilates #PatientSupport

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Submit your abstracts to the Society for Academic Primary Care South East 2026 Conference!

We are now accepting submissions for presentations, workshops and creative enquiries for SAPC SE 2026, taking place on 29-30 January 2026 in Cambridge.

Read more:
www.phpc.cam.ac.uk/sapc-se-2026...

Children in care are being turned away by mental health services Jack Smith writes about his experience in the care system and struggles with mental health – and what needs to change

Jack Smith, an expert-by-experience and visiting researcher in our Applied Social Science Group, has published an article in the Big Issue on their experience in the care system and struggles with mental health.

www.bigissue.com/opinion/ment...

🚨 New research: Mental health services are failing young people with social work involvement. Our study shows they are more likely to be turned away, outsourced to other services, or have their liberty restricted. Learn more: www.ncb.org.uk/about-us/med...

⏰Its time to submit your abstracts to the The Society for Academic Primary Care South East Conference 2026!

📆Deadline: 8 November 2025

Find out more here: www.phpc.cam.ac.uk/sapc-se-2026...

@sapc.ac.uk @pcucambridge.bsky.social
#PHPC #PCU #SAPC

Are you a researcher, practitioner, educator or public partners? Submit your abstracts and workshops for the @sapcacuk South East Conference 2026 by 8 November 2025.

Join us in Cambridge on 29-30 January 2026.

Read more here:
www.phpc.cam.ac.uk/sapc-se-2026...

YouTube video by Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge Bella Madden's poem on anticipatory injectable medications in end-of-life care

Bella Madden, our public research partner, shares a heartfelt poem on anticipatory injectable medications in end-of-life care. The poem accompanies a new research paper exploring family carers experiences with these practices.

youtu.be/fHoAaiPG6C8

Read more:

doi.org/10.1177/1744...

Read Markus's innovative service evaluation - Pharmacist-­ led medical therapy in primary care has the potential to significantly improve optimal management in heart failure, reduce cardiovascular mortality and improve quality of life.

Full paper: bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/bmjq...

Text on a blue background reads: Webinar: Timely access to end-of-life medications - tackling a painful problem. Speakers including Professor Sarah Yardley, senior research fellow Sally-Anne Francis, Dr Rosanna Fennessy and Dr Ikumi Okamoto will be exploring this pressing issue at the next webinar from the NIHR ARC Palliative and End of Life Care National Leadership. Microsoft Teams webinar. Tues 16th Sept, 11am-12pm. There is an image of pills coming out of a bottle.

Register for our webinar on Tuesday 16 Sept, 11am-12pm, where will be discussing the pressing issue of timely access to end-of-life medication 👇

events.teams.microsoft.com/event/1dfcdf...

‘Attachment research gave some indication where we could start in trying to parent our seriously unwell daughter’ | BPS Robbie Duschinsky (University of Cambridge) reflects on parenting a profoundly unwell and disabled child whilst undertaking research and writing about attachment.

‘Attachment research gave some indication where we could start in trying to parent our seriously unwell daughter’

Professor Robbie Duschinsky reflects on parenting a profoundly unwell and disabled child whilst undertaking research.

Read the full story:

www.bps.org.uk/psychologist...

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This July and August, @mrcepid.bsky.social members have been working in Singapore with Cambridge CARES, NUS and NTU on Health-Driven Design for Cities (HD4), an ambitious research collaboration seeking to discover how best to design urban environments that support health.

Could an app help change your health?

Users of the NHS Active 10 app, designed to encourage people to become more active, immediately increased their amount of brisk and non-brisk walking upon using the app, according to researchers from the University of Cambridge.

📢 Save the Date!

The Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge, will host the Society for Academic Primary Care South East 2026 Conference, on 29-30 January at Madingley Hall, Cambridge.

Visit our website for more info: www.phpc.cam.ac.uk/sapc-se-2026

#PCU #SAPCSE2026 @pcucambridge.bsky.social

More information on keynote, abstract submission and registration opening will be provided in the coming months.

Visit our website:
www.phpc.cam.ac.uk/sapc-se-2026

#SAPCSE2026 #HealthEquity

📢 Save the Date

The University of Cambridge, Primary Care Unit will host the SAPC [@sapcacuk] South East 2026 Conference.

🗓️ 29–30 Jan, Madingley Hall, Cambridge

This year’s conference theme is 'Advancing equity in primary care: building healthier communities together'.

💡Are you preparing to present your research at an upcoming conference? Or curious what presenting at a research conferences involves?

Registered Nurse and Clinical Academic Prof Candy McCabe provides her top tips in this helpful, comprehensive guide.📝

👉 qicn.org.uk/things-to-co...

Do you have an autoimmune disease?

Help researchers at University of Cambridge understand what triggers or prevents your flares with our anonymous survey to improve care:

bit.ly/4kOQeyg

The survey will close on Friday 18 July 2025!

From research to reality Success in establishing wider transformation efforts as part of the 10-Year Health Plan depends on delivering a research-and-innovation-powered NHS. The report discusses how to achieve this.

With the NHS 10-Year launched today, new RAND Europe research supported by @wellcometrust.bsky.social highlights research & innovation as essential factors enabling NHS transformation, from better care to workforce & economic resilience.

Read the report: www.rand.org/pubs/researc...

Blue screen with NHS logo

We welcome publication of the new 10-year health plan. We're here to build evidence in line with the plan through projects like:
• Evaluating ambient voice technology and launching a new online community
• Supporting design and planning of large-scale change programmes
Find out more: ths.im/4laMCq3

Dr Simon Noah Etkind said, "By using these strategies in practice, healthcare providers can better support patients and their families in making informed decisions amidst the unpredictability of complex health trajectories".

New guidance helps clinicians talk about uncertain prognoses with older adults facing complex health needs.

Co-designed by researchers & patients, the recommendations aim to improve care of people in uncertain health circumstances.

Read more below:

www.phpc.cam.ac.uk/news/cambrid...

Dr Bowers is a clinical academic community nurse and a longstanding member of the Palliative & End of Life Care in Cambridge (PELiCam) team. He is also a Fellow of the Queen's Nursing Institute.

Read Dr Bowers full profile on our website below:
www.phpc.cam.ac.uk/staff/dr-ben...

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Dr Bowers said: “I'm delighted to be taking a senior research leadership role within a world-leading, interdisciplinary department. This highlights the value and unique insights clinical academic nurses bring in advancing evidence-based primary and community care.”

We are pleased to announce that Dr Ben Bowers has been appointed to the role of Assistant Professor of Primary Care within the PCU.

In this new role, Dr Bowers will continue to address complex, system-wide end-of-life care problems and improve dying care at home.

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Your experience matters! 📢

We're researching the triggers that flare-up rheumatology conditions. Shape future care and share your experience in our anonymous survey:
cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Are you a #communitynurse in the UK?

Our researchers are investigating what proportion of community nurses’ work involves providing care for people in their last year of life.

Share your views with our anonymous survey by 30th June:

cambridge.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...