The New Contract which came into force on April 1st 1990 includes proposals for the provision of minor surgery services by the General Practitioner. The aim of this book is to assist those doctors undertaking minor surgery in their Practices. It is intended to present a practical, clear and concise text. This is accompanied by easy to follow illustrations. The contents of the book are governed by two considerations. Firstly, it covers only those procedures which are safe for the patient. Secondly, it only includes minor surgery which it is possible for the ordinary General Practitioner in a busy practice to undertake. Vll Chapter One The Advantages of Minor Surgery in General Practice Minor Surgery:- Despite this descriptive term, no surgery can be considered "minor" no matter where it is carried out! It requires a knowledge of anatomy and basic surgical principles. There must be an understanding of the procedures and technical skills required. Careful planning is needed at all stages. Arrangements must also be made to deal with any complications and disasters which may occur. Having stated these provisos, however, surgical procedures can and should be an important part of general practice within the British National Health Service (NHS). There are many advantages to be gained, both for patient and doctor, when minor surgery is undertaken by the general practitioner.

Minor surgery is part of the everyday practice of many doctors, with procedures such as lancing of abcesses or skin-tag removal increasingly carried out in a community setting. This full-colour atlas presents the 30 or so most common minor surgical procedures undertaken by the general practitioner, junior hospital doctor or surgeon. An introductory section describes the basic principles and equipment needed. For each procedure, brief text outlines the pathology, diagnosis, surgical principles and potential complications, accompanied by colour photographs illustrating the technique.

This authoritative, highly illustrated text and color atlas provides a systematic guide to commonly performed minor surgical and dermatology procedures. Accompanied by video clips, this critical resource on skin and minor surgery is designed for all trainees and practitioners, including experienced surgeons, dermatologists, family doctors, nurses, and the supporting healthcare team. Divided into four main color-coded sections, the book covers essential background information including postoperative management and aftercare, the key knowledge required for diagnosis and management, and the skills necessary to perform procedures step by step. Comprehensive coverage—Learn to perform a whole range of procedures from small skin surgical procedures to vasectomy Step-by-step techniques—See how to perform each technique with numerous color illustrations, animations and video clips Practical advice, boxes, tables, warnings, and indications of difficulty level—Achieve success and avoid common pitfalls Authoritative yet contemporary—Gain wisdom from this long-established, trusted book brought completely up to date by today’s practitioners

General Practice is undergoing the most major series of changes since the introduction of the National Health Service in 1948. They concern both concepts of care and practical details of the way care is delivered. In spite of the hostility generated by the changes most of the broad general concepts have been accepted. The principle of patients having more choice is widely supported, the inclusion of preventive medicine and anticipatory care in the responsibilities of practice has few opponents, the introduction of audit as a way of improving performance has been generally welcomed. Even the idea of putting GPs in better financial management of patients and drug budgets has had supporters in principle. The antipathy has generally related to the method of introduction of these changes. One important concern has been the time requirements of the New Contract and the feeling that these will erode the real nature of our work: the close personal relationship with patients. If we improve the quality of our management this is less likely to happen. We shall be able to work within the New Contract and retain the quality of service we pro vide. If we improve the understanding of our staff of what we are trying to achieve we are more likely to reach the targets that we set whilst keeping people happy. vii This book sets out to explain the New Contract.

This authoritative, highly illustrated text and color atlas provides a systematic guide to commonly performed minor surgical and dermatology procedures. Accompanied by video clips, this critical resource on skin and minor surgery is designed for all trainees and practitioners, including experienced surgeons, dermatologists, family doctors, nurses,