In our first 'Big Interview' of the year, Pulse editor Sofia Lind speaks to the new chair of the RCGP, Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, to discuss the role of the college in a particularly tumultuous time for the profession.

The pair discuss the RCGP's position and approach to new-look GP contract consultations - in which the college is now involved alongside other stakeholders, as revealed exclusively by Pulse last year.

Professor Tzortziou Brown reflects on how the contract needs to change; relations with the BMA; as well as advising the Government on its new workforce strategy - with a focus on retaining experienced GPs.

She also shares her thoughts on how GPs need to be kept at the centre of the implementation of neighbourhood services as the 10-year plan is rolled out, as well as how access and continuity in general practice are not mutually exclusive.

For this month's clinical section, senior journalist Maya Dhillon is joined by Pulse clinical adviser Dr Keith Hopcroft to look over a new report suggesting that mandatory NT-proBNP testing before heart failure referral would improve diagnosis of the condition in primary care.

Their discussion focus on a much-debated report published by The Alliance for Heart Failure, which suggests that the condition is routinely being missed in primary care, and that GP practices and CDCs are not following 2010 NICE guidelines requiring the use of NT-proBNP testing to rule out heart failure.

This episode was produced by Maya Dhillon and Mollie Fraser-Andrews.

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This episode was produced by Maya Dhillon and Mollie Fraser-Andrews.