Each year the University of Bristol run a series of MMIs (Multiple Mini Interviews), interviewing 80 candidates per day - with two sessions of 20 in the morning and two session of 20 in the afternoon. There are two parallel streams being interviewed synchronously, with 10 stations in each stream, at 6 minutes per station (5 minutes for the task/question and 1 minute change over). There is one interviewer at each station asking a question or acting out a scenario and each has a score sheet and guidance on scoring. MMIs are the final stage of the admissions process and offers are made based on candidate's performance at MMIs. 

We are looking for colleagues from across the NHS to act as assessors at the MMIs, I am afraid that there is no payment as such for your time, but we, and the GMC, recognise the important role that medical student selection plays in shaping the future health service so, all asessors will receive a certificate of contribution, evidence which may be useful in appraisal, revalidation and job planning.

I am happy to be able to confirm that this cycle's Medical MMIs will again be held in the Anson Room, Richmond Building, Queens Road (Student's Union) on the following dates -  

Tues 21st, Weds 22nd, Thurs 23rd  November

Tues 5th, Weds 6th, Thurs 7th December 

Tues 13th, Weds 14th, Thurs 15th February 

Tues 20th, Weds 21st, Thurs 22nd February  

Tues 13th, Weds 14th, Thurs 15th March 

There are refreshments and a briefing upon arrival and a lunch voucher is provided for the Balloon Bar on the ground floor.

I am looking for assessors that are available for either a half day (full morning - 09:00-12:20  or full afternoon - 12:20-15:40) or the whole day - 09:00-15:40. 

If you would like to take part in this please email jo.bennett@bristol.ac.uk

Published on behalf of Jo Bennett, University of Bristol

Friday 30 June 2017 - 9:00am -4:30pm

Xfi Building, Rennes Drive, Streatham Campus, University of Exeter

Keynote speakers:

Dr Adam Fox, Consultant Paediatric Allergist, Allergy London

Dr Mich Lajeunesse, Consultant in Paediatric Allergy and Immunology, Southampton Children’s Hospital

Learn more about paediatric and adult allergy during our one day event, organised by Dr Siân Ludman from Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Dr Lucy Leeman from the Peninsula Clinical Immunology and Allergy Service (Eden Unit) at Derriford Hospital. Update your knowledge, share your experiences and expertise in this cutting edge event which combines expert talks from regionally and nationally renowned allergy experts, highly interactive workshops, discussions, poster presentations and ample opportunities to network and forge new connections. By taking a pragmatic approach to common problems faced in community practice, the event will introduce you to a panel of local and national specialists in the field.

For a full programme for the day (including speakers, workshop themes and facilitators) visit www.exeter.ac.uk/medicine/cpd

For general enquiries; email UEMS_CPD@exeter.ac.uk or call 01392 722964

Topics will include:

• Global importance of allergy
• Eczema
• Understanding immune system
• Rhinitis

All delegates will have an opportunity to attend the following workshops:

• Non allergic urticaria
• Practical approach to drug allergy
• Prevention of food allergy
• Recognition of anaphylaxis and adrenaline
• auto-injector prescription

CPD points applied through the Royal College of Physicians.

Cost:

Doctors £90

Doctors in training £70

Nurses and Allied Health Professionals £50

Students £30

A very successful symposium, attended by 63 GPs and GP trainees, entitled, ‘Management of Oral & Dental Disease for Non-Dental Professionals’ was held on Wednesday, 12^th October at Future Inns Hotel in Bristol.  This was a joint initiative between the GP and Dental Schools and included lectures on diagnosis and management of toothache, oral health promotion and dental trauma in childhood, oral ulceration, ‘signposting’ patients to dental care, medical conditions that impact on dental care and periodontal disease and relationship to general health.  The feedback was extremely positive, with the almost all the delegates responding that a dental day for general medical practitioners should be run regularly.  We are hoping to run a similar event in 2017, in the South of the region, to include not only GPs but also community pharmacists and A&E staff.

A system-wide approach is needed to change the perception of the learning environment in medical schools to encourage more students to choose a career in general practice says a new report commissioned by Health Education England and the Medical Schools Council. Professor Val Wass OBE was commissioned to investigate how general practice is taught in medical schools and make recommendations to HEE and other key partners. Val was supported by a task force which included the British Medical Association, junior doctors, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Society for Academic Primary Care. The resulting report ‘By choice – not by chance’ looks at students’ experiences whilst at medical school and shines the spotlight on the need to tackle long held views about general practice which is often perceived as a less valued career.  Change is key to making sure we have the GP workforce required to meet service and patient demands for the future. You can read the report and its recommendations on Health Education England’s website.

A group of budding Dermatologists are setting up a Dermatology Society in Severn aimed at improving knowledge in this specialty. We are going to provide evening talks and practical sessions aimed at Foundation Year Doctors, Core Medical Trainees, GP Trainees and Paediatric Trainees.

Programme

Monday 28th November 2016 at 7pm, Education Centre BRI

DERMSOC introductory event.

‘Highlights’ by Dr Cameron Kennedy

Some cases and themes to demonstrate why he has enjoyed his career as a dermatologist

Tuesday 13th December 2016 at 7pm, Education Centre BRI

Interesting cases with minced pies!

An opportunity to discuss interesting cases  - open to all. Please submit a brief description of the case you’d like to present or discuss to: bristoldermsoc@gmail.com by Sunday 27th November 2016. A great opportunity for those looking to build their CV’s or discuss a complex case.

Thursday 18th January 2017 at  7pm

Education Centre BRI

Suturing even and introduction to skin surgery techniques

Saturday 18th March 2017 all day

OSCE practice for 4th year medical students at Dolphin House, BRI

Future events TBC.

Please email bristoldermsoc@gmail.com if you want to register your interest to attend and we can keep you updated with further information on the events.

Genomic Champion Advert - application deadline is the 31st October

• We are looking to fill up to ten 0.1 wte posts with the purpose of assisting the educational development and delivery of education across the GMC patch to ensure that the Genomic pathway becomes mainstreamed into medical practice.  Applications are invited from any professional, from any of the delivery organisations or primary care, with a passion for Genomic medicine and a desire to support colleagues through the clinical pathways.

Agents for Change conference on Monday 31st October 2016 at Liverpool ACC.

•  This conference has been organised by junior doctors, for junior doctors and medical students, since 2007.  This year, the theme is 'Training to Lead' and we have some exciting and interactive speakers lined up including Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, Professor Jacky Hayden, Dr Jane Burns, Ms Vijaya Nath, and Dr Wouter Keijser.

•  The event is a pre-day to the Leaders in Healthcare conference, a joint venture between the BMJ, NHS England, and the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management.

•  The Agents for Change conference on its own costs only £49 -  just enter 'AFCONLY16' within the basket page under 'promotional code' and your basket will reduce to £49. Alternatively, Sign up to the conference for the FMLM trainee rate of £245 and get the Agents for Change pre-day free. Just use the discount code AFC2016.

The RCGP has produced a new resource designed to support post-CCT GPs: RCGP Mythbusters – Addressing common misunderstandings about appraisal and revalidation. We are grateful to the wide range of stakeholders who engaged with us extensively in the development of this document.

The Mythbusters is intended to be a living document which evolves and grows with the revalidation and appraisal needs of GPs, so we want to encourage feedback on anything we may have missed or areas that need further clarification. All feedback will be welcomed via revalidation@rcgp.org.uk

MMI’s and Training days 

There is a training session on Monday 10th October 14:00-15:30, in the Great Hall, Wills Memorial Building.

The MMI's are being held on the following dates in the Anson Room, Student's Union. 

• Tues 22^nd, Weds 23^rd, Thurs 24^th  November
• Tues 6^th, Thurs 8^th  December
• Mon 23^rd, Tues 24^th, Weds 25^th January
• Tues 14^th, Weds 15^th, Thurs 16^th March

 The full day runs from 09:00 - 15:50 - morning session 09:00-12:20, afternoon session 12:20-15:50. Lunch break from 12:10-12:40 (lunch and refreshments provided). 

Contact: jo.bennett@bristol.ac.uk

One day educational course for GPs and Trainees on Child Health for GPs

This will take Place on Friday 11th November in London.

Full details and booking options can be found on the website.

Geriatrics for Juniors 2016 - Saturday October 8th – Nottingham Conference Centre

Geriatrics for Juniors is a one-day conference, designed for Foundation Doctors, Core Medical and GP Trainees.

It aims to deliver relevant and useful clinical updates in all the main sub-specialties of Geriatric Medicine, in order to improve the standard of care for older patients.

• A full day of relevant and interesting educational sessions related to Geriatric Medicine.
• Practical and useful updates for your day-to-day practice on the hospital medical wards.
• Sessions on career choices, CV building, applying to specialty, and the truth about life as a registrar.
• A certificate of attendance for your e-portfolio.
• There will also be a ‘World Cafe’ of informal discussions regarding career options, applying to specialty, and tips for improving your clinical practice within the various sub-specialty fields.
• CotE Champions Poster Competition
• We are hosting a poster competition for audits and quality improvement projects performed by junior doctors which have improved the care of elderly patients (aeme.org.uk/g4j16-posters). Winners will be invited to display their posters at this national conference and the very best will be crowned our 'CotE Champions'.

Please visit aeme.org.uk/g4j16 to register, places are limited so sign up soon!

The FMLM is running a pair of Leadership Development days in Birmingham on 5 July and London on 27 July. The days are for GPs transitioning into new leadership roles whether at board, locality or practice level.

This day is designed to support you in developing the necessary leadership skills, knowledge and behaviours to flourish in a range of clinical leadership roles, both within and outside of your practice in federations, CCGs and elsewhere.
CCGs or GP federations might want to support colleagues to attend to support CPs in new leadership roles within their organisations and enabling succession planning.
Have you recently taken on a new leadership role or are you supporting colleagues transitioning into new leadership roles?

Perhaps you want to explore a portfolio career involving clinical leadership?

Join us and Register now for only £245* in:
*FMLM membership discount are also available
Birmingham on 5 July or London on 27 July
The programme will cover:
• The transition to a new leadership role
• Fearless conversations
• Developing personal and team resilience
• Overcoming learned helplessness: Leading innovation and change
• Leadership in action: An inspirational personal career story from a GP focusing on the challenges of transitioning to a new leadership role
• How to get the job
• Coaching and mentoring (optional opportunity for speed coaching)
• Developing personal and team resilience

Faculty of Medical Leadership and Managements. 

FMLM team

Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management

From behalf of School of Primary Care: 

We have been working with our Dental colleagues in Health Education working across the South West to provide a course entitled Management of Oral & Dental Disease for the Non-Dental Professionals. This course has been set for the 12th of October 2016 from 09:00 – 17:00 at the Future Inns Hotel, Bristol. 

This course is free of charge for GP Trainees and Trainers however registration is essential. To find out more about this course and to register please click the following link

Before you are able to book onto the course you will need to register onto the system by clicking the new user link. 

Places are limited so please do register soon if you would like to attend.

