’Role Model’ teachers found to be central to good character education

GPs can be reluctant to refer patients with symptoms of bowel cancer for further investigations, a study by the Universities of Birmingham and Exeter has found. In 2015 the University of Birmingham led the CREDIBLE study, which investigated the feasibility of using electronic patient records to flag up those aged between 60 and 79 needing urgent referral for symptoms of bowel cancer - also known as colorectal cancer. The symptoms are set out by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and include persistent diarrhoea, iron deficiency anaemia, rectal bleeding, or a test showing blood in the stool - also known as positive faecal occult blood tests (FOBt). As part of the CREDIBLE study, the authors interviewed GPs and practice managers at 18 GP practices in Britain to explore attitudinal and contextual influences on GPs in their decisions to refer patients. Professor Tom Marshall , of the University of Birmingham's Institute of Applied Health Research , said: "Our data indicates that GPs in our study were often reluctant to refer patients for a variety of reasons. "In some cases, they were aware of pressure to avoid over-referral and wished to avoid being identified as having a high referral rate. "Some GPs considered that referral would scare patients and weighed this against a low perceived risk of cancer.