Communities and groups

The College facilitates a number of communities and groups which bring together members, GPs and subject experts.

Membership communities

The Associate in Training (AiT) community gives doctors training to be GPs a voice in the development of RCGP policy and initiatives.

The First5 community gives newly qualified GPs a voice in the development of RCGP policy and initiatives.

The Later Career and Retired Members (LCARM) community is made up of elected LCARM faculty leads throughout the UK.

Special interest groups (SIGs)

RCGP special interest groups (SIGs) are communities of health professionals with shared interest in advancing specific areas of medicine in general practice, learning or technology. Members meet, collaborate, and plan new projects, finding solutions within their chosen field.

If you wish to set up a new SIG, please fill in our SIG set-up request form.

SIGs

The RCGP Adolescent Health Group (AHG), since its inception in 1992, promotes the highest possible standards of health provision for young people in a changing world.

GPING supports general practitioners and other healthcare professionals to help people with nutritional problems, including obesity and malnutrition, and to increase physical activity in our patients.

The health inequalities group has been established for over 10 years. It aims to ensure that achieving health equity for all remains a key area of policy and practice.

The health informatics group advises the RCGP and other professional bodies on information management and technology in general practice.

This group has special interest in improving the care and outcomes for people with a learning disability. This is by sharing knowledge, learning and experience.

Our primary aims are to improve education; to develop peer mentoring; to recognise and support neurodivergent patients, colleagues and trainees; and to advocate for policy and resources.

The national clinical governance group is a cross-collegiate evidence-based collection which quality improves 111 and 999 calls.

The occupational health special interest group (OH SIG) is made up of GPs who work in or have an interest in occupational health and wellbeing for GPs and GP registrars.

The overdiagnosis group began in 2014 to explore and develop thinking around overdiagnosis. We're now over 300 strong and hope you will join us to improve thinking around overdiagnosis.

This group brings together colleagues with an interest in prescribing medicines optimisation. This is a key issue in delivering high quality effective and safe general practice.

The secure environments group is committed to the delivery of health care in the health and justice system to prisoners and detainees which is of the highest possible standards.

Networks

Clinical advisers network

The clinical advisers network allows GPs to get involved: by using their knowledge, experience and expertise to influence clinical policy and practice. This is specifically done by contributing to the development of clinical policy, guidelines and quality standards. The opportunities, which are diverse and flexible, can range from contributing to individual consultations, to year-long commitments developing new guidelines.

Person-centred care network

We have appointed a Clinical Champion, a Clinical Support Fellow and seven Regional Clinical Leads to find out how person-centred care is making a difference across England. They are supported by an online Network of Champions open to clinicians passionate about delivering person-centred care in their practice and their region.

Person-Centred Care Network of Champions

This online network brings together GPs, primary care colleagues and people with lived experience across the four nations who share an enthusiasm for person-centred approaches to health and well-being. The network aims to:

  • promote person-centred care approaches in members' own localities
  • feed into national pieces of work (for example, through consultations) and be the RCGP's voice for person-centred care
  • meet twice per year to plan strategy, and explore good work being carried out across the country to highlight through the project.

For further information, please contact innovation@rcgp.org.uk.