Dear all

We are pleased to announce trainee applications are now open for the 2016 Bursary and PGCE funding. Details can be found on the links below

http://www.peninsuladeanery.nhs.uk/about-us/bursary-funding/  

http://www.severndeanery.nhs.uk/about-us/bursary-funding/

Dear Trainees

I have just heard that the Primary Care School has registered a 100% completion rate for the GMC trainee survey this year. And what’s more this also applies across the whole of Severn PGME - all 2078 trainees across the various specialities in Severn have completed the survey this year!

Thank you for the time and thought you have put into this task - the survey provides valuable information in allowing us to understand what problems you experience with your posts and helps us work with your supervisors to improve them.

Simon Newton, Head of School of Primary Care (Severn)

All Supervisors, Educators, Trainees and colleagues are warmly invited to nominate ST3/4 trainees for this year's Excellence Awards. Please do help to ensure that the full breadth of achievements within and alongside GP training are recognised.

Just complete the nomination form and send it to Pauline.harper@southwest.hee.nhs.uk by Friday 17th June 2016.

See the Awards pages on the website for full information, but the following awards are available this year:
• Academic/ Research Excellence Award (£200), supported by Avon LMC
• Clinical Excellence Award (£200), supported by Wesleyan
• Community Contribution Excellence Award (£200), supported by East Somerset Trainers' Group
• Green Practice Excellence Award (£200), supported by Dr Tim Ballard
• Leadership Excellence Award, supported by Frome Medical Practice
• Learning and Development [Education] Excellence Award, supported by the MDU
• Excellence Award for Medical Work outside GP Training, supported by BMA
• Excellence Award for Global Health, supported by Severn Faculty RCGP
• Excellence Award for Personal Achievement outside medicine, supported by Swindon Trainers' Group
Plus the GPST Programme (Patch) Awards (£100 each), sponsored by Brisdoc, and the Robin While Prize (£500) for the GP Trainee of the year.

As part of a programme of works, there will be a 4 hour service outage to the Trainee ePortfolio during the weekend of the 28th and 29th of May.

This is to allow us undertake changes to the firewalls.

This work is scheduled to start at 12 midnight on Saturday 28th May until 4am on the 29th (i.e. a 4 hour window).

A support system will be in place to ensure that the TeP comes back up correctly following the outage.

Given the timings we hope this will cause minimal disruption. 

When organising OOH shifts trainees are reminded about the European Working Time Regulations and need to be compliant with these. The main features are:

• a maximum average of 48 hours working time each week, measured over a reference period of 26 weeks for doctors
• a minimum of 11 hours continuous rest in 24 hours
• a minimum of 24 hours continuous rest in 7 days (or 48 hrs in 14 days)
• a minimum of a 20 minute break in work periods of over 6 hours
• for night workers, an average of no more than 8 hours work in 24 over the reference period.

More details can be found on NHS Employers page

It is the responsibility of trainees to let their practices know if they need to adjust their daytime practice working hours to be compliant eg if finishing an OOH shift at 11pm should not start work the following day until 10am. However trainees still need to do their usual 40 hour working week so if starting late will need to make up the time elsewhere in the week or at a later date. Hours worked can be averaged over a several month time period. This can be done in a number of ways and how trainees and practices choose to do this will be up to individuals to organise. Trainees need to remember that practices usually need at least a months notice and ideally 6 weeks or more to re-organise surgeries as most will have surgeries open for booking at least a month in advance so re-organising surgeries at short notice is very time consuming. If it is not possible or trainees do not wish to organise a late start then an evening OOH shift could be finished at 10pm as an alternative. If trainees plan to work an overnight shift these should only be booked for a Friday or Saturday night unless the trainee has arranged to take the following day off and if working on a Friday night they should ensure an adequate break between daytime work and starting an overnight shift.

The Health Education England (Severn & Peninsula Postgraduate Medical Education) is holding its 5th Annual SAS Doctors’ Conference at Plymouth on 10-11 May 2016. Programme links below:

Peninsula deanery

Severn deanery

1. With 27 speakers/ facilitators delivering 12 Plenary and 24 parallel sessions/ workshops, we are confident the delegates will find it worth their time.

The two morning Plenary sessions on Wednesday 11 may 2016 are very relevant to all doctors so we have reserved 100 places for medical students, Foundation Year Doctors, GPs and Consultants to attend the following talks only:
a. Generation & Beyond, by Dr Jeremy Langton, Vice President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (on doctors expected to work beyond 65 years of age); at 09.45-10.15.
b. History and the future of Medical Education in the UK, by Prof Val Wass, Emeritus Professor of Medical Education, Faculty of Health at Keele University; at 10.15-10.45 with a QA session 10.45-11.15.

c. Registration will be free, on a first come first served basis.

 
d. To register, please send an emailwith your Name, Job Title, and Trust Name

We are seeking to recruit enthusiastic GPs and senior GPSTs to be “GP Careers Champions” within the Severn Deanery. Thanks to the 100+ GPs who have already signed up - we are now looking to expand numbers as the project becomes more widely advertised.
The scheme is part of a national drive to boost GP recruitment and showcase what a fantastic career General Practice is.

Champions will:
• Be matched to a medical student or junior doctor who has expressed an interest in General Practice as a career and who would like to know more.
• Offer mentorship in a method convenient to both parties – this could be in the form of a taster day, or discussion via email, phone, skype or face-to-face.
Time commitment to the scheme can be flexible and be easily manageable around other work commitments.
As a Champion you will receive a certificate from the deanery acknowledging your participation and role in the scheme. The scheme fulfils the GMC good medical practice guidance on mentoring and provides an opportunity to take on an educational role.
If you are enthusiastic about your career, friendly, approachable and would like to get involved please complete the link below to register your interest.

If you would like further information or a copy of our FAQs, please contact here.

Health Education England, Severn School of Primary Care & Severn Faculty RCGP

The MDU GP Trainee Excellence Awards and Graduation

Wednesday 20th July 2016, from 2.00pm

Bristol Pavilion (Gloucestershire Cricket Club)

You are warmly invited to attend this joint annual event, which forms an important date in the GP Trainee, Severn School of Primary Care and RCGP Severn Faculty calendar. We particularly look forward to hearing about the GP trainees’ many and varied activities, and celebrating the ST3/4s’ completion of training in Severn at this annual ‘Graduation’ ceremony. Our guest speaker this year is Dr Phil Hammond who is a well-known doctor, comedian and campaigner. His Michael Lennard Lecture promises to be entertaining and stimulating.

Do come and celebrate GP training in Severn, and book your place using https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PQQKWVS

The MDU GP Trainee Excellence Awards

We are delighted that the MDU continues to be our main sponsor. Full information about the Excellence Awards, GPST Programme Awards the Robin While Prize, including the nomination and selection process/criteria, is available on the Trainee pages of the http://primarycare.severndeanery.nhs.uk/training/trainees/awards/gp-trainee-excellence-awards-and-graduation-2016/

Wednesday 27th April 2016 with a panel of expert speakers

Topics include:

• Prescribing for depression and anxiety

• Prescribing for the elderly

• Effective antibiotic prescribing

• Effective cardiovascular prescribing

• CCG perspective on effective prescribing

• Evidence of good prescribing as part of appraisal

£130 (£90 for GP Registrars) for the whole day

A day of practical prescribing tips for GPs, with opportunities for discussion with GP and specialist colleagues. Accredited by the RCGP.

Organised by the Drug Safety Research Unit at University College, Oxford.

To book your place please click here

The 3rd Annual TASME Conference

Dedicated to innovation in medical education.

Sunday 24th April 2016 brings you the annual TASME Medical Education Conference, taking place in the heart of London, at Imperial's Sir Alexander Fleming Building, South Kensington.

Early Bird Registration (By April 1st)
& Abstract Submission (by March 13th) now OPEN

http://www.asme.org.uk/tasme/tasme-events/#registration-form

We accept audits, surveys, research & projects on any aspect of medical education and training.

Questions? Get in touch!

We are seeking to re-launch the Retainer Scheme for GPs in the Swindon CCG area and we are inviting applications from doctors who are interested in joining the scheme.

Applicants would be applying to work 2-4 sessions per week in a practice within the Swindon CCG area. We have identified practices across the Swindon area that have expressed an interest in hosting a doctor on the scheme.

Doctors will be employed by the practice and the salary will be negotiable with the employing practice.

The Retainer Scheme is designed for GPs who are registered on the Performers List and are able to work but have additional constraints on their availability and may need extra support in the workplace. This includes parents of young children, or children with illnesses or disabilities, doctors who themselves have illness or disability, or those who are carers for other family members. Also in this group are doctors whose co-parents travel or work abroad for a large proportion of time. Doctors on the Retainer Scheme are not allowed to do more than 6 sessions per week of medical work in total, and only a maximum of 4 of these can be in the host practice.

Application form available from jacqueline.pullin@southwest.hee.nhs.uk.

Please return to jacqueline.pullin@southwest.hee.nhs.uk by Friday, 25 March 2016.

Applicants should be available to start work within 3-6 months.

The RCGP reviews the GP curriculum each year and makes changes where appropriate in response to user feedback and to ensure the content is kept up-to-date.

We are not planning any significant changes in 2016, but we have submitted a number of minor changes to GMC through their ‘administrative change process’. Changes which can been submitted through this process are limited to specific types, including corrections, clarifications, updating resources and changes resulting from national initiatives mandated by GMC.

The changes we submitted have been approved by GMC for immediate implementation. All trainees in GP specialty training programmes should now follow the 2016 version of the curriculum, which is available on the RCGP website (curriculum statements page, and the online curriculum) and through the Trainee ePortfolio.

Most of the changes are very minor, such as typograhical corrections, amendments in response to changes in curriculum terminology, amendments to improve understanding, and updating information about resources.

End-of-Life Care module

The GMC asked us to review the curriculum in the light of the review of the Liverpool Care Pathway by the Leadership Alliance on the Care of Dying People (LACDP). As a result of this review we have made some changes to the End-of-Life Care module.

These changes place increased emphasis on providing individualised care, focused on the needs and wishes of dying people and their families. They do not add any additional requirements to training or assessments, but clarify and re-emphasise certain aspects.

You can see these changes in the track-change version, which shows the main amendments to the module:

Module 3.09 End-of-Life Care (track change) [PDF].

Information about the changes, along with the revised version of the curriculum, have been posted on the RCGP website

 Hot Topics GP Update Course

Tuesday 26th April 2016

NB Medical is delighted to be working with Swindon GP Education Trust to run a Hot Topics GP Update course on Tuesday 26th April 2016.

NOW AVAILABLE TO BOOK ONLINE THOUGH NB MEDICAL http://www.nbmedical.com/gp-course-access

You will need to input the suitable code (please see the below)

For 15 years NB Medical Education has been the market leader in running GP Update courses in the UK and Ireland, with over 10,000 GP’s attending our courses per year. We are passionate about primary care, and committed to helping busy primary care professionals practice evidence-based medicine in an easy, time efficient way.

Our teaching is focused on the patient, the problems they bring us and how best we can help them.

