Clinical Reading & CPD Blog
Evidence-based guides for UK clinicians — medical journal digests, CPD reading strategies, and staying current with the literature.
Heidi Evidence vs OpenEvidence: Which One Can UK Doctors Actually Use?
For UK clinicians the choice between Heidi Evidence and OpenEvidence is mostly settled by availability rather than quality: one withdrew from the UK, and the other works here with limits that fall hardest on NHS accounts. Here is where each stands, checked against both vendors' own documentation.
This Week in Medical Journals: August 2026 Highlights
The guidance changes worth a UK clinician's attention this month — migraine, hyperkalaemia, giant cell arteritis and multiple sclerosis — each summarised with a link to the detail.
NICE CKS Round-Up — July 2026: Recent Updates for UK Primary Care
Our monthly NICE CKS round-up: the July 2026 Clinical Knowledge Summaries updates that matter in UK primary care, each with a one-line takeaway and a link to the source.
Does Reading Count as CPD?
Reading journals counts as CPD, but only with reflection. What the regulators actually say, what a credit-bearing entry looks like, and the line between reading and CPD.
FourteenFish Alternatives for Logging CPD
The realistic alternatives to FourteenFish for UK doctors, what each does better, and the cases where FourteenFish is still the right answer.
Free CPD Trackers for UK Doctors: The Options
A straight comparison of the free CPD tracking options open to UK doctors, what each one actually covers, and where the hidden cost sits.
How Many CPD Points Do UK Doctors Need?
The GMC does not mandate a credit total — the colleges recommend one. What the 50-a-year figure actually is, where it comes from, and a realistic way to reach it.
ClinicalKey AI vs OpenEvidence: In the UK, It's Not a Choice
A comparison with an unusual answer: OpenEvidence left the UK, ClinicalKey AI didn't — and Elsevier co-developed ClinicalKey AI with OpenEvidence in the first place.
NICE CKS Round-Up — June 2026: Recent Updates for UK Primary Care
Our monthly NICE CKS round-up: the June 2026 Clinical Knowledge Summaries updates that matter in UK primary care, each with a one-line takeaway and a link to the source.
Using AI for Reflective Practice: The Rules for UK Doctors
Can UK doctors use AI to help write reflective practice and appraisal reflections? Yes — within limits. Here is what the GMC and Royal Colleges say, the three lines not to cross, and a workflow that keeps AI on the right side of them.
NICE Heart Failure Update (NG106): SGLT2 Inhibitors Now Span the Ejection-Fraction Spectrum
NICE updated its chronic heart failure guideline (NG106) in September 2025, extending SGLT2 inhibitors and MRAs beyond reduced ejection fraction to mildly-reduced and preserved ejection fraction. Here is what changed, and a plain-English refresher on NG106 for UK clinicians.
NICE NG12 Update, April 2026: What Changed in Suspected-Cancer Referral
NICE reviewed its suspected-cancer referral guideline (NG12) on 15 April 2026, changing three things that matter in primary care: age-banded CA125 thresholds for ovarian cancer, endometrial-cancer referral for postmenopausal bleeding, and a pathway for unexplained weight loss. Here is what changed.
Semaglutide for Cardiovascular Risk: NICE Backs Wegovy Beyond Weight Loss (TA1152)
NICE technology appraisal TA1152 (7 May 2026) recommends semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy) to reduce major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with established cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity, without requiring diabetes. Here is what it says and what it means for UK clinicians.
NICE NG136 Hypertension Update, February 2026: New Advice for Raised Blood Pressure Before Diagnosis
NICE updated its hypertension guideline (NG136) on 26 February 2026 with a new recommendation on healthy-living advice for people with raised blood pressure who do not have diagnosed hypertension. Here is what changed, and a plain-English refresher on NG136 for busy UK clinicians.
Asthma Diagnosis and Treatment in UK Primary Care 2026: What the BTS/NICE/SIGN Guideline (NG245) Changed
NG245 — the joint BTS, NICE and SIGN asthma guideline — overhauled diagnosis (blood eosinophils and FeNO first) and treatment (AIR and MART, the end of SABA-only) for people aged 12 and over. A plain-English guide for UK primary care.
