A new Supplementary Supervisors’ Report (SSR) will be introduced for GP specialty training posts, or elements of posts, that are non-clinical. This includes settings where a GP registrar is not working in a direct patient-facing GP role, for example Public Health placements, Structured Learning Placements, Education ITPs, PCN ITPs and other similar roles. The SSR can also be used for observed work involving simulation.
The SSR is optional. There is no mandatory requirement for a GP registrar to have an SSR completed in a non-clinical post, and it will not appear in the Table of Requirements. Where it is used, it should normally be completed before the end of the non-clinical element of the placement so that feedback can be discussed in a timely way and used to inform development.
The purpose of the SSR is to provide a structured way of capturing meaningful feedback on capability progression in settings where there may otherwise be limited formal supervisory evidence available to support the Educational Supervisor Report (ESR). It is designed to complement existing WPBA evidence and provide clearer, capability-mapped feedback for the portfolio.
Where a post includes a direct clinical component, a Clinical Supervisor’s Report (CSR) will still be required for that clinical work. The SSR complements the CSR; it does not replace it.
The report will be completed by a suitably trained professional who has personally observed the registrar at work and is able to provide informed feedback on their performance. It will include structured narrative comments on strengths and areas for development across relevant capability groupings, together with an overall judgement against the level expected for the registrar’s stage of training.
You can download Supplementary Supervisors’ Report templates below, that show what the SSR will look like when it's launched, as well as example SSRs for GP registrars performing above and below expectations.
- SSR Template
- SSR Example - Below Expectations
- SSR Example - Above Expectations
From August 2026, GP registrars in ST1 and ST2 primary care posts will be able to use the full range of Care Assessment Tools (CATs), rather than being limited to Case-based Discussions (CbDs).
This change is intended to allow assessment to better reflect the breadth of authentic day-to-day GP work earlier in training, while also supporting earlier familiarity with CATs before ST3.
Importantly, there is no increase in the minimum number of assessments required. The requirements remain:
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ST1: 4 CbDs/CATs per year (minimum two for each 6‑monthly ESR)
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ST2: 4 CbDs/CATs per year (minimum two for each 6‑monthly ESR)
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ST3: 5 CATs (which can include CbDs)
In secondary care placements, only CbDs will continue to be used. The expansion of CATs applies to primary care posts only.
This change gives GP registrars and supervisors greater flexibility to choose the assessment format that best reflects the learning opportunities in a given placement, without adding to the overall assessment burden.
The grading scale used in the Clinical Supervisor’s Report (CSR) will change in ST1 and ST2 primary care posts so that it aligns with the grading already used in non-primary care posts. This will mean there is a single grading scale for all CSRs across all posts in ST1 and ST2.
The revised ST1/2 grading scale will be:
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Significantly Below Expectations
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Below Expectations
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Meets Expectations
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Above Expectations
This means that in ST1 and ST2, whether a registrar is in a primary care or non-primary care placement, they will be assessed against the expected performance of a GP registrar at that level of experience in that post, using the same four-point grading structure.
The change is intended to improve consistency and provide a more sensitive and nuanced way of describing progress across posts. It does not change the purpose of the CSR, which remains a structured source of supervisory evidence for the ESR and ARCP.
In ST1 and ST2, all GP registrars will be at the level of "Needing Further Development" as described by the word descriptors [PDF] for each capability. Supervisors can use these word descriptors to support their grading:
Significantly Below Expectations: Only a small number of the relevant NFD capability descriptors are demonstrated. There are several, or in some cases many, indicators of potential underperformance. Performance is clearly below the level expected for this stage of training and gives rise to significant concern.
Below Expectations: Some of the relevant NFD capability descriptors are demonstrated, but there are also indicators of potential underperformance. Performance is below the level expected for this stage of training and there are identifiable areas of concern that require further development and support.
Meets Expectations: Most of the relevant NFD capability descriptors are demonstrated. Performance is in line with what would be expected for a doctor at this stage of training, while recognising that further development is still needed.
Above Expectations: Many of the relevant NFD capability descriptors are demonstrated, together with some, and in some cases many, of the Competent capability descriptors. Performance is stronger than would typically be expected at this stage of training, although further development is still required.
The ST3 primary care CSR grading scale is unchanged. In ST3, the CSR continues to assess performance against the standard expected at the end of training / point of CCT, using the existing grades:
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Needing Further Development – Below Expectations
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Needing Further Development – Meeting Expectations (should not be used at the end of ST3)
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Competent
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Excellent
Document versions of the CSR - that show what it will look like with the new gradings incorporated - can be downloaded here.
- CSR in Primary Care - ST1 and ST2
- CSR in Primary Care - ST3
Alongside the WPBA updates, changes will also be made to the Personal Development Plan (PDP) in the Trainee Portfolio. These changes are intended to make the current system simpler, clearer and easier to use for GP registrars and educators.
At present, the process for recording and tracking PDPs is more complex than it needs to be. GP registrars are currently expected to create both Action Plans and PDPs, and the distinction between the two is not always clear. This can lead to confusion, incomplete or unreviewed entries, difficulty linking learning to Action Plans, and missed requirements at ARCP.
To address this, the Trainee Portfolio will move to a single streamlined PDP format. Planning will be recorded through PDP entries, rather than being split across separate PDP and Action Plan processes. PDPs will be able to be tagged with capabilities (much like an action plan used to be) and clinical experience groups or can be left without a tag.
Importantly, the overall requirements for PDP will not change. GP registrars will still need to create a minimum of two PDPs per training year, and progress must be demonstrated in at least one of them. What will change is that there will no longer be a separate additional Action Plans requirement. There will no longer be a separate Action Plans requirement. Capability progression will continue to be reviewed and monitored by the Educational Supervisor but through specific questions in the ESR process, rather than the creation of separate Action Plans.
As part of the update, all PDP ideas entered by the GP registrar will automatically become PDP goals, so there will no longer be a separate step requiring conversion by the Educational Supervisor. Existing Action Plans will not be automatically converted into PDPs. They will remain visible for a limited period before becoming historic entries. Those created in the last 6 months will continue to appear in the Action Plan summary during that time, and GP registrars can convert them into PDPs if they wish. They will not be merged automatically, as they have a different format to PDPs.
Previous PDPs and Action Plans will remain available for reference, and items not carried forward will be closed but retained for audit purposes.
These changes are intended to reduce duplication, improve clarity, and make it easier to record and review development needs in a meaningful way.
The COT criteria have been updated to ensure they reflect the updated GP Curriculum. GP Educators can use these criteria to help them when grading a COT. The revised criteria will be available along with the rest of the changes in August 2026.
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