The "Hot Topics" course consists of a series of short ‘TED-style’ engaging presentations blending evidence and cases, followed by discussion which may have an impact on your practice. The course comes with a number of extra resources to give it incredible ‘added value’

• A fully referenced book with recent summaries of the evidence for approximately 150 clinical Hot Topics commonly seen in primary care. Most of our delegates use this every day, like they use the BNF. All of the material is up to date and the material is completely 100% independent from any external influence.
• 12 months access to the on-line electronic version of the book which is instantly searchable. All the original references and resources for GPs (e.g. links to on-line clinical calculators) and patients (e.g. patient information leaflets) are hyperlinked and just one click away.
• NEW A CPD tracker with which you can track your CPD, including external CPD and your work with the book. At the end of the year with just one click it will collate all of this into a single pdf summary for your appraisal

Continuing Professional Development with NB Medical

Each delegate will be presented with a certificate of attendance awarding 6 CPD credits for attending the day. The

"Hot Topics" course is accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners. On accrediting the course the RCGP assessor commented that:-

The Hot Topics GP update course is an excellent course with outstanding feedback from participants. The course is clearly designed with busy GPs in mind. The KISS summaries and Guide are an innovative idea to reinforce the course content and learning materials. It is good to note an emphasis on leadership, teaching, audit and commissioning in addition to relevant clinical topics.’

Course details and venue

Date: Tuesday 26th April 2016

Venue: Swindon Town Football Club, County Ground, County Road, Swindon, SN1 2ED

Registration: 8:30am – 9:30am

Lecture: 9:30am – 5:00pm

Course fees:  

BESPOKE ACESS CODES:-

Non set members: SWDN-82797

Set Members: SWDM-82796

Saturday 12th March 2016. 09:15 – 16:00. Wills Memorial Building, Bristol.

Tickets £7.50 to include a series of talks, workshops and a panel discussion from 14 inspiring speakers as well as mid-morning refreshments and lunch. Available to buy online

Poster abstract applications open until midnight on Sunday 28th February. Posters will be displayed over lunchtime and judged by several of our speakers along with the GPSoc Committee. Prize available for the winner and certificates for all participants. Submit your abstracts here

The Programme

09:15-09:30 = Registration in Coutt’s Lecture Theare

09:30-09:40 = Welcome (in Coutts Lecture Theatre)

09:40-11:00 = Portfolio Career Panel (Speakers involved sit on the stage and each talk in turn for approximately 15 minutes followed by Q&A)

Panel lists

- Dr Jess Buchan (Primary Care Teaching Fellow, Year 4 Primary Care unit lead & GP Partner in Long Ashton, Bristol.): Experiences of undergraduate teaching and working abroad for a year as a GP in New Zealand

- Dr Laura Jarvis (RAF GP): General practice in the Armed Forces

- Dr Elaine Lunts (CCG paediatric advisor and sexual health commissioning work. GP partner in Bristol):Developing a specialist interest -paediatrics and sexual healthin the context of primary care

- Dr Shaba Nabi (Pulse columnist, Bristol GP Partner, GP Trainer, GP Appraiser, CVD Clinical Lead for Bristol CCG, LMC committee representative and mum of 3): Medial journalism, GP training and appraising and involvement with the LMC and CCG

11:00– 11:20 = Dr Simon Watkins (Undergraduate GP teacher and GP partner at The Tolsey Surgery in Wiltshire): Comparison of salaried and partner GPs and experiences of rural general practice

11:20 – 11:50 = 1st workshop (3 workshops running simultaneously in 3 separate rooms)

- Dr Anna Harrison (Severn Deanery GPST4): The GP training programme and development of a student/trainee mentor scheme as part of GPST4 leadership year

- Zoe Bush (5th year UoB medical student): ‘From Medical Student to Doctor' – applying for Foundation jobs, elective planning & presenting a poster at a national conference.

- Professor Chris Salisbury (Chair of the RCGP Scientific Foundation Board, Head of Bristol Centre for Academic Primary Care, British Journal of General Practice editorial board & part-time Bristol GP): ‘The Future of General Practice’ - drawing on areas of research including new forms of consulting

11:50 – 12:15 = Break (refreshments provided) – Room 3.23.

12:15 – 12:45 = 2nd workshop (repeat of morning workshops. See speakers above. Delegates will choose 2/3 of the workshops to attend over the course of the morning).

12:45 – 13:05 = Dr James Seddon (GPST3): Development of a general practice intercalated BSc at Bristol (including Q&A and chance for more feedback during poster presentations over lunch. N.B Dr Seddon may be on paternity leave. If so, a colleague will stand in or GPSoc committee will give short talk on iBSc plans using information given by Dr Seddon)

13:05 – 14:00 = Lunch and student poster presentations - Room 3.23. Posters will be displayed in the refreshments & reception room for delegates to read. Pre-Clinical student reflective pieces and student extra-curricular material will also be displayed.

Dr Andrew Blythe (Director of Assessments and Feedback, UoB Faculty of Health Sciences)will be talking to students about the new Primary Care textbook ‘Essential Primary Care’ co-authored by himself and Dr Jess Buchan (one of our morning panellists) at a stall in the refreshments & reception room.

Afternoon Talks - Coutt’s lecture theatre

14:00 – 14:30 = Professor Sarah Purdy (Associate Dean of the University of Bristol Faculty of Health Sciences, leader of Bristol Health Partners Avoidable Admissions Health Integration Team, RCGP Fellow & Bristol GP): ‘How do we avoid hospital admissions?’ (including overview of own pathway into academic general practice/advice on how to get there)

14:30 – 14:50 = Dr Rhiannon Field (F1 and 2015 RCGP Severn Faculty Elective Bursary winner): Elective presentation and elective planning advice

14:50 – 15:05 = Angus Thorne (Medical Sciences BSc Student – attached to St Leonard’s Research Practice with Sir Denis Pereira Gray): ‘Continuity of Care’

Keynote Address – Coutt’s lecture theatre

15:05 – 15:45 = Sir Denis Pereira Gray (Previous Chairman of the Academy of Royal Colleges, previous RCGP President, Founder of the Exeter University Postgraduate general practice department, Professor, author and GP for 38 years at St Leonard's Research Practice in Exeter): ‘Why choose a career in general practice?’ Advice on working in academic general practice, experiences of clinical medicine and reflection on the current challenges facing general practice.

15:45 – 16:00 = GPSoc Committee: Poster presentation results and close.

Venue Information

Wills Memorial Building, Queens Rd, Bristol BS8 1RJ

The event will take place on the 3rd floor. We will be using Coutt’s Lecture Theatre (3.31), lecture theatre 3.32 and seminar room 3.33 (all 3rd floor).

N.B all small talks held in Coutt’s Lecture Theatre (3.31). Workshops spread over 3.31, 3.32 and 3.33. Refreshments, lunch & poster displays will be held in room 3.23.

For the attention of APDs / Education Trust Core Group Members / TPDs colleagues. 

Dr Phil Hammond, a GP, journalist, broadcaster, campaigner and comedian, speaking on 'Dr Phil's NHS Revolution'

It will be held on Tuesday 8th March 2016 with hot supper from 18.30 for 19.30 start at the Hatherley Manor Hotel, Down Hatherley Lane, Gloucester, GL2 9QA http://www.hatherleymanor.com/location/.

There is parking available on site. Please join us for what promises to be an entertaining talk and all are welcome to stay for our AGM.

Please click the following link http://www.ggpet.org.uk/courses.php to book on line or e-mail Rachel.Gadsden@glos.nhs.uk or julie.nevin@glos.nhs.uk directly to book your place.

This teaching opportunity and the workshop have approval and support from the Deanery

The Centre for Academic Primary Care is pleased to offer GPs in training an opportunity to develop their teaching skills. Our free half day workshop is intended for GP STs who would like to teach students in their GP practice for 4 sessions in the academic year 2016-17.

It will prepare you for teaching 3rd year medical students in your practice and provide you with hands on experience for some of the teaching competencies in the RCGP curriculum. Also, good revision for your CSA exam and something else to add to your CV?

This year you can choose from three workshop dates. Each workshop will cover the same topics
- Overview of Year 3 medical student teaching
- Planning a teaching session
- Top tips for good teaching
- Effective feedback giving

The workshops – choose one only
2nd June 1.30-5pm Deanery Hse, Vantage Park, Bristol
8th June 9.30-1.00pm Academy, Yeovil District Hospital, Yeovil
14th June 9.30-1.00pm Downsview Hse, Great Western Hospital Swindon

The facilitators
Bristol – Barbara Laue, Swindon – Kate Digby, Yeovil – Andy Eaton and Laurence Huntley

To book, please email phc-teaching@bristol.ac.uk not Pauline Harper

In your email, please state the following
- That you would like to teach a group of students in your practice in 2016-17
- That you have your GP Trainer’s permission
- Name, address and contact details for your training practice and GP Trainer
- Which workshop you would like to attend

You need to let us know by 11th May 2016

For more information please email  phc-teaching@bristol.ac.uk

The Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences at the University of the West of England are hosting an open evening to showcase our new Physician Associate Studies Programme. Physician Associates are a new healthcare professional who, while not a doctor, works to the medical model, with the attitudes, skills and knowledge base to deliver holistic care and treatment within the general medical and/or general practice team under defined levels of supervision.  This new programme will be part of the Allied Health Professions Department and will incorporate a primary care focus. The open evening will involve numerous speakers, who will review this emerging professional group and the potential for this role in the Primary Care setting. The evening will also include demonstrations of the teaching facilitates here at UWE, including the simulation wards, Virtual Environment in Radiotherapy suite, X-ray room, Radiotherapy Planning suite and Paediatric Suite. The evening will be an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues in Primary Care across the region. 

The welcome reception will take place on Wednesday 24th February 2016 from 18:00-20:00 at our Glenside Campus.

RSVP to jessica.coggins@uwe.ac.uk by Wednesday 10th February. Please state any dietary or access requirements in your response.

Janice St. John-Matthews MSc, PgC(TLHE), FHEA, MInstLM
Project Lead: Physician Associate Studies Programme
CPD Lead: Allied Health Professions
Senior Lecturer: Diagnostic Imaging

Room 1K03, DAHP,
Faculty of Health & Applied Sciences
University of the West of England
Glenside Campus
Bristol BS16 1DD
Tel +44(0)117 3288843

JIC is a subcommittee of the RCGP International Programme Board (IPB), formed in 2009. It has 16 volunteer AiT and First5 doctors as its core committee and a network of interested doctors who are kept in touch via social media and meetings. The aim of the JIC is to facilitate international educational opportunities, foster international partnerships and promote a global approach to primary care.
The JIC is also the UK branch of the Vasco da Gama Movement (VdGM). This is the WONCA Europe working group for new and future general practitioners. All UK based AiT and First5 GPs are automatically members of the VdGM and can access their activities.
There are many opportunities for young GPs to be involved with global health both in the UK and farther afield. Whether volunteering abroad or taking an 'Out of Programme Experience' (OOPE), coordinating international primary care research or completing a Hippokrates exchange with a practice abroad, the JIC is here to facilitate opportunity in the international community of family medicine.

The JIC core committee is made up of five working groups:

EXCHANGE
The exchange group co-ordinates observational clinical placements for outgoing UK junior doctors and incoming junior doctors from around the world. We arrange European two week Hippokrates and fully funded Erasmus exchanges, FM360 exchanges (beyond Europe exchanges) and global conference exchanges. This year a reciprocal ongoing exchange with Japanese junior doctors was organised for the third year running. The UK is the most popular place in Europe to undertake exchange and we have a huge network of regional co-ordinators and GP hosts who help to facilitate this programme.
exchangejic@gmail.com, leonardoexchange@gmail.com

RESEARCH
The Research group facilitates pan European research via the European research forum, helps to co-ordinate the VdGM junior researcher award and presents relevant international publications and research at domestic and international conferences. They are currently working on developing an audit and research toolkit for junior doctors undertaking out of programme experiences.
researchgroupjic@gmail.com

BEYOND EUROPE
The Beyond Europe group helps to develop new partnerships and sustain existing collaborations with our networks beyond Europe to support clinical, teaching and quality improvement work including Uganda and Japan. This group is also piloting a ‘twinning’ project which links a practice in the UK to a primary care hub in a lower/middle income country (London and Ghana) to develop long term information, knowledge and exchange collaboration.
beyondeuropejic@gmail.com

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
The Education and Training group aims to improve the recognition of time spent abroad as a valuable training experience and opportunity for reciprocal learning. They have been instrumental in creating the first ST4 global health post in the UK, implementing global health competencies in the UK curriculum and working towards institutional approval of study leave for exchanges.
educationandtrainingjic@gmail.com

IMAGE
The Image group co-ordinates the efforts of the JIC and promotes our work and affiliated opportunities. They lead JIC's contribution to the RCGP Annual Conference, the RCGP Global Health Conference and international Wonca conferences as well as maintaining the JIC website and communicating with our national and international networks through social media.
imagegroupjic@gmail.com

Contact:

We are a passionate group believing strongly in the importance of primary care, the ethics of global health and power of voluntary collective action. If you would like to get involved, or wish to find out more, do get in touch.

Website: http://www.rcgp.org.uk/rcgp-near-you/rcgp-international/junior-international-committee.aspx
Email: chairjic@rcgp.org.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/283366895074748/?bookmark_t=group
Twitter: jic@rcgpjic
Googlegroup: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/junior-rcgp-international-committee

Health Education England (HEE) is responsible for planning and supporting the development of the future workforce. We would like you to help us illustrate general practice - who works in the team, the patients that visit your surgery and the role in the community.

We are running a photo challenge open to anyone who works in primary care. We would like to create a book of photographs – an otherwise unseen snapshot of life in 2016 about your working life, capturing the realities, rewards and emotions of a typical day.

Please get involved with the challenge and for more information please visit the website. 

We are a team of general practice and public health doctors who are conducting a study on perceptions around waterpipe tobacco smoking amongst general practitioners and general practice trainees in the United Kingdom (UK). Waterpipe tobacco smoking is also known as: shisha, hookah, narghile and hubble-bubble. This work is an initial scoping survey where in the future we would like to further expand on the topic with clinician interviews.

We would be very grateful if you would spare a few minutes to complete this short and anonymous questionnaire.

The questionnaire link can be viewed by clicking here

Thank you for your time

Improving Cancer Outcomes using Significant Event Analysis & QI: Free Train-the-Trainer Learning Event.

GP Trainers are invited to this RCGP Macmillan Cancer Support event in Gloucestershire on 28th January 6.30-9.30pm, held in Gloucestershire CCG offices.

The free event will train appraisers, trainers and cancer leads in the effective use of Cancer SEAs to improve cancer outcomes (focusing on early diagnosis).

The focus will be on improving outcomes for Patients through: 

• Free essential training and support on SEAs and Quality Improvement and to support your work locally. 
• New Insight into Local Early Diagnosis barriers
• Targeted Training and Quality Improvements. 

Each participant will receive a certificate for attending this RCGP event. 

For more information please contact  or visit the website 

For the attention of all ESs and CSc 

More than two decades ago, Paul Newman had a vision: imagine if children living with serious illnesses had the chance to simply be children. To just have fun. So he started a camp where kids could, in his words, “raise a little hell.” Today, Paul’s legacy lives on in SeriousFun Children’s Network.

Over The Wall is part of this network; a UK charity who provides residential camps for children with serious illnesses, and their siblings in Scotland, the Midlands and Dorset. We give children one glorious week of experiences that are memorable, exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe environment.

To do this, we rely on doctors (ST2 and above in Paediatrics, GP or A&E with paediatric experience) like you to give up a week of your time, skills and experience and join our 'Beach Patrol' (medical team). In return, we can give you a week of fun, friendship and achievement, memories that will stay with you forever and people who will inspire you.

Visit our website to find out more and apply

The RCGP wishes to appoint a GP to the post of Executive Editor of InnovAiT, the RCGP's monthly journal for GPs in training. The Editor will lead the journal, undertake editorial responsibility for the content of each issue, manage the editorial development and critical success of the publication, oversee the work of the editorial board and ensure that the editorial integrity of the publication is maintained and consistent with College standards.

The ideal candidate will have clinical experience as a GP, previous editing and writing experience, be knowledgeable of developments in GP training, general practice and medical education for primary care, and have the capacity to lead a journal and work with different stakeholders.

This role will likely take up 2–3 days per week and will be remunerated accordingly. Candidates who are able to commit to this amount of time are encouraged to apply. Expressions of interest and applications (covering letter and CV) should be sent to: helen.farrelly@rcgp.org.uk by the closing date.

Background to project:

There are numerous reports of a crisis in general practice but there’s no national data to explain what’s actually going on: How many more consultations are being done each week? Have the patients got more complicated?

The truth is, there's really no way of knowing at the moment. Despite the seemingly vast amounts of data that individual GP practices collect, there hasn’t been a systematic national data collection that can tell us about the number of consultations, who undertakes them or the nature of those consultations since 2008.

At The King’s Fund we’re running a project that will collect up-to-date and detailed evidence about the changes in activity in general practice in the past five years. We’re doing a combination of quantitative and qualitative research, including large-scale data analysis, fieldwork in four practices around the country and surveys.

We’re particularly keen to hear the views of GP trainees. Not only are you the next generation of GPs, but your experience of working across a number of practices will give you lots of insight into the issues we’re looking at.

For more information please contact the lead researcher Beccy Baird, Fellow in Health Policy, The King’s Fund or visit the Related blog 

 GPs we need YOUR help! 

GP's we would appreciate if you could complete the survey by clicking here. 

Thanks all,

Researchers on behalf of The Kings Fund 

The National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme provides doctors in training with the opportunity to spend one year working with senior leaders in national healthcare organisations including NHS England, Health Education England, Care Quality Commission and BUPA. The aim of the scheme is to help develop their skills in leadership, management, strategy, project management and health policy.

Please see below of someones experience: 

"I am a GP ST3 seconded from the end of my training and am three months into this valuable year. The way things are going in our NHS I really believe that GPs - of all the specialties - need all the exposure to leadership and management experience they can get. No matter what you end up doing after the year, you will take a huge amount from this immersive experience, and meet some extraordinary people. The scheme provides doctors in training with the unique opportunity to spend one year working with the most senior executives in leading national healthcare-affiliated organisations to develop their skills in:

- Leadership
- Management
- Strategy
- Project Management
- Health Policy

Fellows are immersed at the centre of organisations such as NHS England, Health Education England, CQC, Bupa and medical royal colleges. I am seconded to the CQC which has been fascinating, as you can imagine! I am doing collaborative work on a national scale such
as with The King's Fund and NICE, in addition to writing for journals,and doing interesting internal work. Posts are based in London and the North of England. The scheme is sponsored by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England's National Medical Director and managed by the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM)."

Applications are open until 5pm on Wednesday 20th January 2016.

For more information please click here 

CALLING ALL GP TRAINEES: SAVE THE DATE!

Details: 

• 16th March 2016
• Venue: London, TBC
• A 1 day course designed especially for trainees and delivered by NB Medical Hot Topics. In addition to clinical Hot Topics for GPs the course will include Keep it Simple guidance on statistics, examination techniques and other topics relevant to GP Training.

Full details to follow.

For more information please contact 

Professor Steve Peters will be talking about the work his organisation in West Cheshire are doing.

The event is free to NHS colleagues as we want to share the outcomes as part of our work as an NHS England Vanguard area.

They're targeting senior leaders, HR Directors and those involved in education and training.

The event will include an introductory talk from Professor Peters, workshops from his team of specialist mentors and a presentation from NHS West Cheshire on our results so far.

Aim is to help clinicians and managers to build morale and confidence, become more resilient and achieve better psychological well-being. Unless we focus on the well-being of our staff I don’t believe our vision of creating a better NHS is deliverable.

Details of the event:

Daresbury Park Hotel

Daresbury Park,

Warrington

WA44BB

Date: Friday 22nd January 2016

Time: 9:30-1pm

Cost: Free 

For more information and to book tickets please click here. 

Recruiting enthusiastic GPs

We are seeking to recruit enthusiastic GPs and senior GPSTs to be “GP Careers Champions” within the South West Deanery.

The scheme is part of a national drive to boost GP recruitment and showcase what a fantastic career General Practice is.

Champions will:
• Be matched to a medical student or junior doctor who has expressed an interest in General Practice as a career and who would like to know more.
• Offer mentorship in a method convenient to both parties – this could be in the form of a taster day, or discussion via email, phone, skype or face-to-face.

Time commitment to the scheme can be flexible and be easily manageable around other work commitments.

As a Champion you will receive a certificate from the deanery acknowledging your participation and role in the scheme. The scheme fulfils the GMC good medical practice guidance on mentoring and provides an opportunity to take on an educational role.

If you are enthusiastic about your career, friendly, approachable and would like to get involved please complete the survey to register your interest.

If you would like further information or a copy of our FAQs, please contact  or click here.

The National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme provides doctors in training with the opportunity to spend one year working with senior leaders in national healthcare organisations including NHS England, Health Education England, Care Quality Commission and BUPA. The aim of the scheme is to help develop their skills in leadership, management, strategy, project management and health policy. The scheme is sponsored by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, and managed by the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management (FMLM). The deadline for applications is Wednesday 20 January 2016.

The Clinical Innovation and Research Centre at RCGP has recently launched the Bright Ideas Portal, where we can highlight examples of innovative work that is going on in GP practices. We want this work to be recognised, celebrated and shared, in the hope that GPs will both be inspired to take up practices which have been successful elsewhere and encouraged to come up with their own innovations.

Each month three Bright Ideas will be highlighted on our web page and also promoted in our Clinical News bulletin, which goes out monthly to RCGP members. In addition to this a Bright Idea will feature in our new member magazine, GP Frontline, to promote the innovation to our members and to hopefully inspire more GPs out there. The Bright Idea which was featured in the most recent edition of GP Frontline, Shared medical appointments, has already led to reports of increasing interest both from RCGP members and 13 CCGs.

We are asking that GPs or other members of the practice team send us a short piece of writing (up to 1000 words) setting out the practice’s experiences in adopting your Bright Idea and the benefits and learning that were the result. Images and links to webpages and journal articles which provide more background information are also encouraged. We also ask that you promote this as much as possible to your networks in order to raise awareness of the innovations on the page.

If you have any examples of innovations or queries regarding the programme then please email.

Do you know someone who might be interested?

GMC currently recruiting PLAB Part 1 and Part 2 panel members.
The PLAB test, which is in two parts, is the main route by which international medical graduates demonstrate they have the necessary skills and knowledge to practise medicine in the UK. There is a panel responsible for each part.

If you are interested, or know of someone who may be interested in becoming a PLAB Part 1 or Part 2 panel member, please click here for a full job specification and online application form.
GMC are looking for members in the following specialties for the Part 1 Panel.

• Emergency Medicine
• Obstetrics & Gynaecology
• Geriatric Medicine
• We are looking for members in the following specialties for the Part 2 Panel.
• General Practice
• Surgery
• General Internal Medicine
• Emergency Medicine
• Paediatrics

Completed applications will need to be submitted by 14 December 2015. Interviews will be held on 4, 11, 12 and 18 February 2016.

This one day conference provides delegates with the opportunity to discuss and debate the current challenges and issues the NHS is currently facing.

You’ll benefit from and hear different perspectives from the NHS and end users on the care challenges GPs and patients face, and the solutions offered by senior government and industry representatives.
Key points addressed on the day will include:

• Implementing ‘A New Deal for GPs’
• The success of government initiatives to retain current GPs and return retired ones to work
• What the reorganisation of primary care structure means for GPs and patients
• How to improve patient satisfaction
• The impact of CCGs taking on responsibility for commissioning the majority of GP services will mean
• Whether a 7 Day NHS for GPs is practical
• How technology can be used to make surgeries more efficient, allowing more time for care. The financial implications of a shift from acute care to primary care
• The impact of Proactive Care Programmes on patients
• How to prevent GP surgeries being overwhelmed by demographic changes

More information

Contact s.testoni@salford.ac.uk or call 0161 295 4466.

For the attention of all ECs and CSc 

Two ES and CS conferences have been organised to take place during 2016.

The conferences will both be held at Eastwood Park Conference Centre.
Address: Falfield, Wotton Under Edge GL12 8DA

Should you wish to attend, please click on the links below to register your attendance.

Spring 2016 Conference – 9th March 2016
Autumn 2016 Conference – 2nd November 2016

The Medical Schools Council, the General Medical Council and other key interest groups are piloting a UK Medical Education Database (UKMED) which, for the first time, brings together undergraduate and postgraduate medical education data. It provides a platform for collating data on the performance of UK medical students and trainee doctors across their education and future career. These data have not been linked before and no single organisation can currently link all data on their own.

The project allows researchers to submit proposals and, subject to meeting acceptance criteria, gain access to specific data for analysis. By linking data such as assessment results, UKMED aims to highlight the paths of doctors through school, university and their career. This creates a unique environment in which new research can be undertaken in a broad range of areas to inform the development of medical education and assessment, and the future medical workforce with the ultimate aim of improving patient care. The scope of the research that can be undertaken through UKMED is potentially broad ranging from analyses of selection tests in predicting future performance, to studying how socioeconomic background might affect an applicant’s progression through their career.

Applications for access to UKMED data for research purposes are welcome, with the deadline for submission on 11 January 2016 12:00 noon GMT. The project is a pilot which will be evaluated in mid-2016.

Please share this message within your organisation and research networks. For more information, please visit the UKMED website

Kind regards

The UKMED Team

Clinical Teaching Fellows in Medicine based in Russell’s Hall Hospital Dudley and part of the West Midlands Deanery, are currently conducting a survey amongst GP VTS trainees looking into the amount of Dermatology exposure in their training years.

"We hope to use the results to establish whether GP trainees feel confident in managing patients with dermatological conditions and whether they feel their undergraduate and current training is sufficient in meeting the RCGP dermatology learning outcomes.

Any GPST1, GPST2 and GP Registrar trainees please complete the questionnaire which will be very appreciated."

Are you considering a career as a clinical academic but want to experience life as a researcher before you decide?

Applications from suitably qualified Medical & Veterinary clinical graduates are invited for six month biomedical research “primer” projects to be undertaken at the University of Bristol. These are supported by a Wellcome Trust ‘Institutional Strategic Support Fund’ award to the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute and the University of Bristol. The projects will commence in 2016 and the funding will cover clinical salary and associated project costs.

This opportunity is aimed at exceptionally motivated clinically qualified medical and veterinary trainees who are at an early stage of their career, but who can demonstrate a capability and a drive to undertake a period of research with a view to developing a career in academic medicine. Successful candidates will undertake a biomedical "primer" project at the University of Bristol, with a view to preparing them for a PhD fellowship application.

Applicants must either be fully-qualified medical doctors and will have started, or be ready to start, their specialist training (in which case the project will be undertaken as an out of programme module)

OR

have completed a degree in veterinary medicine or veterinary science; an intercalated degree or other research experience (e.g. undergraduate vacation project) is also desirable.

All applicants should be entitled to work within the European Economic Area (EEA).

Primers will be available in various areas and specialities. Some examples are listed below. Please contact us to discuss your speciality if it is not listed:

 • Bioengineering
 • Cancer
 • Cardiovascular disease
 • Infection and immunity
 • Musculoskeletal diseases
 • Neurosciences and psychiatric disease
 • Population health and epidemiology
 • Regenerative medicine
 • Renal disease
 • Zoonotic disease

Projects will be interdisciplinary in nature and so will be co-supervised by clinical and non-clinical members of staff.

The training period is negotiable (range 3-6 months) and will allow time for one clinical session per week, if applicable.

Further information and an application form are available from the Elizabeth Blackwell Institute website 

The completed form and your CV should be emailed.

The closing date for applications is 09:00 GMT, Friday 11 December 2015.

Your application will be reviewed and if successful, you will be invited to an interview in Bristol in February 2016.

If you have any queries, please email.

The University of Bristol's Medical Admissions Interviews (MMIs) will be taking place on the following dates: 

Tues 8th, Weds 9th & Thurs 10th December 2015
Tues 26th, Weds 27th & Thurs 28th January 2016
Tues 15th, Weds 16th & Thurs 17th February 2016
Tues 1st, Weds 2nd & Thurs 3rd March 2016

The University interviews 80 candidates per day, beginning at 09:00 and ending at 15:40 with a lunch break from 12:10-12:40.

There is no payment as such for your time, but both the University, and the GMC, recognise the important role that medical student selection plays in shaping the future health service therefore, all selectors receive a certificate of contribution, evidence which may be useful in appraisal, revalidation and job planning.

Parking is available on request and lunch is provided along with refreshments throughout the day.

If you are interested in joining the University of Bristols Medical Admissions Group as an interviewer please contact fohs-admissions@bristol.ac.uk.

The RCGP exams team is pleased to announce the launch of two new and freely available resources for GP trainees planning to sit the MRCGP Applied Knowledge Test.
Both resources have been prepared by the AKT core group in conjunction with AITs and reflect a practical approach to taking the exam.
‘Preparing to take the AKT’ is a concise guide designed to help with exam preparation and will be helpful to trainees, trainers and educationalists involved with GP training.
The ‘AKT Podcast’ follows on from the success of the CSA podcast and has been created with the help of the InnovAiT podcast team. Trainees, a Programme Director and AKT group member are all interviewed and the discussions cover a broad range of frequently asked questions.
Both of these are now available on the RCGP AKT exam webpage in the section entitled ‘How to prepare for the AKT’, alongside a wide range of downloadable resources.
We have included a pdf copy of the concise guide as well as direct links within this email and ask that this is cascaded to all interested parties, including GP Trainees, GP Trainers and GP Educationalists/Training Programme Directors.
We welcome any feedback via exams@rcgp.org.uk
The exams team would particularly like to thank Drs Simon Glew and Toby Holland for their invaluable contributions.

The RCGP has now released Essential Knowledge Update (EKU) 16, designed to improve patient care and to help you realise your CPD needs. EKU16 provides a summary of important new and changing knowledge on a wide variety of primary care topics encountered by general practitioners including:

Overweight & Obesity in Children, Young People & Adults
Somatoform Disorders & Medically Unexplained Symptoms in Adults
Community & Hospital Acquired Pneumonia in Adults
Gastro-oesophageal Reflux Disease in Children & Young People
Classification, Assessment, Prevalence, Effect & Treatment of Personality Disorder
Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Adults in Primary Care
Multiple Sclerosis in Primary & Secondary Care
Osteoporosis & the Prevention of Fragility Fractures

Produced by GPs for GPs, the EKU modules not only provide an overview and critical appraisal of the source documents in which they are based but also offer practical tips for you and your practice, suggestions for audit, learning and service needs and resources for further reading.

The EKU Hot Topics offer a concise synopsis of an article or guideline that has been recently published and has an immediate impact on general practice! Released on a monthly basis, the they are available for FREE to all users and cover a variety of important primary care topics including the effectiveness of diclofenac versus paracetamol in knee osteoarthritis and a trial of a brief intervention targeting predominantly mon-verbal communication in GP consultations. Access them today
To learn more about the EKU Programme please visit the

RCGP Online Learning Environment: elearning@rcgp.org.uk

The National GP Recruitment Office needs a case writer to develop questions for the Situational Judgment Test and the Clinical Problem Solving aspects of the GP recruitment process.

John Scanlon the current Severn case writer is stepping down. He writes:

'I joined this group when Bill Irish sent an ad looking for writers.

The commitment is 3 days a year ( 2+1) for meetings in a nice hotel and the time spent writing. The days pay £400 each + travel (additional supplement for the 2 day residential). There is a kitty of £2000 to pay for the individual time spent writing, again £400 a day which is reasonable.The group are really a great bunch.

The cases are written to a specific formula for the NRO and include SJTs and CPS items.

Helen Rochester is rep for Devon/Cornwall and I did discuss this with Phil Grimmer because I think it is too nice a niche to leave unfilled.'

I would be happy to speak/email anyone interested’

Please contact the GP School if you are interested.

In Bristol’s year as European Green Capital, a brand-new partnership driving for sustainability in GP surgeries was launched by GPs, trainees, medical students, and the National Union of Students supported by the Severn Faculty RCGP, NHS Health Education South West Severn Deanery and the University of Bristol.  The Partnership customised the NUS’ popular sustainability accreditation scheme, Green Impact, to be run in GP surgeries and trialled as Green Impact for Health in 6 ‘Pathfinder Practices’ in and around the city.

Green Impact empowers staff on the ground in general practice to improve their environmental, ethical and economic sustainability, as well as efficiency, team morale and wellbeing. Green Impact for Health was specifically tailored to the needs of a modern general practice, helping the sector become more streamlined and creating a sustainable future in a rapidly changing NHS.

Over the 8 week pilot in April-May 2015, 200 members of staff and 60,000 patients were reached by 80 members of Green Impact teams in the Pathfinder Practices completing 244 sustainability actions. Dr Terry Kemple, GP in one of the Pathfinder Practices and President Elect of RCGP, said, “The scheme is very easy to use and directs us towards sensible and achievable green targets.”

We will be running an updated version of the scheme for 20-30 practices across Bristol and the Severn Faculty launching in Healthy City Week in October 2015.

To find out more and get your practice involved, please visit www.greenimpact.org.uk/giforhealth and follow the links to register your interest.

Health Education England has launched the ‘There’s nothing general about general practice’ campaign. This campaign is designed to encourage foundation doctors, specifically those in year 2, to consider GP specialty training and is being run in partnership with NHS England, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association.

You can find out more on:

• The campaign page on the GPNRO website
• The campaign Facebook page
• The first campaign video on YouTube 
• The press release announcing the launch of the campaign 

If you have any questions about this campaign, please email hee.GPrecruitment@nhs.net 

At Health Education England (HEE), we are seeking to recruit qualified GPs to become our GP ambassadors who can help support our exciting new marketing campaign ‘There’s nothing general about general practice’.

Our campaign will promote the benefit of choosing to train in general practice as a specialty and is designed to increase the number of doctors applying to GP specialty training programmes and being part of the changing and modern primary care workforce.The campaign run by our communications agency Grayling, is due launch in September 2015. It will be aimed at encouraging current foundation programme doctors to think more seriously about the role of general practitioner as a key player in the modern primary care team and to consider selecting general practice as their specialty and future career.

What is an Ambassador?

We would like our ambassadors to be enthusiastic, hands-on individuals who have completed their GP specialty training. We would like you to be the voice and face of the campaign. Key attributes include how you:

• Find working in general practice a challenging, rewarding and fulfilling profession
• Are a confident spokesperson who is comfortable speaking to national or regional journalists (training wil be given!)
• Are an active user of social media, including Twitter and Facebook

As an ambassador for our national campaign you would be expected to:

• Provide time to speak to an individual or group
• Help us promote the campaign through your peers, colleagues and friends by word of mouth and social media
• Write short articles and blogs highlighting what you enjoy and gives you a buzz about general practice
• Particiapte in media activity including short interviews

What we need from you is energy and passion to tell other people what it’s like.  Even if you’ve never done anything like this before we’d really like to hear from you.

What you get from us is a chance to tell your story.  Our expert team will provide you with training and support throughout the campaign until applications close in November 2015.

Contact us now

If you think you’re up to the challenge, would enjoy the experience and want to register your interest, please get in touch by emailing the team at HEE@Grayling.com

We’re always happy to hear your thoughts and ideas and answer your questions about the campaign or role. 

Would you like to develop Coaching Skills and gain an accredited qualification?  

Coaching enables individuals to acquire the knowledge, skills and techniques needed to perform effectively in the workplace by motivating, challenging and guiding them. Therefore it is increasing important that managers and others have the skills to act as coaches and help people reach their potential.

The ILM 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring is a qualification which aims to provide managers with the skills and confidence to perform effectively as workplace coaches as part of their normal work role in the healthcare environment. This concise and innovative qualification offers individuals to gain a strong set of coaching skills.

The ILM Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring is a very versatile qualification and is the choice for learners who are looking to develop their leadership skills through the use of a coaching approach.    

What are the benefits?

Through participating in this programme, learners will:

• know what it takes to be and effective coach in the workplace
• understand good practice in coaching
• recognise the difference between coaching and other development methods
• understand how to use appropriate tools and techniques to stimulate, challenge and motivate others to achieve required outcomes
• provide constructive and supportive feedback to support learning and performance improvement
• put their new skills into practice by carrying out supervised coaching sessions
• reflect on their personal coaching abilities and generate a personal development plan.

How is the course structure?

The Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring is a concise qualification made up of three mandatory units which introduce the key aspects of coaching in the workplace:

'Understanding  the skills, principles and practice of effective management coaching and mentoring', the role of the coaching, basic coaching processes, and the abilities/qualities individuals need to be a good coach are explored

“Undertaking management coaching or mentoring in the workplace” requires participants to plan and carry out at least 12 hours coaching with supervision and support

'Reviewing your own ability as a management coach or mentor” provides participants with the tools to analyse and improve their own performance as a coach

Two assignments will be completed by participants to demonstrate that they understand the principles discussed in the three mandatory units.

What do you get?

• A highly interactive course with 5 days of in-depth workshops, delivered on a modular basis, with both tutor and peer support
• 12 hours of supervised coaching sessions from our highly experienced coaching trainers
• Handbooks, workbooks and refreshments
• Up to 18 months of free student member ship to the ILM and their member resources
• On successful achievement, an ILM Level 5 Certificate as well as 13 credits on the international qualifications framework

 For further Information

If you are interesting in developing skills in coaching on individual or organisational basis, please contact Lynn Hodgson, Support and Development Manager or via: 01454 252651. 

Funding

The cost of the course is £995 per individual. Discounts will be considered for multiple bookings.

Organised by the Portland Centre for Integrative Medicine in collaboration with the College of Medicine 

This half-day seminar is aimed at healthcare professionals interested in finding out more about cardiovascular health from an Integrative Medicine (IM) perspective. IM is a holistic, evidence-based approach which makes intelligent use of all available therapeutic choices to achieve optimal health and resilience for our patients. This includes conventional medical therapies as well as other modalities centred around lifestyle and mind-body techniques like mindfulness and Tai Chi. 

Speakers at the seminar include Dr Ali Khavandi and Dr Diane Bruce (consultant cardiologists), Dr Andrew Morrice (GP), Helen Cooke (nutritionist), along with patients who have benefited from an integrative approach, holistic practitioners and CEO of the Portland Centre for Integrative Medicine (PCIM), Dr Elizabeth Thompson. 

There will be an emphasis on practical tips/strategies to use with patients and self-care initiatives which will mean clinicians leave the session with a better understanding of what IM can offer and better able to manage the patients they see every day. 

This event has 3.5 hrs CPD
Date: 16th October 2015 
Time: 2pm to 6pm with drinks reception to follow 
Venue: Open Space, West One, St Georges Road, Bristol, North Somerset BS1 5BE

Cost: £50.00 with discounts available 

What to do next

• Contact administrator@portlandcentre.healthcare for more information
• To book please click here 
  
  
• Watch this space: in October 2015 PCIM, in collaboration with the College of Medicine, will be launching a new two-year diploma in IM for healthcare professionals with a mixture of face-to-face and online learning. If you are interested please contact Jessica Cornes or Tel 0755 501 4464

The Commission on Education and Training for Patient Safety has been established to improve the quality of patient care and safety by making recommendations to Health Education England (HEE), which will be published in a report during November 2015, on how best to educate and train the healthcare workforce in order to deliver safe, person-centred outcomes now and in the future. The Commission is chaired by Professor Sir Norman Williams, with Sir Keith Pearson as Vice-Chair, and includes experts, patients, learners and partner organisations.

Have your say! We would like to hear from healthcare staff, students, educators, patients, families and anyone else with an interest in improving the quality and safety of healthcare through education and training. Please share your experiences with us. What do you think of current education and training for patient safety? Do you have any examples of best practice that you would like to share? What lessons have you learnt from any initiatives that you have instituted or been involved in? Where do you think improvement is needed?

Please submit responses to here and share the HEE Learning to be Safer website link across your network. We will be collecting evidence until 31 August 2015. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help shape the Commission’s report.

For any further questions, please email 

The RCGP wishes to appoint a primary care clinician to the post of Executive Editor of InnovAiT. This monthly journal first published in 2008 is aimed at doctors undergoing specialty training for general practice. InnovAiT covers the whole of the GP training curriculum and has grown to become the most valued source of information for Associates-in-Training.
The Editor will lead the development of InnovAiT, make editorial decisions on content, assess submitted manuscripts, carry out editorial improvements, oversee and work with the editorial board on the peer review of manuscripts, contribute content, suggest areas for improvement, ensure that the journal’s editorial policies are up to date, network and promote the journal more widely.
The ideal candidate will have a background in medical education for primary care, be knowledgeable of, and interested in, specialty GP training, have previous publishing, editing and writing experience, and have the capacity to lead the editorial development of InnovAiT. The post is remunerated.

For further details please contact the RCGP Publications Manager by email Helen Farrelly  
Closing date: 30 September 2015

Helen Farrelly
Publications Manager | Publishing
Tel: 020 3188 7577

The School of Primary Care and the Severn Faculty RCGP were delighted to host the MDU GP Trainee Excellence Awards and Michael Lennard Reception on Wednesday 22nd July 2015 to celebrate the achievements of all GP trainees who have completed their training this year.

See photos and full details here

GPs and pharmacists have been invited to register for webinars to learn more about the £15m ‘clinical pharmacists in general practice’ pilot, which was launched last month.  Read full details here.

Dear Trainees, 

2 courses you may want to attend:

02.10.15 Study Day in Reproductive Medicine

27-29.01.2016 Gynae Oncology Course

Are you a GP Trainee?

Would you like to be more confident with Paediatric emergencies?

Would you like to do this in a fun and interactive way?

If the answer to the above questions is YES then CCAP is the course for you!

CCAP is a course run by experienced Paediatric Registrars and nurses over 2 days to teach you everything you need to know about acute Paediatrics!

The course is highly interactive and combines tutorials, workshops, skills stations and simulation to help increase your confidence and knowledge.

The course is specifically focused on community management of acute presentations.

Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August
at Southampton General Hospital

Only £180!
(includes both days, comprehensive course handbook, food and parking)
Early Bird Discount £150 if you book before 30th June!
For more information, or to book a place, please contact:

Dear Trainer, Trainee, TPD

I would be really grateful if you could fill in this very short questionnaire.

I am working on a project to improve Health Education Southwest online resources and hope to use the information you provide to do this. It should take no longer than a few minutes.

Many thanks
Johanna Parker

ST3 Scholar (Glos patch) 

Barbara Starfield Lecture
Speaker: Sir Denis Pereira Gray OBE HonDSc FRCP FRCGP FMedSci
Tuesday 29 September 2015
St Luke's Campus
Exeter University

Dear Colleague,

We invite you to the Inaugural Barbara Starfield Annual Lecture "General Practice: An Independent Discipline?", to be given by Sir Denis Pereira Gray on Tuesday 29 September 2015.

This will be held on St Luke's Campus, Magdalen Road, Exeter EX1 2LU from 19.00.

For directions to St Luke's, please visit the University web page, where you can also find a map of St Luke's. Parking is available until 23.00 on site.

Please RSVP by 1 September as numbers are limited, to Joy Choules.

If you do have any questions or access queries please do not hesitate to contact Joy. Further details will be circulated to those who have expressed an interest in due course.

Kind regards
Professor Jose M Valderas

Required reading!

The future of primary care - Creating teams for tomorrow

Report by the Primary Care Workforce Commission

Please click here to access the Severn Faculty RCGP website page. The booking forms can be downloaded via the links on the site.  Just scroll down the page and click on the date.

Bookings are now being taken for the following MRCGP Preparation Courses:

AKT & CSA Preparation Course dates have now been released for 2015/16 and these are listed below. 

