Mersey Faculty

Welcome from Mersey Faculty; we are a group of local GPs here to provide support, development and networking opportunities for members in the area.

We warmly invite you along to an upcoming Board meeting to hear local issues and the work of the College. Board meetings are usually held online and we welcome all members to attend. Find the next Faculty board date here. Our board meet four times per year and is made up of local GP volunteers looking to improve local services and support for Mersey Faculty GPs and their teams.

We have a number of leadership and representative opportunities available on the board. Contact us at Mersey@rcgp.org.uk for full information about Faculty board leadership and representative roles or view current vacancies in the Meet Your Faculty section.

We also run a programme of free learning and networking events, open to all members. View all upcoming local events here.

We are working with NHS England to accredit GP practices as 'veteran friendly'. This programme supports practice to deliver the best possible care and treatment for patients who have served in the armed forces.

Over 2,000 GP practices in England are already accredited through this programme. We provide accredited practices with access to free online training, support them to identify and code their veteran patients, and offer advice on referrals. 

While each accredited practice must nominate a clinical lead, training content and activities are suitable for the whole practice to enhance your delivery of veteran healthcare. To find out more information, please visit the Veterans' healthcare toolkit on our eLearning platform.

Fellowship is an honour and a mark of achievement recognising a significant contribution to health and welfare of the community, science or practice of medicine, and/or aims of RCGP, or any organisation which benefits general practice.

It is an opportunity to take pride in your achievements and to receive recognition from your peers and your professional body.

It is now available by self-nomination and there is no longer a fee to pay. You will need two supporters, one of whom is a current member or fellow and only one can be a current practice colleague.

The Faculty actively encourages its members of 5 years continuous good standing to consider Fellowship of your professional home. Full details of applying for Fellowship can be found at RCGP Fellowship.

Each year we recognise outstanding local members and their teams, as well as medical students considering a career in general practice. Criteria and application forms can be found by clicking the links below. We encourage local members and their teams to nominate outstanding colleagues in the following areas:

Mersey Faculty Primary Care Prizes

• GP registrars award
• Practice team award 
• Team member award 
• GP award

As well as the above awards we also recognise members contributions to the local faculty. New in 2025 we introduced the Dr John Holden Annual Provost Award for services to the faculty. This highly prestigious award is decided and awarded by the sitting Faculty Provost to a local member who has gone over and above in supporting the local faculty. Previous winners include:

• 2025 - Dr Simon Tobin FRCGP, for his unwavering dedication to, and support with RCGP Fellowship, both locally and nationally. 
• 2026 – Dr Kishor Vithlani FRCGP, for his continued support and encouragement of medical students in general practice. 

Nominations for the 2026 awards are now closed. Nominations for the 2027 awards will open in April 2027 via the links above. Successful nominations will be invited to the Excellence in Primary Care Awards Evening, usually held in November.

Mersey Faculty Medical Student Poster Prize

The RCGP Mersey Faculty Medical Student Poster Prize is open to undergraduate medical students attending Universities in the Mersey Faculty area, in all years of study.

We invite eligible students to submit a digital A1 poster. The poster should detail:

• An original research project OR
• A quality improvement project

The topic MUST focus on a primary care issue or be based in a primary care setting.

How to apply:

Please submit your poster to mersey@rcgp.org.uk by midnight on 30 September 2027. Posters may only be submitted once for consideration and may not be resubmitted in subsequent academic years.

Eligibility Criteria:

Medical Undergraduate students in Medical Schools at the time of entry submission.

A1, portrait, full colour poster, presenting original findings of a Research or Quality Improvement project undertaken in/on Primary Care.

Individual or group entries will be accepted, however, group entries will share prize winnings equally.

Useful advice on the creation of scientific poster (external PDF) can be found here. Please note: for the poster prize award at submission stage we do not require you to print your poster, however, if you are selected as a winner we may require a full size print of your poster for presentation/show at the RCGP Mersey faculty awards evening!

Prizes:

The eligible posters will be reviewed by the RCGP Mersey Faculty awards committee. Three student prizes will be awarded:

• 1 x First place - £300 & certificate of achievement
• 1 x Second place - £200 & certificate of achievement
• 1 x Third place - £100 & certificate of achievement

All prize winners will be invited to the RCGP Mersey Faculty Excellence in Primary Care Awards Evening to be presented with their prize and certificate.

As well as local awards, RCGP recognise members nationally. Explore academic awards, training prizes, patient care awards, inspire awards and research award.