Pearls

Red Whale Pearls are our super useful weekly updates for GPs and other primary care clinicians - designed to turn tricky evidence and guidelines into practical advice for consultations, focus on important issues we shouldn't miss and make our lives easier! Sign up to receive our Pearls by email.

Heatwave ready: practical tips for general practice

With the UK’s recent May heatwave and clear signs that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, heat-related illness should be on our radar. In this week’s Pearl, we share our recently-updated article on heat-related illness.
18th June 2026

Bias in healthcare

This Diabetes Week (8-14 June), Diabetes UK is highlighting the harm caused by stigma, reminding us that diabetes is not anyones fault and that the way we talk about it matters. In this Pearl, we explore bias in healthcare - something that impacts us all.
11th June 2026
IDEALFORTRAINEES

Acne

Spot the difference. It’s easy to look at the spotty forehead of a teenager and think of acne as an inconvenient and minor rite of passage. But acne is rarely just skin deep. This month’s Pearl on acne will prepare you for patients quoting skincare influencers.
3rd June 2026

Men’s health: a holistic approach

Discussions around men’s health often focus on urogenital and sexual health. While important, this is only part of the picture. In this week’s Pearl, we share our article Men’s health: a holistic approach, inviting us to step back and take a broader view.
28th May 2026

Dementia: risk factors and prevention

It is Dementia Action Week, and media campaigns often trigger a wide range of consultations about memory, brain fog or future risk of dementia. Our Pearl is here to help!
21st May 2026

Liver disease: GEMS

In this week’s Pearl, we share our coveted Liver disease: GEMS (Guidelines and Evidence Made Simple), which offers a clear, practical framework for interpreting LFTs and spotting early liver disease.
14th May 2026
IDEALFORTRAINEES

Gout

This Pearl on gout will cut through the uric acid crystals to give you a clear roadmap on these conundrums, and much more, leaving you feeling confident in your diagnosis and management of gout.
6th May 2026

Common running injuries

With the London Marathon around the corner and ParkRun never more popular, many of our patients are exploring running or upping their miles. Running brings huge physical and mental health benefits, but can be associated with characteristic overuse and injury patterns.
23rd April 2026

Homelessness

People experiencing homelessness are among the most vulnerable patients we care for, and they face significantly poorer health outcomes.  In this week’s Pearl, we look at practical steps we can take in general practice that can make a difference. 
16th April 2026

Allergic rhinitis and hay fever

We are heading into pollen season and the familiar refrain ‘hay fever really bad, nothing working’ will have hit the triage list. So, we thought it might be the perfect time to share a practical look at allergic rhinitis, including hay fever.
9th April 2026
IDEALFORTRAINEES

Burnout in health professionals

In this week’s Pearl, we explore what burnout really is, why clinicians are particularly at risk, how to recognise the warning signs in yourself and colleagues, and the practical steps that genuinely help.
2nd April 2026

Cancer and frailty

This week’s Pearl provides a clear, practical, general practice approach to cancer and frailty, and focuses on where we can make a positive difference to support person-centred care.
26th March 2026