CPR, AED and safeguarding

Throughout GP training, GP registrars must demonstrate competence in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Automated External Defibrillation (AED) and Child and Adult safeguarding.

Throughout the guidance and requirements for both CPR/AED and Child and Adult safeguarding, there are references made to evidence being required every 12 months. For clarity, this refers to a consecutive 12-month period (e.g. 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024) - not to a training year, which could, for a variety of reasons, be longer than 12 months. Where the requirements instead relate to training years (i.e. ST1, ST2 and ST3), this is clearly stated in the guidance and requirements. 

CPR and AED

The requirements

Evidence of competence in CPR and AED must be provided every 12 months. This must  include demonstrating competence in CPR for both children and adults, unless there is no paediatric exposure in any placement during that period in which case there is only a need to show adult CPR and AED competence. Competence in AED only needs to be demonstrated for adults. 

Competence should be demonstrated by attendance every 12 months at a training session run by an approved Resuscitation Council trainer/assessor or equivalent. This should be a hands-on/face-to-face course, not an online course – online only evidence of CPR and AED is not acceptable. 

Following attendance at a course, a valid certificate of competence must be uploaded and attached to a learning log entry in the ‘supporting documentation’ section of the Portfolio. The Educational Supervisor can then validate it. This will be checked to ensure it is in date at each ARCP panel.

In summary, the requirements are: 

  • Attend a face to face training session every 12 months run by an approved Resuscitation Council trainer/assessor or equivalent.
  • Upload the certificate of competence to the Portfolio and attach in to a learning log entry in the “supporting documentation” section of the Portfolio. 

We are aware that some Intermediate Life Support (ILS) courses separate adult and paediatric resuscitation. If the ILS course did not include a paediatric component more evidence of demonstrating competence in this area must be provided, for example: by taking a Basic Life Support (BLS) course that does include a paediatric component or the separate paediatric ILS.

Additionally, we are aware that some certificates don't explicitly refer to paediatric CPR. It is the responsibility of GP registrars to ensure that the course they attend allows them to show competence in paediatric CPR and demonstrate this in their Portfolio (e.g. via a learning log entry demonstrating that the course covered paediatric CPR) if the certificate doesn't state paediatric CPR competence. ARCP panels have the flexibility to take pragmatic decisions in how requirements have been demonstrated within the portfolio. 

Certificate of competence in CPR and AED - Further information

The certificate must be issued by a Resuscitation Council (UK) instructor or equivalent and conform to the Resuscitation Council (UK) guidelines in place at that time. Certificates should be added to Supporting Documentation and the Compliance Passport. It is essential that the certificate is valid at the time of CCT and extends beyond the end date of training.

Some certificates – particularly those issued following attendance at an Advanced Life Support (ALS) course state they are valid for 3-4 years. For clarity competence in CPR and AED must still be demonstrated every 12 months by attending an appropriate course every 12 months.

Resuscitation Council UK

Demonstrating CPR and AED competence for GP registrars with physical disabilities

If it is not possible to undertake CPR and/or AED due to a physical disability, competence can still be demonstrated in this area for example, by demonstrating the ability to direct others to undertake CPR and use an Automatic External Defibrillator. 

Evidence of competence in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillation (AED) must still be provided every 12 months, by attendance at a training session run by an approved Resuscitation Council trainer/assessor or equivalent.

Safeguarding - children and adults

Safeguarding training is an integral and ongoing part of both GP training and professional development as a qualified GP. The GP curriculum states that all GPs should be competent in dealing with safeguarding, including recognising abuse, knowing about local arrangements for safeguarding, referring effectively, and playing a part in assessment and continuing management including prevention of further abuse.

GP registrars need to be able to apply the following when the need arises:

  • appropriate knowledge
  • clinical skills
  • contextual understanding of safeguarding

The requirements

There are three main requirements for safeguarding in GP training:

  1. Evidence of Level 3 Adult and Child safeguarding is needed at all stages of training (from the beginning of ST1 onwards). This should be evidenced with a certificate of completion of a Level 3 safeguarding course in their Learning Log.
  2. “Knowledge updates” for adult and child safeguarding every 12 months. These should be documented in a learning log entry and need to include key safeguarding information and appropriate action to take if there are any concerns.
  3. A minimum of one Clinical Case Review in each training year (ST1/2/3) that shows the application of adult safeguarding knowledge, and one Clinical Case Review in each training year (ST1/2/3) that shows the application of child safeguarding knowledge. These do not need to include a referral to a safeguarding body but should include consideration of safeguarding issues, how they should be managed, and the appropriate people/organisations to involve. 