Anticoagulation in Atrial Fibrillation: A UK Primary-Care Guide (NICE NG196)
DOACs first-line, CHA2DS2-VASc to decide who to treat, ORBIT for bleeding risk, and no role for aspirin — NICE NG196 reshaped AF stroke prevention, and the work sits in primary care. A plain-English UK guide, including DOAC choice and the edoxaban-first formulary shift.
SGLT2 Inhibitors for CKD in UK Primary Care 2026: What NICE TA1075 Means in Practice
TA1075 expanded dapagliflozin for CKD to adults without type 2 diabetes, and prescribing SGLT2 inhibitors for kidney protection is now largely a primary-care job. A plain-English guide for UK clinicians — eligibility, the standard-care add-on rule, the early eGFR dip, cautions, and the register review that finds eligible patients.
Who Gets a Statin in 2026? The NICE NG238 Thresholds UK GPs Actually Use
The NICE NG238 lipid pathway shapes how UK primary care prescribes statins. A plain-English guide — QRISK3 thresholds, shared decisions below 10%, atorvastatin 20mg and 80mg, the greater-than-40% non-HDL aim for primary prevention, and the LDL and non-HDL targets for secondary prevention.
Medical Journal Digest vs Medical Podcast: Which Is Better for CPD?
Journal digest or medical podcast — which is the better way for UK doctors to keep current? A practical comparison of retention, CPD value, and time efficiency.
Ad-Free Clinical AI for UK Doctors (2026): The Short List
Ad-free clinical AI is becoming its own category. Here is the short list of tools UK doctors can use that carry no advertising — and the specific job each one does.
Best Medical Journal Digest Apps for UK Doctors
The best medical journal digest apps for iOS and Android in 2026 — compared on offline reading, CPD logging, and what actually works on an NHS commute.
NICE CKS Round-Up — May 2026: Recent Updates for UK Primary Care
Our monthly NICE CKS round-up: the recently updated Clinical Knowledge Summaries topics that matter in UK primary care, each with a one-line takeaway and a link to the source.
What Can You Offer When HRT Isn't Suitable? Fezolinetant and NG23 in 2026
Two menopause guidance changes landed in 2026: NICE recommended fezolinetant as a non-hormonal option for vasomotor symptoms, and updated NG23 on unscheduled bleeding. A plain-English summary for UK clinicians.
Can You Pass MRCP PACES While Working Full Time? A 12-Week Plan for 2026
Yes — twelve focused weeks is enough if you are already clinically current and can protect some bedside time. A station-by-station PACES plan built for registrars working full clinical weeks, plus what changed in 2026: fees up 3.6% from July and Part 1 moving in-centre from September.
Praxis Medicine UK: What It Is, What It Costs, and Where It Fits
Praxis Medicine launched in 2026 as a UK-focused clinical AI search tool. Here's what it does, where its sources come from, and the one job it does not do — keeping you current with the literature.
This Week in Medical Journals: June 2026 Highlights
The guideline changes and developments worth a UK clinician's attention this month — menopause, obesity prescribing, diabetes — each summarised with a link to the detail.
Can You Prescribe Tirzepatide Under QOF 2026/27? The Mounjaro Decision Facing GPs
Tirzepatide for obesity moved into the 2026/27 GP QOF on 1 April 2026. Whether you can actually prescribe it is a local question — a plain-English summary of NICE TA1026 eligibility, the primary-care prescribing model, and what UK GPs need to know.
Red Whale, NEJM Clinician and The Monday Clinical Brief: the £20, £75 and £210 Question
A 2026 UK comparison of Red Whale, NEJM Clinician and The Monday Clinical Brief. Three price points, three different jobs — and an honest case for using them together rather than choosing one.
CPD Reflection Template for Journal Reading
A simple CPD reflection template for UK doctors logging journal reading — with worked examples and guidance for appraisal-ready entries.
Two AI Tools UK Doctors Lost, One Restricted — And What Works in Their Place
OpenEvidence withdrew. ChatGPT for Clinicians launched with the UK excluded. Heidi Evidence restricted its in-session use. Three credible AI tools pulled back from UK point-of-care use in six weeks. Here's the pattern — and the two-tool setup we recommend instead.
How to Log Journal Reading for GMC Revalidation
How to turn the reading you already do into documented CPD your appraiser will accept — with exact examples and a template.
