GPSurvival are keen to understand our speciality’s view on current GP training. With the Shape of training review and the 10 year cycle of the MRCGP we felt it important to understand the views of our members.
We surveyed our members with a total response of 615 participants from the GPSurvival group.
The following results were obtained:
- The majority at 69.9% felt that GP training should be certified at 4 years of training with a minimum of 24 months of training in general practice.
- 15% felt that current GP training was fine as it currently is.
- 7.6% felt that certification should continue at 3 years, but with trainees to complete an additional ‘fellowship’ year.
- Extrapolation from these results show that 84.5% felt longer time spent in general practice as part of the training programme was needed.
Recurring themes in comments on the survey showed frustrations with flexibility of training, particularly taking into account existing training, that GP training has a large focus on service provision for hospital specialities rather than training of primary care orientated practitioners and the negative aspect of the broadest speciality with a focus on managing uncertainty and risk; having the shortest speciality training scheme. In terms of diversity only acute/emergency medicine training has similar scope but stands at a six year training scheme compared to three years for General Practice, where currently only 12-18 months is spent in General Practices.
These results provide preliminary information for a wider discussion on the suitability of current GP training and a suggest a clear case for extension of GP training with an increased time spent in primary care regardless of the political and financial situation.
GPS Committee: Matt Mayer, Thomas Jones, Hussain Gandhi, Raquel Delgado, Preeti Shukla, Andy McIntosh, Allison Thomas, Sophie Quinney, James McGlew, Rebecca Ellen Jones, Ed Pooley, Jeremy Newman, Heather Ryan.
For further information, or to arrange an interview, please contact: