RCGP awards

GPs are the beating heart of patient care and primary care. Our awards recognise the excellence, the efforts and the contributions that have been made to general practice.

An audience applauding at a ceremonial event

Inspire Awards 2024

Nominations are now open for the 2024 RCGP Inspire Awards on Friday 21 June, 19:00 at 30 Euston Square.

View the full awards booklet with all the criteria 

Place your nominations before 31 March

Awards by subject

Clinical Impact Awards (ACCIA)

Clinical Impact Awards applications opened on 3 March and will close on 28 April.

Important changes have been made to the ACCIA process and the RCGP will no longer be ranking applications or providing citations. You can read more about this change on the ACCIA website

However, please continue reading for guidance on the application process.

The awards are led by the Advisory Committee on Clinical Impact Awards (ACCIA) and reward consultants or academic GPs in England and Wales who exceed the expectations of their job role or paid work. Postgraduate Deans of Medicine and Dentistry are eligible for CIAs if they are ‘a definitive Postgraduate Dean appointed in competition from General Practitioners and consultants and with responsibilities for postgraduate trainees across all specialties.

You can check your eligibility on ACCIA's webpage.

Applications need to be submitted on the ACCIA online portal by 5pm on 28 April 2023.

As part of the College’s values, we are encouraging nominations from members of all backgrounds, particularly female and Black, Asian and minority ethnic doctors.

We are strongly encouraging members to apply and wish everyone the very best of luck.

Awards timetable

  • 3 March 2023 – opening of applications
  • 5pm on 28 April 2023 – Closing date for applications
  • Mid-January 2024 – notification sent to successful applicants

Application guidance

Please consult ACCIA’s full guide for applicants for further guidance on completing your application. You can also watch ACCIA's webinar for applicants. The RCGP will also be providing a webinar which will be available shortly.

Please contact governance@rcgp.org.uk if you have any questions relating to the Clinical Impact Awards where further information can be provided. You can also contact the ACCIA Secretariat directly at accia@dhsc.gov.uk.


Rose Prize

Applications are now open for the tenth Rose prize for original work in the history of British general practice. The closing date for applications is 1 November 2023. For full information on the prize and how to apply:

Fraser Rose Medal and the RACGP Trainee's Book Prize Award

The Fraser Rose Medal is awarded annually to the candidate who in completing the examination and concluding their training, has demonstrated outstanding performance to the panel of examiners.

It was instituted by the Merseyside and North Wales faculty in 1972 and named in honour of Dr Fraser Rose who took a leading part in the formation of the RCGP.

The Royal Australian College donates a Trainee's Book Prize each year to be awarded to the Fraser Rose Medal winner.


Paul Freeling Award

Deadline: end of August

Award of up to £1,000 for innovative or meritorious work in the field of GP specialty training for general practice.


GP Specialty Trainee Award

Deadline: 31 July 2023

A number of bursaries for GP Specialty Trainees are available by application to attend the RCGP Annual Conference in October 2023. The RCGP GP Specialty Trainee Awards are made for original and innovative projects that contribute directly or indirectly to the quality of care for patients.


RCGP-SAPC Annual elective prize

Deadline: end of May each year

An annual prize of £500 is awarded for the best proposal by a medical student for an elective based in Primary Care/General Practice. The proposal might be to submit a relevant ‘think piece’, research, improvement, innovation, invention, evaluation or audit.

RCGP Certificate of Commendation

RCGP Certificate of Commendation is for GPs or others whose efforts and exceptional contributions can be shown to have helped general practice and primary care achieve better outcomes – for patients or for staff.

Candidates for the award should normally be college members or fellows or non-medical people associated with general practice or the wider field of primary care. The nomination must demonstrate the consistent individual contribution to excellent general practice. The nomination also needs to show how their personal impacts differ from those of any team or organisation where they work, and that their outputs go beyond those of any role they are employed to play.

A maximum of 50 certificates can be awarded each year.


Foundation Council Award

Deadline: End of March each year

One award will be made each year in recognition of consistent excellent efforts and contributions that heave helped the RCGP as a professional organisation to achieve excellence in its work as a membership and representative body for GPs.


George Abercrombie Award

Awarded from time to time for special meritorious literary work in general practice. The nominations are put to the Editorial Board of BJGP in the first instance and the Board's recommendation are put forward to the Fellowship and Awards Committee for consideration in April.


Honorary Fellowships

Deadline for nominations: end of March and August each year.

An award through which individuals who are not a Member or Fellow of the College, nor eligible to be so, are recognised for outstanding work towards the objective of the College: ‘To encourage, foster and maintain the highest possible standards in general medical practice’. In practice, this will mean that the individual has either made an exceptional contribution to helping the RCGP as a professional body to achieve this objective or has made a direct contribution to improving the working lives of GPs and their care of patients. This contribution may have been enabled by a post which the candidate holds / has held, but must go beyond their formal remit and be a chosen commitment and prioritisation on their part towards general practice.

Honorary Fellows may use the post-nominal FRCGP[Hon] after their name. Under the College byelaws, no more than twelve Honorary Fellows can be elected in a College year. No fee is paid by a candidate appointed as an Honorary Fellow.


The President's Medal

Deadline for nominations: End of March each year

Up to two awards will normally be made each year in recognition of consistent excellent efforts and contributions that have achieved the RCGP’s overall mission ‘To encourage, foster and maintain the highest possible standards in general medical practice. The successful candidate will usually be in the later stages of their career and the award acknowledges a cumulative contribution over their working lifetime to the development of general practice as a service to patients.

Discovery prize award

The Discovery Prize is awarded every three years for outstanding research in general practice. Important discoveries in general practice have transformed health care and the wellbeing of patients. The Discovery Prize recognises contemporary achievement of similar stature with continuing major importance for primary care in the UK and overseas.


RCGP Adolescent health care award

This award is made in memory of Dr Kathy Phipps, who was an active and enthusiastic member of the RCGP Adolescent health group. The group aims to improve the quality of care and health outcomes for adolescents.

RCGP Inspire Awards

The RCGP inspire awards celebrate the invaluable contribution of our member volunteers and the difference they make to bettering general practice and the RCGP throughout the year.

In 2022 the Inspire Awards not only celebrated the year’s successes of our diverse and widespread community of members, but also the College’s 70th year.

The next round of nominations for these awards is due to open in December 2023 with the ceremony expected to take place Summer 2024. Early enquiries can be sent to Louise.roocroft@rcgp.org.uk

Celebrate our members

John Horder Award

Deadline: End of February each year

The John Horder award recognises exceptional contributions by members of RCGP staff and will be presented at the College's Annual General Meeting.

The Chair of the Fellowship and Awards Committee invites nominations each year.


Michael Drury Award

Deadline: End of February each year

The Michael Drury Award recognises exceptional service by a staff member working out with the College headquarters. The award is presented at the College's Spring General Meeting.

The Chair of the Fellowship and Awards Committee invites nominations each year.

Research awards

The College recognises research as a key step in providing evidence for best practice which is needed to improve general practice and primary care. The changes that research influences will positively impact both patient and healthcare providers. These awards have been created to celebrate excellence in research and recognise individual researchers.

Applications are invited for an award of up to £2,000 to support practice-based and practice-led research in general practice in the Tamar Faculty.

Pereira Gray Research Fund

The fund was established in 1990 by Professor Sir Denis Pereira Gray with a donation when he retired as Chairman of RCGP Council and predicted that research based in local general practices would become increasingly important. The purpose is to support general practitioners and their teams who have an interest in pursuing a research project; and/or to encourage GP registrars in training who may wish to undertake research in the setting of general practice. The award is not for clinical audit.

Applicants 

Applicants should be working and based in a Tamar Faculty (Devon and Cornwall) general practice. GP principals, salaried, sessional or long-term locum general practitioners, who are members or fellows of the RCGP, are eligible. The Principal Investigator (research leader) must be a GP in one of these categories.
We would also consider applications from GP registrars, practice nurses, practice managers, or practice-employed research staff, and in certain circumstances medical students who are attached long term to a practice in Tamar. We expect the design and leadership of the research to be provided within the practice itself by a GP research leader who is a member or fellow of the RCGP. 

Applicants will be expected to have taken advice from an appropriate clinical academic GP researcher in the Southwest before submitting their application. To ensure that governance requirements for obtaining consent, data processing and ethical approvals are met, applicants will need to demonstrate that they have taken appropriate expert advice in designing their project, and that there is research competence in the practice. GP registrars, medical students, nurses or managers will need to satisfy the Faculty Board that skilled research supervision is in place on a day-to-day basis within the practice.

Proposal

The research should study a question of importance to general practice or primary care which can be investigated within one or more local practices. Whilst £2,000 will not fully fund most research projects in general practice, it might make the difference for the applicant and colleagues between getting a piece of research off the ground or not. 

There are various possibilities including:

  • A piece of medical equipment involved in research
  • Supporting a dissertation for a higher university degree
  • Costs of distributing a questionnaire and processing data
  • Having special software written for the research
  • For publishing fees now levied by some medical journals on authors

Applications should include:

  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Research proposal (see criteria below)
  • Report of expert advice taken
  • Arrangements for project leadership and, where appropriate, supervision
  • Costings and time frame

Applicants should submit their proposals to Alice Sefton, Tamar Faculty Administrator via email to tamar@rcgp.org.uk by 17:00 on Friday 1 March 2024.

Acknowledgement  

The Tamar Faculty expects the grant to be acknowledged in any subsequent publication.
The Award Assessors will be:
Dr Judit Konya 
Dr Joanna Butterworth
Dr Chris Clark PhD FRCP FRCGP

The criteria for assessing proposals will be, where appropriate:

  1. The topic is important and relevant to general practice
  2. The aim is clear, with a stated research question
  3. There is a reasonable likelihood that the project will be completed in the time proposed
  4. Patient confidentiality is protected
  5. The design and proposed methods are in line with current research standards

Higher university degree

Applicants are not required to hold a higher university degree but having one will be an advantage.

Introduction

The Royal College of General Practitioners and NIHR Clinical Research Network are collaborating to recognise clinicians and practices that have demonstrating excellence and innovation in delivering NIHR CRN research.

For more information, please look at the NIHR CRN website.

Applications

Applicants are required to outline their contribution to NIHR Clinical Research Network Portfolio studies during the timeframe 1st April 2022 through 1st June 2023, with particular weight being attached to:

  • the range and number of patients in NIHR CRN studies in the UK
  • how patients have been engaged and informed of new opportunities to participate in CRN clinical research
  • the contribution made to the delivery of studies
  • innovative methods of study delivery
  • application content timeframe 1 April 2022 through 1 June 2023.

Practice Award

To be eligible for the practice award the application must be submitted in the name of a current Fellow or Member of the RCGP. Practices must be contributing to NIHR CRN studies during the specified timeframe above.
The award: £1000 and a glass trophy

First5 Award

First5 GPs must be a current First5 member and have contributed to NIHR CRN research in a general practice/primary care setting during the specified timeframe above.

The award: £500 and a glass trophy

The Award

The awards will be presented at the RCGP Annual Conference Winners Enclosure. This is taking place on Thursday 19th October 2023 in Glasgow. Award winners must be able to attend this event.

Successful applicants will be notified by the first week of August.

To apply please fill out the relevant application form and send to GPresearchawards@nihr.ac.uk

Applications will be accepted from Tuesday 2nd May.
Applications will be accepted up until 23:59 on Friday 23rd June 2023.

Established in 1996, these annual awards are given to recognise and celebrate an individual or group of researchers who have undertaken and published an exceptional piece of research relating to general practice or primary care.

We are now accepting applications for the RCGP RPY award 2023.

To submit an application, for your paper or to nominate someone else, please complete an application through the RCGP Scientific Foundation Board.

Information on last year's winners can be found in this article published in the British Journal of General Practice.

There are three RPY categories:

  • Clinical research
  • Health service research - including public health and implementation
  • Medical education - related to primary care

Entries must be submitted following one of these categories. Each category winner is awarded £250. The overall winner will be selected from each of the category winners and will be awarded £1,000 (inclusive of the category award).

The deadline for submission of entries has been extended to 23:59 on 19 February 2024.

The winners will be invited to present their work at RCGPs 'Winners Enclosure' at the Annual Conference.

You will be asked to provide:

  • Research paper title, journal
  • PubMed link to the paper
  • Nominate a category for the entry
  • Confirm that the paper meets the eligibility criteria outlined below
  • Names of authors who were practising GPs or who are Members or, Fellows of RCGP, or Associates in training at the time of the publication
  • Provide contact details (we will only contact you regarding the RPY if we have difficulty obtaining the research paper; we are not able to confirm receipt of submission)

Eligibility

Category

A research paper may only be entered in one category.

Dates

The paper must have been published between 1 January and 31 December 2023, in a peer-reviewed English language journal, published in any country. This includes research papers that are only available online. For papers that are “epub ahead of print” the date of first online publication of the final version will specify the publication year. 

Location

The research reported must relate to research which has been undertaken within the United Kingdom (UK) and / or the Republic of Ireland (ROI). For papers describing research involving other countries, the lead author must be based in UK or ROI, and the UK or ROI must have been the main or joint main site for conducting the research. 

Findings

The findings of the paper should be directly applicable to general practice and / or primary care. 

Authors

At least one of the authors must have been an active General Practitioner within the UK or ROI at the time the study was undertaken, or any member of the RCGP. The award is open to all General Practitioners and is not restricted to members of the RCGP. 

Exclusions

The following types of papers are not eligible for this award: non-systematic literature reviews, audit / service evaluation, discussion or opinion pieces or papers not based on research using empirical data.

Contact

Should you have any further questions or require any assistance please contact rpy@rcgp.org.uk

RCGP Scientific Foundation Board (SFB) and the Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) collaborate to deliver Outstanding Early Career Researcher awards.

These awards recognise researchers who have made significant contributions to academic primary care. Previously known as the Yvonne Carter Award, named after Professor Yvonne Carter CBE, whose research a huge impact on academic general practice.

About the awards

We now offer two annual awards, one to an Academic General Practitioner and one to a Primary Care Scientist.

Each winner is awarded £500. 

As part of the award application, we ask applicants to submit a report detailing how they would use the money, its outcomes and support related PR activity. The award can be used for national and international travel to meet with other researchers and used for conference attendance.

In addition, they are invited to present their work at RCGP’s Winners Enclosure at the annual conference and the SAPC ASM 2024. The exact date of the presentations are to be confirmed.

Application process

Please apply to the award via the Scientific Foundation Board grant and awards platform.

Please fill in your details, answer the questions on why you are an outstanding early career researcher and provide details for your head of department. 

We will only accept two applications from each department/centre/group. One application for category 1 is academic general practitioner, and one for category 2 is primary care scientist. Therefore, please liaise with your Head of Department before submission.

Application deadline has been extended to 18 February 2024.

Eligibility

The award is open to early career researchers in primary care.

Applicants should have no more than 5 years (pro rata) academic experience, excluding any career breaks, either in General Practice/Primary Care (GP/PC) post PhD or no more than 5 years, excluding any career breaks, since starting a substantive contract in a dept of GP/PC (ie holding a post as a research fellow, lecturer, teacher, 0.4 or more WTE).

They should hold a formal or honorary appointment with a primary care department, centre or group in a UK/Ireland University, have published original research in peer-reviewed journals – at least one as a lead author – and be actively engaged in high-quality research which is genuinely grounded in primary care.

Judging

Applications will be judged by a panel consisting of primary care academics from the RCGP and SAPC. The awards will be restricted to applicants whose background the award panel considers to be genuinely grounded in primary care. The panel will assess applications for evidence of the candidate’s current and potential contributions to advancing primary care through research, including personal research leadership, wider promotion of academic primary care, publications, and other markers of distinction, as well as the clarity of the proposal for the use of the award funds. Particular emphasis will be given to research which demonstrates an understanding of, and contribution to, the primary care vision.

For further information, please contact the RCGP's research team at the Scientific Foundation Board by emailing SFB@rcgp.org.uk.

The John Fry Award is normally presented each year by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), in consultation with the Society of Academic Primary Care (SAPC).

The John Fry Award is presented to a Member or Fellow of the College who has promoted the discipline of general practice through research and scholarship. The award is intended to encourage people to undertake research as a practicing GP, within 20 years of qualification as a GP, and not holding a professorial role.

RCGP lecturers

  • The William Pickles Lecture is usually on a topic related to education.
  • The James Mackenzie Lecture topic usually relates to an aspect of clinical medicine.
  • The John Hunt Lecture was established to celebrate the College's fortieth anniversary. It is given once during each College presidency and is normally delivered by someone who is not normally medically qualified and is on a lay topic.

2023 

The annual James Mackenzie Lecture was given by Professor Carolyn Chew-Graham on the importance of listening to patients, colleagues and participants in qualitative studies. 

The lecture is available to watch on YouTube. 

2022

The William Pickles Lecture 2022 was given by Professor Vijay Nayar on the topic Levelling Up Medical Education: Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable.

The lecture is available to watch on YouTube.

Year  Name 
2022 Professor Vijay Nayar
2021 Professor S MacLeod
2019 Professor Sir T Stephenson
2018 Professor R McKinley
2017 Professor C Gerada
2016 Professor K Thomas
2015 Professor P Hungin
2014 Professor S Gregory
2013 Professor V Wass 
2012 Professor J Bligh
2011 Dr T Davies
2010 Professor Sir J Tooke
2009 Professor A Howe
2008 Professor T Greenhalgh
2007 Professor S Hilton
2006 Professor Y Carter
2005 Professor A Esmail
2004 Professor G Watt
2003 Professor B Starfield
2002 Professor J Hayden
2001 Professor AL Kinmonth
2000 Sir K Calman
1999 Dr I Heath
1998 Professor S Murray
1997 Professor R Jones
1996 Professor I McWhinney
1995 Dr D Pendleton
1994 Dr EG Buckley
1993 Professor NCH Stott
1992 Professor CV Weel
1991 Dr M Boland
1990 Dr WMcN Styles
1989 Professor C Harris
1988 Dr MSTA Lawrence
1987 Dr M McKendrick
1986 Professor DHH Metcalfe
1985 Sir George Godber
1984 Dr JS Norell
1983 Professor JH Walker
1982 Professor WG Irwin
1981 Professor I Richardson
1980 Dr MP Taylor
1979  Dr DC Morrell
1978 Dr P Freeling
1977 Dr KM Parry
1976 Professor JDE Knox
1975 Dr D Irvine
1974 Professor ML Marinker
1973 Dr G Swift
1972 Dr RP Maybin
1971 Dr JE McKnight
1970 Dr WS Gardner
1969 Dr JP Horder
1968 Dr PS Byrne

Year                        Name             
2023 Professor Carolyn Chew-Graham
2022 Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard
2021 Professor Maureen Baker
2019 Professor T Fahey
2018 Professor C Salisbury
2017 Professor J Campbell
2016 Professor T Avery
2015 Professor F Sullivan
2014 Professor P Little
2013 Professor N Mathers 
2012 Professor H Lester
2011 Professor J D Maeseneer
2010 Professor L Ritchie
2009 Professor M Lakhani
2008 Professor M Marshall
2007 Professor R Hobbs
2006 Professor D Haslam
2005 Professor S Brown
2004 Professor M Stewart
2003  Professor R Baker
2002  Professor M Pringle
2001 Dr D Mant
2000 Professor P Fugelli
1999 Dr J Toby
1998 Professor M Roland
1997 Dr B Sweeney
1996  Professor R Higgs
1995 Professor A Haines
1994 Professor RC Fraser
1993 Professor L Southgate
1992 Professor G Fowler
1991 Dr L Newman
1990 Professor B Jarman
1989 Dr J Tudor Hart
1988 Dr C Waine
1987 Dr GN Marsh
1986 Professor JGR Howie
1985 *Dr AG Donald
1984 Dr JC Hasler
1983 Professor Sir Michael Drury
1982 Dr ISL Loudon
1981 Dr SJ Carne
1980 Dr R Steel
1979 Dr CR Kay
1978 Dr WW Yellowlees
1977 Dr DJ Pereira Gray
1976 Dr J Fry
1975 Dr MC Stone
1974 Professor JS McCormick
1973 Dr JL Stevens
1972 Dr JH Hunt
1971 Dr DL Crombie
1970 Dr EV Kuenssberg
1969 Dr GKH Hodgkin
1968 Lord Amulree
1967 Dr Ronald Gibson
1966 Dr GI Watson
1965 Dr RMS McConaghey
1964 Professor R Scott
1963 Dr JM Henderson
1962 Dr RJFH Pinsent
1961 Dr KA Gillie
1960 Dr LW Batten
1959 Dr JAL Vaughan Jones
1958 Dr GF Abercrombie
1957 Dr DM Hughes
1956 Dr ID Grant
1955 Dr GO Barber
1954 Dr WN Pickles

Year Name
2021 Professor Michael Kidd
2019 Sir M Marmot
2017 Sir T Smitt
2015 Baroness S Chakrabahti
2012 Professor A Sen
2008 Dr D Berwick
2005 Dame J Smith
2002 Sir A Langlands
2000 Mr J Berger
1994 Professor The Revd G Dunstan
1992 The Prince of Wales

Awards by location

North and West London Faculty

  • Outstanding Team of the Year: recognising the outstanding work of a team in primary care who have performed above and beyond their day-to-day duties to provide clinical excellence.
  • The Anthony Burch Lifetime Achievement Award: recognising the outstanding contribution that someone has made over their career as a GP. Nominees should be an individual GP and have at least 10 years’ experience in primary care. This award is not open to self-nomination.
  • Quality Improvement and Innovation Award: for outstanding contribution to Primary Care development or service provision through quality improvement and innovative projects. This should involve interventions that improve weaknesses and shortfalls for individuals and systems with focus on evidence and outcomes and should be relevant to primary care.
  • Greener Primary Care Award: recognising the work in general practice to help mitigate the effects of the current climate and the emerging ecological crisis.
  • Teaching and Supervision Award: recognising the inspirational work of trainers, tutors, and other teachers in primary care. We are seeking nominations from trainees and students in this category, who recognise the supportive role of a truly supportive and innovative primary care educator.
  • Improving Health Inequalities Award: recognising the important work involved in helping to reduce health inequalities locally. Work should relate to attendance and engagement with disadvantaged groups of the population, for example homeless patients or the migrant population, and reducing the health differences for these groups.

East Anglia Faculty

  • Carole Brown Memorial Award 2024 - £2,000

This award is in memory of Carole Brown (PDF file, 158 KB), who was an outstanding GP in our Faculty with great gifts of leadership. Awards will be made to support outstanding, new initiatives or activities in the fields of family planning, reproductive and older women’s health within the area of the faculty. These may be of an educational, or research or a developmental nature relating to general practice, primary care or the aims and objectives of the faculty. Applications may be made by an individual GP or by a group in primary or community care which includes a general practitioner. Please contact us for further details and see the Carole Brown nomination form (DOCX file, 373 KB).

  • John Stevens Biennial Award 2023-25 - £2,000

The John Stevens Award (PDF file, 162 KB) will support a General Practitioner who has gained their MRCGP (and MAP) in the past 5 years to pursue any project that is in keeping with the aims of the RCGP. This award is worth up to £2,000 and is available to a GP who is working in general practice as a principal or non-principal in the geographical area covered by the East Anglia Faculty (Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire). Please contact us for further details and a John Stevens application form (DOCX file, 783 KB).

  • Practice Team Awards

The Awards offer an opportunity for Primary Care teams to acknowledge their colleagues’ excellence and innovation and for individuals to nominate themselves for an Award. The Awards process is overseen by a panel of judges made up of members of the RCGP East Anglia Faculty Board. Awards are available in the following categories:

RCGP Scotland

  • RCGP Scotland Outstanding GP Award (annual): The award will recognise outstanding achievement of quality patient care. GPs can be nominated by their colleagues and peers or, where applicable, by the local PPG/patient group.
  • RCGP Scotland Alastair Donald Award (annual): The award will recognise outstanding achievement in the areas of service delivery, education, research and wider contribution to society. It will also commemorate the contribution that Alastair Donald made to the RCGP.
  • RCGP Scotland Student Award for Creativity in General Practice (annual): The award will be given a Scottish medical student or foundation doctor in Scotland who has provided a creative piece which illustrates what general practice means to them and the impact that GP has on patient care.
  • RCGP Scotland Early Career Academic GP Award (annual): It is open to all GPs in Scotland who have completed CCT within the last 5 years and do not yet have a higher degree (PhD or MD) or who were awarded their PhD in the same calendar year or the calendar year before the paper was published. Potentially, candidates could apply more than once in successive years, but they cannot apply more than three times in total.
  • RCGP Scotland / NES Outstanding GP Trainer Award (annual): The award will be given to a GP Educational Supervisor in Scotland who has provided excellence in teaching and training of GP Trainees as detailed in the nomination form. Nominations can only be received from Trainees who have completed their training in the previous 18 months (and are therefore no longer GP Trainees).
  • RCGP Scotland Outstanding GP Trainee Award (annual): The award will be given a GP Trainee in Scotland who has completed training and is considered outstanding by either their GP Educational Supervisor or TPD. The award will take into consideration all aspects of training and the journey that the Trainee may have taken. The nominator may wish the judging panel to consider any pertinent obstacles that a Trainee has had to overcome in the period of their training to demonstrate their overall achievement in completion of their training and the well-rounded, excellent GP they have become. Nominations can only be received from GP Educational Supervisors or TPD for Trainees who have completed their training in the previous 18 months (and therefore are no longer GP Trainees).
  • RCGP Scotland/ Scottish Government Cluster Quality Improvement Project Award (annual): It is open to all clusters in Scotland. The application needs to describe an innovative improvement project that has been completed in the two years prior to the date of call for applications. The innovation should be described in no more than three pages of A4 via the available nomination form.
  • RCGP Scotland Outstanding Practice Award (annual): The RCGP Scotland Practice Team Award recognises the outstanding work of Practice Teams in Scotland and the high standard of quality patient care they achieve.

North East Scotland Faculty

  • Sir Lewis Ritchie Prize (annual): This annual award is presented to the trainee with the highest combined AKT and CSA scores of those completing training this year in the North East of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland.
  • Innovation Award (annual): Innovative achievement within Primary Care in the North East of Scotland Region. This could include innovation in the clinical, administrative or managerial spheres.
  • Palliative Care Award (annual): To recognise and acknowledge quality and achievement within Palliative Care.
  • Provost Medal (annual; the Faculty Awards Committee will make its recommendation(s) for final approval by Faculty Board. The medal does not require to be awarded annually): The medal will usually be awarded to a member or fellow of the College, who has provided excellence/substantial contribution to General Practice in North East Faculty area and/or in a national or international context. On occasion and in exceptional circumstances, there may be a non member of the College that the Faculty would wish to recognise for their outstanding contribution to General Practice. All nominees must have a formal role within General Practice in North East Faculty area.
  • AiT Conference Bursary (annual): 2 x AiTs to receive bursary to attend Annual Conference.
  • Denis Durno Award (annual): The Denis Durno Award recognises GP educationalists including undergraduate teachers and those involved in postgraduate teaching, including trainers and educational supervisors within GP Specialty Training and those more widely involved in postgraduate education who have ‘gone the extra mile’ to deliver high quality personal teaching to young doctors preparing for careers in general practice. The Denis Durno Award has been endowed by NE Scotland Faculty to recognise the contribution of Dr Denis Durno MBE who was the first Regional Adviser in General Practice in NE Scotland.
  • RCGP 1996 Spring Symposium Bursary (annual): To provide the opportunity for a General Practitioner from the North East of Scotland Faculty area to travel and study the delivery of general practice, or teaching and training programmes elsewhere.

West Scotland Faculty

  • Longitudinal Portfolio Prize: awarded to the University of Glasgow medical student who has scored the highest in their Longitudinal Portfolio assessment in the preceding twelve months.
  • Stuart Murray Medal (annual): AiT in Faculty with highest CSA score.
  • James Scobbie Medal (annual): AiT in Faculty with highest AKT score.

East Scotland Faculty

  • John Lawson Award (annual): Awarded to the final year student who gains the highest outcome results in their 5th year General Practice Placement. This result is a combination of the end of block assessment, professional attributes, Mini CESs and CBD.
  • 4th Year Merit Awards (annual): Highest outcome results in 4th Year GP Placement and is a combination of the end of block assessment, professional attributes, Mini CEXs and CBD - this is for the £150 prize. The remaining Merit Awards - awarded to five 4th year students who gain the Highest outcome results after the Prizewinner is a combination of the end of block assessment, professional attributes, Mini CEXs and CBD.