SGLT2 Inhibitors in UK Primary Care 2026: What NICE NG28 Means in Practice
The 2026 NICE NG28 update made SGLT2 inhibitors first-line for most adults with type 2 diabetes. A practical guide to UK primary-care prescribing — agents, eligibility, cautions, sick-day rules, and what still requires metformin.
Heidi Evidence in the UK: What the In-Session Restriction Actually Blocks
Heidi Evidence is available to UK and EU clinicians outside a patient session, including during clinic. What is blocked is querying from inside an active session with patient context — and NHS UK accounts are excluded from Evidence entirely.
NICE NG28 Update, February 2026: Metformin Plus an SGLT2 Inhibitor Is the New Starting Point
The 18 February 2026 NICE NG28 update changes how type 2 diabetes treatment starts: modified-release metformin and an SGLT2 inhibitor together for most adults, semaglutide added for established cardiovascular disease, and earlier use of GLP-1 receptor agonists and tirzepatide. A plain-English summary for UK clinicians.
ChatGPT for Clinicians Launched. UK Doctors Are Excluded.
ChatGPT for Clinicians launched in April 2026 but explicitly excludes the UK and EEA. Here's what it does, why UK doctors are locked out, and what's actually available.
Palliative Care Journal Digest
Every new palliative care paper from the field's five leading journals, every Monday. Plain-language summaries, written for NHS clinicians by a serving consultant in the specialty.
How Much Does a Medical Journal Summary Subscription Cost?
A transparent breakdown of journal summary subscription pricing in the UK — what you pay, what you get, and how to judge value against time saved.
MCB vs NEJM Clinician (formerly NEJM Journal Watch)
NEJM Journal Watch is now NEJM Clinician. Here's how it compares to The Monday Clinical Brief in 2026 — price, coverage, UK alignment, and which one fits your workflow.
MCB vs UpToDate: Reference Tool vs Weekly Digest
UpToDate and MCB solve different problems. One is a reference you consult. The other is a digest that keeps you current. Most UK doctors need both — here's why.
Looking for an OpenEvidence Alternative in the UK?
OpenEvidence is gone from the UK. Here's what actually fills the gap — and why staying current with the literature is a different problem from clinical Q&A.
Journal Summary Subscription vs Free Journal Alerts
Free journal alerts or a paid summary subscription? A practical comparison of coverage, signal-to-noise, and time cost for busy UK doctors.
BMJ, NEJM Clinician and Independent Journal Digests Compared (2026)
A 2026 comparison of BMJ summaries, NEJM Clinician, UpToDate Expert AI, Heidi Evidence, OpenEvidence, ChatGPT for Clinicians, and independent digests like MCB — pricing, coverage, UK availability, and value for UK clinicians.
Heidi Evidence vs The Monday Clinical Brief: Pull vs Push for UK Clinicians
Heidi Evidence is free and powerful — but it solves a different problem. Here's why UK doctors still need a weekly digest alongside evidence lookup tools.
Best CPD Tools for UK Doctors
A practical comparison of CPD reading tools for UK doctors — what they track, how they integrate with appraisal portfolios, and which suits your workflow.
Best Medical Journal Digest Services for UK Doctors
A head-to-head comparison of journal digest services available to UK doctors — features, pricing, CPD integration, and specialty coverage.
What Counts as CPD for UK Doctors
Everything UK doctors need to know about CPD reading — what counts, how to log it, and how to make every reading minute count for revalidation.
Too Many Medical Journals to Read? Here Is What Smart Doctors Do
Feeling overwhelmed by the volume of medical journals? You are not alone. Here is what evidence-based doctors actually do to stay current.
This Week in Medical Journals: March 2026 Highlights
The most notable papers published this week across major medical journals — quick clinical summaries for doctors who don't have time to read everything.
How to Keep Up with Medical Literature in 2026
Five practical strategies for busy UK doctors to stay current with the medical literature — without sacrificing every evening and weekend.
How to Earn CPD Points by Reading Medical Journals
How to turn your journal reading into verifiable CPD credits — with tools, templates, and strategies for UK doctors preparing for appraisal and revalidation.
Journal Summary Subscription
Compare journal summary subscription services for UK doctors. What to look for, how they work, and why The Monday Clinical Brief covers 31 specialties for £20/year.
Medical Journal Digest
The definitive guide to medical journal digests — what they are, how they work, and how UK clinicians use them to stay evidence-based.