Royal College of General Practitioners - Online Learning Environment

Atopic conditions such as asthma, eczema, allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and food allergy commonly present in primary care. In the last few years we have seen tragic deaths from food allergies make the headlines, and we know that over 2% of children in the UK are affected by peanut allergy, with estimates of lifetime prevalence for any food allergy reaching around 20%. Allergic rhinitis is even more common, affecting up to 50% of the population worldwide; it is often seen as a mere summer inconvenience but is more significant than this, being associated with poorly controlled asthma and impaired performance in school exams and at work. The National Review of Asthma Deaths serves as a timely reminder that allergy is a key consideration in severe asthma, with trigger factors being recorded for under half of those featured in the report. Eczema also has a significant effect on quality of life; children with eczema are more likely to be bullied, to miss school, and to have poor school performance than their peers and are at a higher risk of depression than the general population.

The RCGP allergy hub provides a variety of resources to help learners to improve their knowledge on allergy. The eLearning course on allergy has four modules which between them cover all of the atopic conditions already discussed. A pre and post course MCQ allows users to test the improvement in their knowledge after doing the course.

There are also a variety of podcasts which cover different aspects of the diagnosis and management of allergy in primary care, particularly the difference between IgE mediated and non-IgE mediated allergy. Non-IgE mediated allergy can be more difficult to diagnose, because symptoms may present some time after the allergen was ingested, and may not be initially recognised as being allergic in origin. The connection between asthma and allergic rhinitis is discussed, using the concept of the one-airway theory. Pollen food syndrome, otherwise known as oral allergy syndrome, is also the subject of a podcast; whilst this allergy is usually mild and short lived, it can cause anxiety if oral symptoms are incorrectly interpreted as the start of a more sever reaction. In many of our courses and podcasts we attempt to do some myth busting, so that patients can access accurate information from their GPs, and any incorrect assumptions can be challenged. Finally, there are four short screencasts which provide bite-sized updates for the time-pressed GP who wants to know more about eczema, peanut allergy, asthma or allergic rhinitis.

References:

• https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/food-allergy/
• https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/allergic-rhinitis/ 
• https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/eczema-atopic/ 
• Walker S, Khan-Wasti S, Fletcher M et al. Seasonal allergic rhinitis is associated with a detrimental effect on examination performance in United Kingdom teenagers: case-control study. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007 Aug;120(2):381-7. 
• de la Hoz Caballer B, Rodríguez M, Fraj J, Cerecedo I, Antolín-Amérigo D, Colás C. Allergic rhinitis and its impact on work productivity in primary care practice and a comparison with other common diseases: the Cross-sectional study to evAluate work Productivity in allergic Rhinitis compared with other common dIseases (CAPRI) study. Am J Rhinol Allergy. 2012 Sep-Oct;26(5):390-4 
• Royal College of Physicians. Why asthma still kills. May 2014. https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/why-asthma-still-kills

Developed in collaboration with the Intensive Care Society, this webinar allows you to hear from the multi-professional team in Intensive Care to understand some of the rehabilitation needs of patients post-COVID-19 critical illness. The webinar covers:

• The challenges around recovery of communication and swallowing post ICU.
• The psychological impact of COVID-19 recovery and what to look out for.
• The breathless ICU survivor post coronavirus infection - heart, lungs or muscle as the problem?

The crux of the diabetes hub revolves around the 2022 updates to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on the management of people with type 2 diabetes. Courses of 15-30 minutes explain the change in emphasis from a target-driven and glucocentric approach towards a greater focus on cardio-renal risk reduction. This shift in focus places the assessment of current and future cardiovascular risk at the centre of treatment. There are courses on the challenges of polypharmacy in diabetes, lifestyle modification, the low GI diet in the context of diabetes and the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme. 

Why does primary care need to know about women’s health?

The 2022 women’s health strategy showed that women spend a significantly greater proportion of their lives in ill health and disability compared to men; a majority of women who responded to the survey felt that there had been times when their voices were not listened to when accessing healthcare. Specific concerns were that symptoms were not taken seriously, that significant self-advocacy was needed to reach a diagnosis, and that there were limited opportunities to discuss the possible treatments. There are a variety of medical needs and life stages which are specific to women, including cervical and breast screening, dysfunctional menstruation, the need for contraception, care during pregnancy and the postnatal period, and management of the menopause. Breast cancer, which is vastly more common in women than in men, is the commonest UK cancer, with two other female specific cancers (uterus and ovary) listed in the 20 most common UK cancers. Cancers of the cervix and vulva are less common (with cancer of the cervix reducing in incidence due to HPV vaccination), but it remains important that we maintain a high index of suspicion for symptoms which could represent a malignancy of any part of the female tract.

This hub concerns illnesses and life stages which are relevant to those of the female sex, and so the words woman/women/female and the pronouns she/her are used throughout the resources. Some of our patients for whom these illnesses and life stages are relevant will have a gender identity which is not female. Their chosen pronouns should be respected and used.

