Royal College of General Practitioners - Online Learning Environment

This is a recording of a live conference that took place on Thursday 26 March 2026. This recording will be available to view until 11 December 2026.

The 30th Managing addictions in primary care conference took place on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 March 2026 in Liverpool. 

Join us and celebrate our 30th anniversary as we bring together pre-eminent experts in the field of substance and behavioural addiction, and offer you the opportunity to listen, learn and network with more than 300 healthcare professionals across the field.

From beginner guides to specialist advice, personal accounts to big picture thinking, - our plenaries and workshops offer something for everyone with an interest in addiction services.   

This conference will reflect on the challenges and improvements over the past thirty years and look forward at how we can improve medicine and support for patients and service users. The programme covers a range of topics both specialised and holistic, and has evolved with the ever-changing addiction care landscape. Alcohol and drug related deaths are at an all-time high in the UK*. This is why harm-reduction, tackling the stigma around addiction to encourage more people to seek help, and understanding how health inequalities impact additions are central focuses this year.   

The standard of the presentations this year was exceptionally high and [] I learned a great deal of new information plus talking points to make me think. Good for networking too. 2025 conference attendee, specialist in addiction psychiatry, Wales, UK

Who attends

All primary care workers including GPs, shared care workers, nurses, specialists, commissioners and researchers. This year we're encouraging medical students to join in.

Increase your knowledge and understanding of:

• Current interventions for the prevention, assessment and treatment of alcohol, other drug problems and behavioural addictions. 
• The requirement for both primary care and specialist interventions, and when to use them.
• Drug and alcohol policies in the UK and how they are implemented in primary care.
• Links between multiple needs, health inequalities and substance misuse.
• The challenges, improvements and primary care work in this area over the last 30 years. 

             

Funded by:

This webinar was funded by Sandoz UK. Sandoz were asked to suggest speakers and topics however, full editorial control remains the sole responsibility of the RCGP. 

Available until 12 May 2026.

This is a recording of a live conference that took place on 22 January 2026. This recording will be available to view until 16 November 2026.

Children and young people make up 25% of consultations in primary care. Amongst the simple and straightforward, there are some complexities and conditions that need careful thought and care. As a GP you are brilliantly placed to support children and young people in every crucial stage of their development, both through the direct care you provide them and the family-centred approaches you take around population health and improving health equity. With the help of an expert group of clinicians, all of whom work in hospital childrens services but with experience of working in partnership with colleagues in primary care, we will equip you to better manage conditions in primary care and to diagnose and treat common childhood illness along with appropriately managing more challenging or complex cases that can come up in children and young people. 

Learning objectives:

• Strengthen skills in recognising and diagnosing a broad range of conditions commonly seen in children and young people
• Increase confidence using the latest evidence in treating key common conditions in children and young people
• Broaden skills in working in partnership with local and specialist paediatricians in managing some of the more challenging or complex cases that can come up in children and young people

Topics: 

• Eczema
• Asthma
• Cow's milk protein intolerance
• ADHD and Autism
• Adolescent gynaecology
• Vaccine preventable diseases

Conference co-chairs:

Dr Sharon Jheeta, Consultant Paediatrician, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 

Dr Bob Klaber, Consultant Paediatrician & Director of Strategy, Research & Innovation, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

This is a recording of a live conference that took place on 11 December 2025. This recording will be available to view until 20 October 2026.

One in two people will be diagnosed with cancer sometime in their lifetime. These patients will present in your primary care practice often, making general practice a fundamental part in achieving good outcomes for cancer patients.

Learning Objectives:

• Update knowledge on the latest evidence for early cancer detection
• Learn to embed safety netting in your clinical practice
• Expand awareness of novel approaches to cancer detection
• Understand non-specific symptom (NSS) presentations and use of rapid diagnostic centres (RDCs)
• Learn how to support cancer patients once diagnosed and living with and beyond their cancer
• Explore the role of primary care networks and wider primary care teams in improving early diagnosis of cancer

Topics include:

• Urgent referrals and non-specific symptom pathways including RDCs
• Safety netting tips and tools
• Cancer testing and detection (including multi-cancer early detection tests)
• Haematological cancer update
• Supporting patients living with cancer including palliative and end of life care
• Cancer hot topics and the future of primary care in cancer

Conference Chair:

Dr Thomas Round MRCGP, General Practitioner and Academic Clinical Research Fellow

This is a recording of a live conference that took place on 4 November 2025. This recording will be available to view until 20 August 2026.

Gastroenterology is one of the major medical specialties and accounts for 10% of all appointments in primary care. The British Society of Gastroenterologists (BSG) estimate that 90% of patients with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are managed in primary care. 

The aims of this conference are to update delegates on the emerging issues, such as the new Faecal Immunochemical Test guidelines and the management of metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (the new name for NAFLD), as well as the more common presentations of GI conditions like dyspepsia, functional bowel disorders and iron deficiency anaemia. 

By the end of the day, you will have more confidence in investigating and managing patients presenting with GI and liver problems, which will improve patient care, result in less referrals to gastroenterology services and benefit service issues around the provision of endoscopy.

Learning objectives:

• How to manage patients with abnormal liver blood tests in primary care
• Provide updates on Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease 
• Provide updates on how to assess and manage patients presenting with lower and upper GI symptoms 
• Provide updates on neuroendocrine tumours 

Topics: 

• Liver disease 
• Gastroesophageal reflux
• Lower and upper GI symptoms
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Neuroendocrine tumours (NETS) 

Conference chair:

Dr Mark Follows, GPwER gastroenterology

Over 2 million people in the UK live with sight loss, and this number is predicted to rise to nearly 4 million by 2050 as our population ages. With eye-related issues accounting for 4.5 million GP consultations annually, GPs are often on the frontline of detecting and managing ophthalmic conditions, yet many feel uncertain due to limited exposure during training.

This interactive, expert-led virtual course is designed to boost your confidence and competence in ophthalmology, helping you recognise red flags, manage common presentations, and make timely referrals. With access to eminent specialists, the day will cover key topics, from acute eye emergencies to chronic conditions, ensuring you leave with actionable skills to implement immediately in your practice.

This One Day Essentials conference will help you deliver better care with confidence. It is an opportunity to sharpen your skills, reduce uncertainty, and improve patient outcome, all in just one day.

 Learning objectives

• Develop a structured approach to assessing common and urgent eye conditions, reducing diagnostic uncertainty.
• Improve your ability to diagnose and manage frequently encountered presentations, including red eye, visual disturbances, and chronic eye disease.
• Gain a deeper understanding of key ophthalmology topics, from glaucoma and macular degeneration to neuro-ophthalmology emergencies.
• Enhance your confidence in recognising red flags that require urgent referral or intervention.
• Learn practical tips for effective patient communication, examination techniques, and when to involve specialists.

Topics

• Glaucoma
• Cataracts
• Macular degeneration
• Eye problems in paediatrics
• Diabetes in the eye
• Red eye
• Generic eyelid problems

Conference chair

Dr Waqaar Shah FRCGP, RCGP Clinical Expert in Eye Health

Bronze sponsor

Moorfields Private Eye Hospital sponsored this conference. Editorial and content decisions were made solely by the RCGP.