North Scotland Faculty

  • GPST of the Year Award (annual): The Award aims to recognise, celebrate and encourage Caledonian/Rural track Specialty Trainees who go over and above the requirements of the e-portfolio and exam process. This has been created by trainees for trainees with the support of RCGP North Scotland Faculty and NHS Education Scotland (NES).

South East Scotland Faculty

  • Trainee of the year (annual): Awarded to local Trainee with the highest results in both AKT and CSA.
  • Pat Manson Educators Award (annual): Nominated by local Trainees, in recognition of outstanding contribution made by anyone related to training (not just trainers).
  • Allen and Margaret Wilson Award: awarded bi-annually to a GP to recognise and congratulate their work in research.

RCGP Wales

  • GP of the Year (annual): Find out more about the GP of the year award.
  • Practice Team of the Year (annual): Find out more about the practice team of the year award.
  • Cluster Innovation Award (annual): This is a new RCGP Award for 2019, which will be presented at the Gala Awards Winter Ball.
  • ThriveGP! Award (annual): New Award introduced in 2019. GPs need to demonstrate what mechanisms they use to achieve work/life balance and how this has contributed to how they thrive on a day-to-day basis.
  • Trainee of the year (annual): Trainee who achieves the highest combined score in the RCGP Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA).

South West Wales Faculty

  • Student Prize (annual): Students write a piece of reflective writing on their placement in general practice.
  • Student Prize (annual): Year 2 Student Living with Diagnosis Project Case Study.
  • Student Bursary x 2 (annual): Students apply for the conference ticket to attend RCGP Annual Conference.
  • AiT Bursary x 2 (annual): Trainees apply for the conference ticket to attend RCGP Annual Conference.
  • First5 Bursary x 1 (annual): First5 GPs apply for the conference ticket to attend RCGP Annual Conference.

South East Wales Faculty

  • Student Prize (annual): Cardiff GP long case entries.
  • Student Bursary x 2 (annual): Students apply for the conference ticket to attend RCGP Annual Conference.
  • AiT Bursary x 2 (annual): Trainees apply for the conference ticket to attend RCGP Annual Conference.
  • First5 Bursary x 1 (annual): First5 GPs apply for the conference ticket to attend RCGP Annual Conference.

North Wales Faculty

  • No awards currently given.

The awards are now closed for 2023.

Republic of Ireland Faculty

  • Sheppard Memorial Prizes Competition 2023

This competition commemorates Dr Jack Sheppard, who was a well-known General Practitioner in Dublin, elected Provost and founder member of the RCGP East of Ireland Faculty. He was a great beneficiary to the RCGP in Ireland. The Sheppard Memorial Prizes are awarded annually by the RCGP ROI Faculty.

Details of essay:

  1. The essay must be minimum 1,500 words and maximum 3,000 words in length and should be on a subject pertinent to general practice in Ireland. It should include relevant literature, but particular credit will be given for original thought and relevance to general practice.
  2. The competition is open to all undergraduate medical students and postgraduate doctors who are within 5 years of completion of general practice training.
  3. Essays should be reflective/narrative in style and have a focused literature review.
  4. Marks are awarded for relevance to general practice, focused literature review, level of interest and overall presentation.
  5. Essays are to be submitted in MS Word format to roi@rcgp.org.uk.

Prize details

  • The value of the postgraduate prize is €750
  • The value of the undergraduate prize is €500
  • Winning essays are published on the RCGP website

The prize winners should be prepared to present their essays at the RCGP Republic of Ireland Faculty Winter Meeting in Dublin on 2 December 2023.

Opening date for submission of essays is Friday 25 August 2023.
Closing date is Friday 27 October 2023.

  • Clinical Cases Presentations Prizes Competition 2024

The importance of engaging with undergraduate students in medical schools is increasingly acknowledged in terms of developing the discipline of general practice, and in terms of assisting undergraduate medical students in their key career decisions. Clinical case presentations are useful as learning exercises, both for the individuals undertaking them, and also for those who listen to them, and who contribute to the ensuing discussions. To get involved please contact your medical school. The final of the Clinical Cases Prizes Competition will be held at the Republic of Ireland Faculty Spring Meeting 2024.

For more information contact roi@rcg.org.uk.

Find out the process for making a nomination.

Check details of previous RCGP awards winners.