Women’s health eLearning

This hub contains courses which cover the main female cancers – endometrial, cervical, vulval and ovarian, as well as information about prevention of, and screening for, breast cancer. The course on endometriosis discusses the presentation and initial decision making process around whether to treat empirically in primary care or refer for a diagnosis. The decision on whether a formal diagnosis, only available via laparoscopy, is necessary at first presentation, needs to be made by the woman and her GP and will depend on a variety of factors including severity of symptoms and whether there is a current wish to conceive. There is also a course on heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) which starts from the assessment of a patient with HMB and discusses the current guidelines and how to assess the risk of endometrial pathology and use this to make decisions about whether to treat empirically, investigate in primary care, or refer at first presentation.

The course on contraception covers all currently available methods and uses an interactive approach, case studies and videos to provide education about the mode of action and efficacy of each method, the common myths and how to refute them, and broader issues which women seeking contraception may want to consider. Concepts such as quick-start and bridging contraception are also discussed. The menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is covered in a module aimed at generalists which discusses the identification and management of the menopause and perimenopause, what women need to know about HRT and how to start it, as well as the specific features that apply to women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), many of whom will need referral to secondary care.

The hub also contains a variety of podcasts. Some of these cover the same subjects as the courses – a podcast sometimes allows more in depth discussion of an aspect of care where management may not be clear-cut; where there is a podcast and a course, they usually cover different facets of the condition and so it is worth accessing both resources. There are also podcasts on subjects which do not have a course on the hub, such as influenza (flu) vaccination in pregnant women, and women’s health and migraine.

References:

• https://www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/womens-health-strategy-call-for-evidence/outcome/results-of-the-womens-health-lets-talk-about-it-survey
• https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/incidence/common-cancers-compared#heading-Zero

This is a recording of a live conference that took place on 23 April 2026. This recording will be available to view until 21 January 2026.

Lifestyle medicine is a global medical discipline, teaching clinicians behavioural techniques to support patients with some of the root causes of ill health. These include assessing and addressing financial stress, poor mental wellbeing, social isolation, inactivity, poor quality food, poor sleep/shift work and harmful substances or behaviours such as smoking, alcohol, vaping and harmful tech use. Lifestyle medicine provides one-to-one assessment and support but requires wider public health population level interventions. The aim of these interventions is to prevent, treat and potentially reverse ill health whilst minimising the need for long-term medications.

The RCGP have analysed feedback following the overwhelming success of the first Lifestyle medicine ODE in April 2025 to develop a more rounded understanding of the subject area. This One Day Essentials Lifestyle medicine conference will describe lifestyle medicine practice and how it is applied in everyday clinical practice for GPs. The conference will cover the RCGP GP with extended role in lifestyle medicine pathway, the evidence for lifestyle medicine and where it sits with population and public health, how this practice can be used to reduce health inequity, avoid over-diagnosis and over-prescribing.

This year’s focus is on how to help people to improve sleep, reduce loneliness and isolation, address tech harms in particular amongst children.

Learning objectives:

• Define lifestyle medicine
• Describe how public health and population health interventions can be complemented by lifestyle medicines one-to-one support
• List the evidence for lifestyle medicine interventions, particularly for child health
• Develop skills to assess and intervene around the pillars of lifestyle medicine in particular around social isolation, tech harms and sleep
• Describe how lifestyle medicine can be used to address inequity
• List how lifestyle medicine can improve sustainable practice
• Describe how art and time in nature can improve health outcomes

Topics: 

• What is lifestyle medicine and introduction to RCGP GP with extended role in lifestyle medicine
• The evidence for lifestyle medicine and how it works with public and population health
• Lifestyle medicine is sustainable medicine and can improve planetary health
• Social prescribing, green space, art, sleep interventions and reducing harms from tech including social media
• Lifestyle medicine and health inequalities
• Interactive session sharing practical tips on how to fit a lifestyle assessment into a short consultation

Conference chair:

Dr Ellen Fallows, GP and expert in obesity and lifestyle medicine

Men experience significant health inequalities in the UK. Around one in five men will not live to reach retirement age, and many serious conditions are diagnosed late because men are less likely to seek medical advice early, particularly for mental, sexual, or reproductive health concerns.

Primary care sits at the centre of this challenge. Most men will only discuss sensitive issues with their GP, making general practice the critical setting for earlier detection, prevention, and intervention.

At the same time, several major trends are reshaping men’s health. Sperm counts have fallen by around 50% globally over the past 50 years, and around 90% of initial subfertility consultations occur in primary care. This means GPs increasingly need the knowledge and confidence to begin appropriate assessment, initiate investigations, and guide patients through early management and referral pathways.

The RCGP One Day Essentials Men’s health conference is designed to support clinicians in managing the conditions that commonly present in practice but are often under-recognised or difficult to navigate. Through practical teaching and case-based discussion, expert speakers will provide clear frameworks for assessment and management.

More than 2000 clinicians attended last year’s conference, reflecting the growing demand for practical education in this area.

