Minor Illness Manchester 2 3 4 May 2025

This 3-day interactive classroom course in Manchester  course is designed to empower clinicians with the essential knowledge and practical skills to assess, diagnose, and manage minor illness presentations commonly encountered in primary care settings. Covering conditions related to the ear, skin, abdomen, respiratory system, ENT, and eyes, this course emphasises identifying red flags, enhancing clinical decision-making, and applying effective safety netting strategies.

Course Aims

• Equip healthcare professionals with the skills to assess, diagnose, and manage minor illnesses confidently.
• Encourage critical engagement with evidence-based practices in minor illness management.
• Foster professional growth through a focus on the Advanced Practice 4 Pillars: Clinical Practice, Leadership, Education, and Research.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, participants will:

1. Understand and apply the Advanced Practice 4 Pillars in managing minor illnesses.
2. Develop practical skills in assessing common ENT, respiratory, abdominal, skin, and eye conditions.
3. Enhance abilities in identifying red flags, making informed clinical decisions, and implementing safety netting strategies.
4. Reflect on and integrate evidence-based practices into their clinical approach to minor illness care.

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for:

• Primary care clinicians and general practitioners managing minor illnesses.
• Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs), Pharmacists, and Allied Healthcare Professionals in urgent care or primary care settings.
• Healthcare professionals seeking to develop skills in minor illness management aligned with Advanced Practice 4 Pillars.

Introduction to Advanced Practice and Minor Illness Management

• Overview of the 4 Pillars of Practice and course objectives.
• Role of advanced practice in minor illness care.
• Importance of clinical decision-making and recognizing red flags.
• Principles of safety netting.

ENT and Respiratory Conditions

• Common ear disorders: otitis media, otitis externa, earwax impaction.
• Respiratory presentations: URTI, bronchitis, asthma exacerbations.
• Red flags: respiratory distress, persistent cough, unexplained hearing loss.

Abdominal Pain in Primary Care

• Common causes: gastritis, IBS, constipation, gastroenteritis.
• Red flags: acute abdomen, appendicitis, biliary colic.
• Decision-making and safety netting in abdominal conditions.

Skin Conditions in Primary Care

• Common conditions: eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, impetigo.
• Red flags: cellulitis, skin cancers.
• Treatment and referral strategies.

Eye Conditions

• Common complaints: conjunctivitis, foreign body, dry eye syndrome.
• Red flags: acute glaucoma, sudden vision loss, eye trauma.
• Decision-making and management strategies.

Gynae Conditions

• Overview of common gynecological disorders.
• Focused eLearning: contraception, menopause, abnormal uterine bleeding.

Decision-Making and Safety Netting

• Frameworks for clinical decision-making.
• Recognising common red flags across all systems.
• Effective patient communication and follow-up.

Evidence-Based Practice in Minor Illness

• Importance of current research and guidelines in prescribing and treatment.
• Application of antimicrobial stewardship in primary care.

Course Features

• 6 months access to course materials.
• Membership in a WhatsApp discussion forum for peer and expert interaction.
• 10% discount on future courses.
• Free access to a Minor Illness Update Webinar.
• eLearning content with recorded sessions, including:
  • Chest Pain in General Practice
  • Women’s Health
  • Mental Illness
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship

Lecturers