For CCT, GP registrars need to have, for both adult and child safeguarding:

  • an in-date level 3 certificate uploaded to the relevant section of the Trainee Portfolio
  • evidence of a knowledge update in the last 12 months if an appropriate level 3 safeguarding course is not completed in that period.
  • clinical case review demonstrating the application of safeguarding knowledge in the ST3 year.

As with all areas of the curriculum, the Educational Supervisor will be asked if the GP registrar demonstrates capability in safeguarding in their final review.

If in any post the supervisor has concerns about the trainee, the GP registrar should be closely supervised and supported when dealing with any cases that may have safeguarding implications.

The Level 3 certificate requirement - further information

If 36 months pass since completing a Level 3 Adult and Child Safeguarding course, another Level 3 Adult and Child Safeguarding course must be completed. This would then be counted as the knowledge update for the 12-month period it was completed.

The Knowledge Update requirement – further information

Examples of knowledge updates include:

  • Attending face to face training
  • Webinars
  • Attendance at safeguarding practice meetings
  • eLearning

In most cases, separate knowledge updates for adult safeguarding and child safeguarding will be needed every twelve months. However, if something like a multidisciplinary day covered both adult and child safeguarding, then a single knowledge update covering this would meet the requirements. 

If a GP registrar does not have any posts within a specific training year that include children, it is not mandatory (though still recommended) that they understand and document their learning about child safeguarding.

Annual Knowledge Updates: evidence should be uploaded to the to the ‘Knowledge Update’ area. Initially this area will initially appear yellow (we hope to change this to grey in future for clarity) until the first knowledge update is uploaded. Within 12 months after completing their level 3, registrars must add or link their next update in this section. Once uploaded, this will again show as green for 11 months, then turn orange, and finally red when overdue.

Existing knowledge updates can be linked and added to the new areas (if the GP registrar wishes to) and the date of training changed to the date the update occurred. For some GP registrars, this change will have been implemented part way through their training year. As such, ARCP Panels should continue to check through the Portfolio in the event that the compliance passport does not immediately show that evidence has been provided against these requirements.

The Clinical Case Review requirement – further information

Safeguarding Clinical Case Reviews do not need to include a referral to a safeguarding body but should include consideration of safeguarding issues, how they should be managed, and the appropriate people/organisations to involve.

In most cases, separate Clinical Case Reviews will be needed each training year – one that covers adult safeguarding, and another that covers child safeguarding. However, there may be cases where both adult and child safeguarding issues are involved, in which case a single Clinical Case Review covering this sort of case would meet the requirements. 

If direct experience in a case that allows for the application of safeguarding knowledge has not been gained by a GP registrar, the requirement may still be fulfilled by demonstrating participation in relevant learning activities. These may include, for example:

  • Group case discussions (such as those held during VTS teaching), in which a case—either one directly experienced or one presented by a colleague—is discussed. Learning outcomes from the discussion can then be reflected upon. 
  • Practice safeguarding meetings, where a case is either presented or discussed regardless of direct involvement. For example, if a concern is raised about an elderly patient living alone and considered vulnerable and the case is presented and discussed during a safeguarding meeting, then the insights gained and knowledge applied may be used as the basis for reflection in a Clinical Case Review.

Evidence of both the knowledge update, and the application of knowledge in a Clinical Case Review, must be documented in a learning log entry. It should be linked to the clinical experience group, 'People with health disadvantages and vulnerabilities'.

Intercollegiate documents and RCGP supplementary guidance on safeguarding

Nationally recognised frameworks have been designed to guide all health professionals and their teams to identify the competencies they need in order to safeguard children and adults. These include:

Some of these documents refer to a minimum number of hours required for safeguarding training. GP registrars are not expected to reference ‘number of hours’ within their learning log. If a GP registrar demonstrates within each training year a range of participatory and non-participatory learning in both child and adult safeguarding as documented above, this will be considered equivalent.

Page last updated: 8 January 2025