Hosting work experience in general practice

COVID-19

Considering the challenge and uncertainty posed by COVID-19, the RCGP are advising that all work experience placements be postponed until further notice. We wish to support practices to focus on patient care and their own wellbeing at this time.

Aspiring medics can find out about Observe GP – our interactive video platform – providing insights into general practice, which is an element of relevant experience when applying to medical school. We hope to still launch the platform at the end of April 2020.

If you have any queries regarding COVID-19 specifically, please email Covid19@rcgp.org.uk or refer to our dedicated web page

If you have a query about Observe GP, please contact schools@rcgp.org.uk.

Offer work experience at your practice

The RCGP has produced the below guidance and resource to support GP practices to offer work experience placements to pupils aged 16+. Practices may also wish to consider partnering with a local medical school or social enterprise who are part of our Widening Participation Work Experience Programme.

Aspiring medics can find advice about obtaining work experience on a dedicated web page.

Work experience is one way that young people, who are interested in applying to study medicine, can gain an understanding of some of the realities of healthcare. Throughout the application process to medical school, pupils must demonstrate that they have acquired this knowledge and obtained the necessary core values, and attributes. It is often not easy for pupils to gain work experience opportunities, unless they have networks and contacts in healthcare.

By offering work experience practices can:

Support informed career decisions
Provide insight into general practice
Develop the skills of your staff members
Inspire tomorrows #TeamGP.

"Encouraging young people to consider a career in primary care is crucial to helping inspire the next generation of GPs. Work experience helps pupils gain an insight into the work that family doctors do." Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard.

One-day placements

Practices are encouraged to consider, where possible, offering anywhere from one day to three days to any one pupil. A week-long commitment is not a requirement. A one-day work experience placement can provide a young person with fantastic insight into primary care and they are incentivised to get as much out of the day as possible.

The emphasis for young people is not how much work experience they get but how they reflect upon what they observe. The RCGP have created a reflective diary [PDF] which can be provided to work experience participants to help them reflect on their experiences and take notes. A pupil pack [PDF] has also been created which can be provided ahead of the placement to ensure they are prepared.

An example one-day work experience schedule [PDF] is available for practices to use as a template - with particular emphasis placed on induction at the start of the first day.

Who should I offer placements to?

Pupils should not attend a work experience placement at the practice they are registered at as a patient (see common myths below)
It is not necessary for practices to collect and select pupils based on academic criteria
Placements can be offered ad-hoc or by establishing a relationship with a careers adviser or head of science at a school outside your immediate locality
Teachers within said school can select suitable pupils (aged 16+) interested in medicine and ensure they are prepared for the day
Practices are encouraged to provide opportunities to young people who do not have relatives or friends working in healthcare.

Best practice

Pupils should not be allowed to carry out any clinical activities
Ensure that participants are in the company of a member of staff at all times
Please take account of the different levels of maturity, confidence and experience of your participant(s)
They will be nervous and often we can overestimate our expectations of young people
Be clear on the start and finish times.

Common myths

Myth 1 | Patient confidentiality

Often there is a misunderstanding that work experience cannot be held in general practice because of confidentiality.

Patient dignity and confidentiality must be maintained, however the methods suggested below aim to safeguard this and allow work experience pupils to learn about the trust between the general practice team and its patients.

Work experience placements should not be offered to pupils who are registered at your practice, as they are more likely to know patients.
A thorough induction should stress the importance of confidentiality. Pupils can be asked to sign a pupil agreement form [PDF] consenting that they will keep all information, including the identity of patients, confidential.
If there is time, use our confidentiality activity sheet [PDF] and facilitator notes [PDF] to structure your conversation.
Where possible, have a three point plan 1) inform patients that a work experience pupil will be present when they book their appointment; 2) when they arrive at reception and 3) again when they enter the consultation. Generally, patients are happy for them to be present. Be sure that they understand the status of the pupil i.e they are not a medical student.
Inform the work experience pupil in advance about where they should go if a patient does not consent for them to be present. Should they wait outside the room? In the staff room? Will you come back to get them?

Myth 2 | Insurance and indemnity

Individuals on work experience are covered by the existing employers’ liability insurance policy of the practice.

The Association of British Insurers, the British Insurance Brokers Association and Lloyds of London have agreed that, as a matter of convention, individuals on work experience placements should be treated as employees for the purposes of insurance against bodily injury, where the employer is legally liable for a loss. You only need to notify your insurer of the sorts of activities that individuals on work placement will undertake if those activities are onerous or different from the normal business activities of your organisation. The work experience placements we are recommending are less than one week in length and involve no clinical or out of the ordinary activity. The pupils only observe what is taking place.

Indemnity
Many indemnity organisation’s view the supervision of work-based learning as part of the role of being a GP. The benefits of indemnity would apply to members only and would not extend to the provision of assistance to those on work experience if a claim were made directly against them. For more information visit the Association of British Insurers. See the information above relating to confidentiality for further guidance.

The Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice, which came into force, in April 2019 does not specifically include scope for work experience pupils, therefore our advice remains the same as above. The College will continue to review the available information, and legislation and thus the guidance on these web pages may evolve overtime.

Home visits
The College, at this time, does not recommend that pupils are taken to observe home visits during their work experience placement. This is being looked into further, and recommendations maybe updated here by the summer of 2020.

Myth 3 | Child protection and safeguarding

The below information relates to pupils in England, Scotland and Wales. The College is confirming the correct guidance for pupils in Northern Ireland.

It is not necessary for pupils on work experience to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (England and Wales) or Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check (Scotland) ahead of their placement because they must be supervised at all times.

No DBS or PVG is required for supervisors. A DBS check is not compulsory for staff supervising young people aged 16-17. A PVG check is not required by staff because the pupil is classified as 'working' while on work experience.

To ensure peace of mind, by all parties, however, it is recommended that participants are matched for 1-2-1 activity with practice staff members who have an in-date DBS (no more than three years old) or PVG check, which many staff members within a practice are likely to have.

Myth 4 | Health and safety paperwork

You do not need to repeat risk assessments for work experience placements as these individuals are only shadowing clinical activities. However, if you do not currently employ a young person or haven’t done so in the last few years or you are taking on a work experience pupil for the first time, it is advisable to review your risk assessment before they begin their placement.

It is recommended that potential risks are discussed during the pupils induction, checking that they have understood what they have been told. It is also advisable to determine at this stage if the pupil has any needs or circumstances you need to be aware of.

Useful information flyer for aspiring medics

Work experience resources

Reflective diary [PDF]
Pupil agreement form [PDF]
Patient consent form [PDF]
Pupil guide [PDF]
Example one-day work experience schedule [PDF]
Confidentiality activity sheet [PDF]
Confidentiality facilitator notes [PDF]
Consultations and patient records activity sheet [PDF]
Consultations and patient records facilitator notes [PDF]
Medical ethics activity sheet [PDF]
Medical ethics facilitator notes [PDF]
NHS core values activity sheet [PDF]
NHS core values facilitator notes [PDF]
Widening Participation work experience programme overview [PDF] (see below)

An editable certificate to supply to pupils is available by emailing: schools@rcgp.org.uk

Aspiring medic flyer [PDF] (left)

It may not be possible to offer work experience to every pupil who requests it, or it may not be possible at your practice to offer any placements at this time.

Finding work experience can be tough for young people, and knock their confidence. Provide our Aspiring medic flyer [PDF] (left) in person, or via email to pupils who approach your practice for work experience so that they are not left empty-handed. The flyer provides useful advice about other ways to gain a realistic understanding of medicine, because work experience is only one way.