AKT

8 Sept 2015
10 Nov 2015
1 Dec 2015
1 Mar 2016

CSA (2 day course)

23/24 Sept 2015
25/26 Nov 2015
6/7 Jan 2016

Contact us
RCGP Severn Faculty, Deanery House, Unit D - Vantage Office Park, Old Gloucester Road, Hambrook, Bristol BS16 1GW
Telephone: 01454 252725 or Email

Faculty Administrator: Jane Lohmann

Events Administrator: Sophie Martin

Date: September 30th 2015 9:00am until 5:00pm

Location: Eastwood Park GL12 8DA

Full details

We at the Bristol Medical Simulation Centre are pleased to invite you to the:

CONKERS - Confidence with Kids - Emergency Real life Scenarios course.

It will take place on Friday 28th August 2015 at Bristol Medical Simulation Centre. The course is design for non-paediatric trainees - ACCS/GP/Foundation Doctors. The day will consist of expert-led workshops, discussions and simulation.

This course is a PILOT scheme so it is free to attend. Lunch & refreshments available on site free of charge. Limited to 12 places.

To book or for more information please email or 0117 3420108.

For the attention of:
GP practices
NHS England stakeholders

Dear colleague,

In January this year we published the GP Workforce 10 Point Plan (“Building the Workforce – the New Deal for General Practice”), which signalled our intention to work with a number of partners to take immediate action to ensure we have a skilled, trained and motivated workforce in general practice.

In that document we highlighted the opportunities to support general practice by piloting innovative workforce initiatives and I am pleased to announce the first of these today.

This pilot aims to test the role of clinical pharmacists in General Practice. Supported by The Royal College of General Practitioners, British Medical Association’s GP Committee and Royal Pharmaceutical Society, it builds on the experiences of general practices, which already have clinical pharmacists in patient facing roles, and in some cases this extends to positions as partners. The pilot will be evaluated so that successes and learning are identified and reported.  Our intention is to invest at least £15 million over the next three years to test out this new patient-facing role in which clinical pharmacists have extended responsibility over and above many current ways of working. Practices have already suggested that this extended role could include the management of care for people with self-limiting illnesses and those with long term conditions and have asked that the new team members have the ability to independently prescribe.

The pilot will be funded for three years with an expectation that practices will continue with the role into year four and beyond. It is anticipated that in the region of 250 clinical pharmacists will be involved over this period with the ambition of supporting over 1 million patients. From today, practices and groups of practices will be able to bid to participate in the pilot, with practices strongly encouraged to work together to assemble joint bids involving pharmacists across a number of sites. Applications to participate in the pilot will need to demonstrate a case of need in relation to workforce challenges and clinical demands. It is anticipated that clinical pharmacists will be in post early in 2016.

Information about the pilot, including an application pack, is available on the NHS England website . 

You will find advice about how to submit your application by the deadline of 5pm Thursday 17 September 2015. If you have questions which you would like to raise and are not answered by the FAQs please send an email.

Yours sincerely,
Dame Barbara Hakin
National Director of Commissioning Operations

Please see the latest Changes to the Trainee Working Week while in General Practice Placements

Geriatrics for Juniors 2015
November 7th 2015, Park Plaza Hotel, Leeds

G4J is a one-day conference, designed for Foundation Doctors, Core Medical and GP Trainees. It aims to deliver relevant and useful clinical updates in all the main sub-specialties of Geriatric Medicine, in order to improve the standard of care for older patients.

What’s in it for you?

• A full day of relevant and interesting educational sessions related to Geriatric Medicine
• Practical and useful updates for your day-to-day practice
• Sessions on career choices, CV building, applying to specialty and the truth about life as a registrar
• A certificate of attendance for your e-portfolio

Presentations include Front Door Geriatrics, Frailty, Dizziness, Continence, Community Geriatrics, Compassionate Care, Parkinson’s Disease, Life as a Med Reg and Geriatrics Reg, the role of a Geriatrician in a modern NHS, End of Life Care, Confusion and Perioperative care! Full programme here  

Poster Competition
At this year’s Geriatrics for Juniors Conference we are running a poster competition for Audits and Quality Improvement Projects, done by junior doctors, that have improved the care of elderly people.  Successful submissions will have their poster displayed at the conference and the top projects awarded as ‘CotE Champions’. Click here for more info.

Registration is only £40, for an incredible day of talks from some fantastic speakers, with lunch and tea/coffee included. Register here 

Sent on behalf of

Dr Amy Crees - ST4 in Medicine for the Elderly and GIM

A webinar aimed at educating primary care professionals about ME/CFS and sponsored by Action for M.E. will be held by Dr Hazel O’Dowd, clinical lead at the Bristol CFS/ME Clinic on Thursday 9 July 2015 at 8pm BST.

Dr O’Dowd’s presentation will look at current understanding of CFS/M.E., making the diagnosis, the challenges patients and GPs face, and what options are available for treatment and management.

Healthcare professionals who want to attend the online-only event can register at the Webinars for GPs website.

Book your place - GP Trainee Awards Event and Michael Lennard Reception
Weds 22nd July 2015
Holiday Inn, Filton Rd, Bristol, BS16 1QX

Join this annual celebration and graduation ceremony for all ST3/4s completing GP training in Severn!

As well as formally welcoming all trainees completing the MRCGP as new Members of the Severn Faculty RCGP, there will be an opportunity to hear all the shortlisted candidates for the Excellence Awards presenting their varied and impressive activities. The Excellence and Davinder Sandhu Award winners will be announced. Finally, our guest speakers are Professor Bill Irish and Dr Henry Nwume (GPST3 in Bath), who will be talking about their time working in Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis earlier in the year. The afternoon closes with an early evening barbecue.

It's free to attend. All trainees, ESs, CSs, TPDs, ADs, Fellows and Deanery colleagues are warmly invited. GPST1s and GPST3s are expected to attend as part of the GP teaching/VTS timetable. To book, you need to complete the short online booking link

Any queries, please contact Pauline Harper  

We look forward to seeing you on July 22nd.

We are please to announce that Bill has been appointed as the new Postgraduate Medical and Dental Dean in Health Education East of England, based in Cambridge. Whilst excited by the considerable new challenge that this offers, he will hugely miss the camaraderie and excitement of leading such a great team of GP educationalists across the South West. His departure date hasn’t been formally agreed as yet, but is likely to be over the summer holiday period.

HESW is hoping to appoint a successor for Bill soon, and we will of course keep you appraised of any developments around this. In the meantime Simon Newton as Head of the GP School at Severn and our admin team will be available if you have any issues or queries.

The GP Trainees subcommittee are holding elections for 10 regional constituencies this summer: 

• Eastern
• London, North West
• London, North Central & East
• Mersey (Mersey Deanery region of North West LETB)
• North East
• Northern Ireland
• Peninsula (Peninsula Deanery region of South West LETB)
• Scotland, North
• Wessex
• West Midlands 

If you would like to get involved in the work of the subcommittee, and really make a difference to the lives of your fellow GP trainees, please consider standing for election. Candidates do not have to be BMA members. 

Anyone can stand who is either:

a) on a GP training programme that will not finish before 23 September 2015; or

b) starting a training programme between 26 June 2015 and 1 July 2016.

Successful candidates will be elected to serve for two full sessions; 2015/16 and 2016/17 unless the representative is set to qualify as a GP during the first session, in which case they will only serve for one session

Full details of the election and nomination forms can be found on the BMA website:  

Nominations close at 5pm, Friday17 July 2015. 

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact Holly Higgs in the GPC office.

Holly Higgs 
Executive Officer
NHS Primary Care Division, Policy Directorate 

Sent on behalf of Alice Archer 

Dear All

For the first year Severn is able to offer its medical trainees an opportunity to apply for a bursary to pursue a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Medical) undertaken at Bristol University. This is separate to the Bursary fund application for general courses, leading to a chosen postgraduate qualification.

Severn Postgraduate Medical Education office has commissioned 10 places for which trainees can apply, with up to 50% funding provided via the Bursary PGCE route. It has been offered in the Peninsula Postgraduate Medical Education for the past 3 years and has proved to be very popular with trainees.   

The Bursary PG Cert Ed (Medical) is based primarily on a proven need through application.  Severn Postgraduate Medical Education will fund up to a maximum of 50% of the cost of the course and the trainee will fund the remaining balance of the course fee.   (Residential components and travel expenses are not included as part of the Bursary PG Cert Ed (Medical) allocation).

If you are interested in applying for a Bursary towards the PG Cert Education (Medical) course at Bristol University please click on this link to access the Bursary Fund (PGCE) Guidance and Process which has a link to the application form. 

Please note: 

• Trainees must secure a place on the course through application to Bristol University prior to applying for the Bursary PG Cert Ed (Medical).
• Only one application per person will be considered.

We look forward to receiving your applications.  

The timetable for the Bursary PG Cert Ed (Medical) – Bristol University Fund is as follows: 

Alice Archer, Business Support & Facilities Manager, Health Education South West, Raleigh Building, 22A Davy Road, Plymouth Science Park, Plymouth, PL6 8BY 

Human Factors & Ergonomics (HFE) examines the interactions of people and other elements of a system to understand physical and cognitive abilities (and limitations) and social and organisational behaviour to optimise human wellbeing and overall system performance.

Two taster workshops are being held on Monday 13th July 2015 at Deanery House, Vantage Office Park, Bristol, BS16 1GW. They offer a learning opportunity as part of Health Education England’s ‘Learning to be Safer’ programme

Full details 

Dear Colleague,

Written reflection… Is it valuable or is it a game?

Have your opinion heard!

You may have already completed the questionnaire, in which case many thanks. If not, a gentle reminder - would you please help by completing this brief online survey? There has been a lot of interest in it, so we have extended the closing date to 30th June.

I am a newly qualified GP and, alongside my clinical work, I am a GP Research Fellow at the University of Bath, in association with Health Education South West. Our research is looking at the pros and cons of written reflection.

The survey explores whether a GP's approach to studying makes them more or less likely to feel they benefit from written reflection. We’d like to know your views on written reflection, and whether you think that any of the alternatives are preferable to the written reflection system used in NHS appraisal. Participants that did the pilot version said it took them around 10 minutes.

Some quotable comments from responses so far: “I think the level of reflection we have to do is bonkers…”, “I resent having to do them but when I have done them I feel it has been worthwhile”
Do you agree or disagree? Have your say!

For further information, please see the participant information sheet, available here  
Your answers will be completely anonymous, so please be forthcoming with your views!

The link to the survey is here

Many thanks in advance,

Dr Pamela Curtis
MBBCh, MRCGP, GP Research Fellow, University of Bath.

If you’re planning on attending both the RCGP Annual Conference and Medical Educators’ Group conference (1-3 October 2015), don’t forget to register your place before 22 June to benefit from the earlybird rates.  NB this would need to be self funded (or from the annual £750 CPD payment)

Both conferences provide a fantastic professional development and networking opportunity for GP and primary care educators of all roles and backgrounds. The programmes certainly have a strong education stream with a dedicated programme for medical educators on Saturday 3 October.

RCGP Annual Conference details

Dear Colleagues,

Due to such high demand the South West Leadership Academy have commissioned The Postgraduate Certificate in Organisational Leadership is an Organisational Development (OD).

The Post Graduate Certificate consists of three, 20 credit Masters Level modules:

• Developing self and others (LDR503) (20 M Level Credits)
• Leadership in action (LDR501) (20 M Level Credits)
• Decision Making and Project Management (LDR502) (20 M Level Credits).

