Reviewing Specialty Training for General Practice
The Department of Health (DH) has commissioned
the RCGP to produce a business case for Medical Education England
on the extension of specific specialty training for general
practice.
This extension was recommended in the Tooke
Report on the Independent Inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers
(Aspiring to Excellence).
General
Practice is a remarkably diverse discipline. Throughout their
careers GPs can expect to encounter a far greater range of
conditions than any other healthcare professional. The public
expect that GPs will be able to recognise any set of symptoms and
describe an appropriate care pathway.
Our continually improving diagnosis and treatment,
along with societal changes - such as the ongoing reduction in
smoking - has been transformational; people in the UK can expect to
live fitter and longer than at any time before. These benefits
bring additional responsibilities for GPs who must now count the
long-term care of an older population, with all its attendant
healthcare needs, within the scope of their expertise.
Yet in spite of
all this, a GP’s formal training lasts a minimum of only three
years. Seen in the context of growing public expectation, the
societal shift in care from hospitals to communities, and the new
skills and experiences required to deliver high quality primary
healthcare, doctors are finding that fitting all of their required
training within this limited timeframe is an increasingly
challenging task.
Extending GP
training will have many positive outcomes, both for the profession
and for patients. GPs will qualify far better equipped to hit the
ground running and treat ‘the whole patient’ as independent
practitioners. Patients will be assured that their doctor have had
the time to develop a deep understanding of concomitant chronic
conditions, and a stronger affiliation to their needs.
RCGP
Chair, Clare Gerada said:
'RCGP welcomes
the opportunity to submit the case for extending GP training. I’m
extremely excited about the future of generalism in the UK and the
opportunities that will be available for our young GPs. However, it
is vitally important that the training programme adequately
prepares them for the full role of the generalist, both as it is
now and as it may change in the future. To achieve this we need a
broad-based training programme, focussed on the particular needs
and challenges of primary care, and we believe that the breadth of
experience now needed by our trainees simply cannot be delivered
adequately in just three years."
Currently we
are in the early stages of submitting a new case for enhancing GP
Training. The submission date for this report is early new year
2012. It is likely, therefore, that the Department of Health will
not make any decisions on issues such as additional time in
training or on implementation detail until 2012.
As the work
develops we will update this area of the website. We are interested
to hear any views about this initiative, be they from GPs, those
wanting to become GPs or members of the public.
If you
wish to express a view or ask a question please email reviewofspecialtytraining@rcgp.org.uk