The climate emergency is a health emergency. Primary care accounts for approximately 23% of NHS England’s emissions footprint; this hub contains courses to help GPs who want to advocate for climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Most primary care emissions are associated with prescribing; the first course ‘Introduction to sustainable healthcare’ gives an overview of the links between planetary health and our patients’ health and introduces “Delivering a net zero National Health Service”, the report which sets emissions targets for the NHS. It discusses how we can promote initiatives such as active travel and social prescribing, ways to reduce overprescribing and overdiagnosis, and the contributions that diet, exercise and patient empowerment can make to good clinical care and reduction of emissions.

Inhalers make up a large percentage of clinical emissions and the second course, ‘High quality and low carbon respiratory care’ discusses changes that we can make. Moving from metered dose inhalers (MDIs) to dry powder inhalers (DPIs) reduces emissions and often benefits patients, who may find DPIs easier to use, improving adherence. For patients who cannot move from an MDI, changing the brand or dose per puff can also reduce greenhouse gases from their inhaler. The importance of good asthma control is also discussed, with reference to the National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD). References such as Greener Practice can help practices to improve asthma care whilst reducing emissions and meeting the requirements of the Investment and Impact Fund (IIF).

The final eLearning course, ‘Understanding non-clinical carbon and general practice’ considers the four key areas in which change can be made – energy, travel, business services and medical and office goods and equipment. Understanding the energy hierarchy and the circular economy, reducing waste and making environmentally responsible choices may also improve the health of primary care staff and save money for the practice. The NHS Net Zero Supplier Road Map is explained, as is how to draw up a practice green action plan and make better procurement choices.

The hub also links to the population and planetary health topic guide in the RCGP curriculum, and has a webinar presented by the RCGP’s faculty climate and sustainability group, which shares practical ideas that could help GPs to get started in sustainable healthcare.

This toolkit contains five NUBs, designed to cover the key areas related to cancer in primary care. The majority of patients who are diagnosed with cancer present with non-specific symptoms, rather than clear red flags; the early diagnosis NUB covers the factors which slow down diagnosis for these patients, and how to address them on an individual and systems level. Two NUBs will discuss pre-cancer issues (screening and smoking/vaping), and the final two cover the patient journey after diagnosis. With more patients than ever surviving cancer, the survivorship NUB gives some ideas for holistic primary care for this cohort, and the end of life NUB talks about the principles of providing good end of life care. An extensive resources list signposts to other eLearning on this subject and to more detailed information on symptom control, commissioning, and how services can vary by country of the UK.

This is a recording of a live conference that took place on 24 March 2026. This recording will be available to view until 24 December 2026.

Sexual and reproductive health needs are an important aspect of the holistic care we provide for our patients and cover a wide range of concerns. This One Day Essentials in sexual health will cover a variety of topics including updates on frequently managed concerns and some that require new and evolving management. All the expert speakers appreciate the demands of primary care and will include many tips and recommendations to improve the care you offer and to share with other members of your primary care team.

Learning Objectives:

• To gain confidence in addressing sexual health as part of the holistic care offered
• Update on new developments 
• Managing cases that are typically presented in the primary care setting
• Appreciate psychosexual concerns and how these may present and be managed in the primary care setting
  
  

Topics include:

• Psychosexual health
• Erectile dysfunction/premature ejaculation
• A primary care approach to vaginal discharge
• STIs that affect the skin
• Case-based safeguarding in sexual health
• Contraception update
• Sexual health and the menopause
  
  

Conference Chair:

Dr Toni Hazell FRCGP, GP and RCGP eLearning fellow

Available until 15 January 2026.

GPs are the first port of call for women’s health issues. We manage the majority of them without recourse to secondary care, even though the amount of time that medical school and vocational training devotes to subjects such as contraception and the menopause can be variable. When we do refer, our patients wait for many months or years, during which we manage symptoms and answer our patients’ questions. 

In this One Day Essentials conference, Dr Toni Hazell and a group of leading speakers will focus on essential information, latest evidence, practical tips and take-home messages to help improve practice and patient outcomes. The primary care perspective will be foremost in all of the talks, with consideration of the real-life decisions that we make every day whilst working in an under-resourced system. There will be ample opportunity for questions. 

Learning Objectives:

• To gain confidence in the management of women’s health issues in primary care, and knowledge of when referral is appropriate. 
• To understand the updated NICE guideline on menopause and how to explain complex issues of risks and benefits to women contemplating HRT, as well as being aware of the British Menopause Society guidance on unscheduled bleeding on HRT and how this might affect your referral decisions. 
• To understand how to manage suspected endometriosis in primary care and how decisions on referral should be individualised depending on factors such as symptom severity and desire to conceive. 
• To be updated on contraception and the latest thinking in PCOS. 
• To be aware of the NICE guidelines on familial cancer risk and know how to manage a patient who presents with concerns about genetic risks of cancer. 
• To be able to talk to women holistically throughout their life and give sensible advice when asked about lifestyle and complementary medicine.  

Topics include:

• Menopause update: What NICE did and did not say in 2024?
• Bleeding on HRT
• Contraception cluedo: Update your contraceptive knowledge for 2025
• Endometriosis
• Familial cancer
• PCOS 
• Holistic women's health throughout the life cycle 

Conference chair

Dr Toni Hazell, GP and RCGP eLearning fellow