What Does the College Do?
The Royal College of General Practitioners
(RCGP) is a membership body of family doctors committed to
delivering excellence in general practice and patient care, in the
UK and overseas.
To find out how you can join the College visit out Membership section.
A Voice for Patients and GPs
The RCGP will always speak up in support of
doctors in general practice and the improvement of patient care. We
represent the views of GPs on key Government and Departments of
Health committees / working groups, medical royal colleges and many
other primary care organisations.
We comment on proposals issued by other bodies
and organisations that affect general practice, and produce
responses,
consultations, discussions and Position Statements on a
wide range of projects, such as GP Federations and extended GP
specialty training.
The RCGP aims to build stronger relationships
between patients and their doctors, and ultimately give patients a
say in the development of general practice. We currently run a
Patient Partnership Group (PPG) that uses
patients’ views to formulate quality of care guidance and College
policy. The PPG comprises both lay people and GPs, and advises the
College on a range of related medical issues. We are looking
forward to actively involving patients in the work of the College and hope to
share information on new initiatives in the future.
We work tirelessly to improve the education
and training of GPs. The College devises and updates the GP training curriculum,
assists with the quality assurance of training posts, and develops
new qualifications and methods of assessment for trainee
doctors.
We enhance trainees’ learning through targeted
publications, an e-learning programme covering the entire
curriculum and an electronic learning
portfolio. Our work is essential to the process of GP
licensing, as trainees cannot practise unsupervised in the NHS
until they have completed our MRCGP examination and certification
program. Most trainees become Associates
in Training, and passing the MRCGP entitles them to become
Members of the College and use the post-nominal ‘MRCGP’.
The RCGP is committed to assisting its members and other
qualified GPs with their continuing professional and personal
development. We recognise that Revalidation is going to be a huge
issue for GPs going forward. The College is ready to meet the
demands of Revalidation by providing:
The RCGP is committed to promoting excellence
in primary healthcare internationally. Our work includes:
We also offer expert assistance in devising
and implementing internationally recognised professional training
programmes in family medicine.
The RCGP advises international doctors wishing
to study or practise in the UK and runs an overseas faculty for UK
doctors working abroad. Our
International Travel Scholarships support the study needs of
members and non-members throughout the world.
The College runs a vibrant courses and events
programme, providing opportunities for GPs to come together, share
knowledge and develop skills in areas such as specialties and
leadership. RCGP courses and events are administered by a network
of local and regional faculties located across
England, Scotland,
Wales,
Northern Ireland and the
Republic of Ireland, and are available at a discount to
members.
The College publishes:
The RCGP also provides specialist information
services and resources to keep members updated on professional and
clinical developments in general practice. These include library and archives facilities, regular
email bulletins,
an online book store
and a dedicated Monday-Friday enquiries service open to all doctors and
patients.
The RCGP acts as a forum for the discussion of
key medical and health issues in primary care, and as a point of
reference for clinical queries through our Clinical Information and Research Centre (CIRC)
. We support research by funding projects, awarding fellowships and
publishing the latest pioneering work and innovations in general
practice. We also have a scheme to encourage practice-based
research -
Research Ready.