Progression may be available to the Post Graduate Diploma and MSc stages of the Organisational Leadership Programme on a self-funded basis, subject to there being sufficient demand.

For full details and an application form please click here

The closing date for applications is 31 July 2015

Dear Colleague, 

We need practising clinicians to act as examiners for Part 2 of the PLAB test, which is an OSCE, taken at the GMC Clinical Assessment Centre in Manchester. 

You must be able to demonstrate that you have the experience, knowledge and skills at the level of senior doctor within your specialty. This is either as an independent practitioner such as a Consultant or qualified GP, or as a senior doctor in your specialty and you must meet all other eligibility criteria, which includes having successfully completed membership examinations at the relevant medical college. 

In particular, you must have knowledge and understanding of the duties and responsibilities of a doctor successfully completing F1. Applicants must be fully registered with a licence to practise and have a reasonable expectation of being in this position for at least five years. Applicants must be in good standing with the GMC and the relevant Royal College or faculty. 

As part of our commitment to diversity, we seek members from a wide range of backgrounds and actively encourage applications from BME doctors, female doctors and doctors with a disability. We offer a daily rate of £310 with reasonable expenses and the flexibility necessary for you to fulfil your other commitments.

 If you are interested in becoming a PLAB Examiner or know of someone who may be interested, please click here for a full job specification and online application form. 

Completed applications will need to be submitted by midnight on 6 July 2015.

Many thanks. 

Neil Grant, Associate Services Advisor, General Medical Council

Tel: 020 7189 5336

Regents Place, 350 Euston Road, London, NW1 3JN

Dear all,

Firstly, a big thank you to all our trainees who voted our training programme 1st nationally for overall satisfaction in the recent GMC 2015 Training Survey!

And secondly, a huge round of appreciation to our educators together with their administration and support teams.  It's your hard work, energy and effort that helped achieve this exceptional performance.  

Congratulations!

Dear GP Educator

The new integrated assessment of Clinical Examination and Procedural Skills (CEPS) in the ePortfolio was introduced in December 2015. The GMC has asked the college to evaluate the utility and effectiveness of the new assessment tools before the Skills Log can be replaced by CEPS as part of the ARCP.

As part of this evaluation we would like to ask all GP Educational Supervisors to complete a questionnaire. This will allow us to obtain your opinions about how easy it is to use CEPS in the Portfolio and whether the new format leads to a true reflection of trainee’s clinical skills. In particular we want to ask about how well CEPS reflects progress in conducting intimate examinations in general practice.

The survey for educational supervisors can be found here  

We have also developed a survey for trainees which we will highlight to trainees through the ePortfolio, but we would appreciate your help in drawing this to the attention of your trainees.

Both surveys will be open to respondents until the 6th July.

Thanks for you help.

Chris Mirner
Quality Assurance and Curriculum Manager

On behalf of the WPBA group

These workshops are at Deanery House on 13th July.  Full details here

This training day is being held in Peninsula on 9^th July and is open to Primary Care trainees.  Full details here

The School of General Practice – Health Education South West And West of England Academic Health Science Network are now recruiting for GP Clinical Evidence Fellowships (3 posts), each one or two sessions per week.

The deadline for applications is now extended to 23rd June, 2015.   Please click here for full details.

Dear all,

The RCGP’s curriculum team is recruiting up to three enthusiastic GP educators to help lead the development of the RCGP curriculum, as an important part of the national strategy to ensure the curriculum remains relevant to the needs of the next generation of generalist family doctors, their trainers and patients.

The Managing Editors lead on the creation, editing and updating of the RCGP curriculum modules, co-ordinating feedback and advice from our curriculum advisory network. Strong writing and team-working skills are essential for this role. Appointments are for one year in the first instance, although may be extended pending a successful review. The work will be reimbursed within an agreed budget (see the role description for further details). Relevant experience of GP education will be required, but experience of curriculum development is not essential – we would welcome applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds.

The full advert and role description is available here. 

I would be very grateful if you would make your colleagues and networks aware of this opportunity. This is an exciting time for GP training and a chance for enthusiastic educators to make a real difference!

Many thanks.

Kindest regards
Ben

Dr Ben Riley FRCGP
Medical Director of Curriculum
Royal College of General Practitioners
Email: ben.riley@rcgp.org.uk

Dear Trainees,

I am the current public health scholar and as part of this I am looking at whether it would be useful to have formalised public health teaching as part of GPVTS. I would be really grateful if you could complete this survey. It should only take a couple of minutes.

Many thanks,

Rhiannon Lloyd-Hughes

Join us at the Clifton Pavilion within Bristol Zoo Gardens for our Annual Gala Dinner on Friday 12 June 2015. Your ticket includes a free viewing of Bristol Zoo outdoor enclosures and gardens from 18:00-19:30. The evening will continue with a Welcome drink and a Three Course Dinner with drinks and coffee from 19:30. All for just £35 for GP trainees.

We are delighted that Dr Sarah Wollaston is joining us as our guest speaker to give the Gale lecture. Sarah completed her GP training in Bristol, is currently the MP for Totnes and chairs the Health Select Committee. 'Politics and health: A GP in Westminster' promises to be a topical and stimulating talk, exploring her role as a GP and politician in tackling the challenges the NHS and General Practice face. It promises to be a delightful evening.
Tickets: RCGP Members £40, Non-Members & Guests £45, AiTs & Foundation Doctors £35

Dress code: Smart

To book your place click here  or go to Upcoming events - BOOKINGS CLOSE 29 MAY 15.

Dear Trainees, 

There are courses organised by The Symposium Office, Imperial College London which may interest you

• Essential Obstetric Medicine for Primary Care - 9th June, 2015
• Safeguarding Children and Young People - 23rd June, 2015
• Child Health Promotion in Primary Care - 16-18th September, 2015

Click here for full details and an application form.

Dear Trainees,

I have interest from the GPC about funding an interactive website for GPs looking for or established in an extended role. It will have coaching and project development components. To aid my bid for funding I am building a facebook network at  this link below.

If you are interested would you please 'like' on facebook and share to expand the community.

Many thanks

Cathryn Dillon ST3 trainee

Dear all

Judges are needed for the next AKT Standard setting on 13/11/15 at RCGP, Euston Square.

They are looking for 2 or more Trainers, TPDs & First 5s, ideally grassroots GPs. If you would like to be involved please contact Pauline Foreman or Caroline Clerk

Dear Trainees and Supervisors,

As the Summer ARCP Panels are just around the corner, and thoughts are turning to preparing ESRs, here are a few reminders and tips. (A very similar version of this update has already been sent to Peninsular Trainees and Supervisors). Although the below is separated into trainer and trainee themes, I recommend everyone looks at both!

Trainer/supervisor Themes

1. Checking trainee evidence is appropriate to competency: This has been made much easier than in previous years with the option to indicate your agreement with the trainee’s evidence, but it is important to check that the evidence they have submitted is supportive of the competency. Also don’t overlook the opportunity of referencing to additional supportive evidence which might be important but not have been cited. Narrative in your report is very helpful, but to be useful to the panel, it does need to be referenced to specific evidence. If you wish to make personal observations (from your dual role as CS), this is best made in the Educators notes, or in a separate CSR, both of which can then be referenced.

2. Use of competency ‘word pictures’ as reference: Referring to the ‘word pictures’ can be helpful as a guide when writing the report and also can inform the ‘actions’. I would very much encourage trainees to refer to these when preparing their self-rating.

3. Importance of entering ‘action’ comments: The ‘Actions’ comments provide a valuable opportunity for Educational Supervisors to share their thoughts on how their Trainee’s future development might be progressed. These comments are also relevant in the final ESR, prior to the completion of training. I acknowledge that the wording ‘actions before next review’ gets in the way of this and generates responses such as ‘none needed’ or ‘final review’. Consider the ‘next review’ to be the trainees first NHS Appraisal.

4. PDP judgments: Given the role of PDPs in Appraisal, it is important to comment on the quality of the Trainee’s PDP and try to encourage them to agree one new SMART item at the review meeting- mirroring what takes place in NHS Appraisals. Changes are to be introduced in future to support this.

Supervisor and Trainee Themes

1. DOPS: Still relevant with completion and sign off required for ST3/4s progressing to CCT before August 5th 2015 (including Scholars finishing one month later). For trainees completing their training after this date evidence of examination /procedural skills will form part of the ESR under the CEPS competency rating, which might draw on the evidence documented in previous DOPs. If you are supervising an ST1/2 and they have completed some DOPs, you might refer to these when completing your Educational Supervisor Report under competency CEPS in this review. For ST1/2s, you will also need to look at the new CEPs forms when completing this rating.

2. Child safeguarding Level 3: there has always been an implicit expectation that trainees will have undertaken training in child safeguarding, what’s changed is that from 5th August 2015 trainees exiting training and applying for CCT need to provide explicit evidence of training to level 3 which includes offering as a minimum of one reflective log entry concerning child protection in their final year of training plus evidence of having undergone training. Given that it is necessary to have training to level 3 to be on the performers list, we ask all GPST3s to provide this evidence for the forthcoming panels. Training may be accessed free on-line at: http://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/safeguarding-children. It would be helpful if all supervisors could add a sentence in the final page of the ES report to say that they have seen this evidence (ideally referencing where to find it) - there are plans to have a "tick box" in the future.

Trainee themes

Overall quality has been good, with some outstanding submissions. Failure to provide the required evidence by the submission date will generate an outcome 5 (insufficient evidence). A future date for submission will be generated and the outstanding required evidence detailed. Failure to re-submit by this second date will lead to invitation to ARCP Panel and an unsatisfactory outcome. For ST3s this might lead to a delay in awarding of CCT, which may impact on their availability for locum work. Most of the point beloved are covered on the trainee ESR checklist which has been sent out by Alison.

1. Self-rating- referencing to evidence, supporting narrative: it is important to offer a broad range of relevant evidence, supported by meaningful commentary. Use the ‘word pictures’ for each competency as guide.

2. Final Self-rating ST3/4s- inappropriate selection of Needs Further Development NFD: a number of competent (some excellent) ST3s and ST4s self-rate against the competencies as NFD- meets expectations on their final review. This is often a recognition that more learning/expertise is needed (which is appropriate) and sometimes it can reflect a lack of confidence in a trainee. When self-rating it is important to refer to the word pictures; it is against these that you are self-rating,, rating as ‘competent for licencing’ doesn’t mean you are an expert, nor that additional learning is not needed. It is an expectation that Trainees who have made satisfactory progress in their training will be competent at their final review. If in doubt discuss with your trainer.

3. Submission of CSRs: These are required as evidence. A report covering every placement is required; lack of a CSR might result in the post not being recognised towards your training. This is especially important for short posts, which have become more common with trainees returning to training following maternity leave. It is also crucial that the CSR is completed by your named, trained Clinical Supervisor.

4. Significant Events, Audit, Reflection on complaints - Quality improvement an annual requirement: the linkage of ARCP to revalidation highlights the need for, at a minimum, evidence of engagement in quality improvement activities every academic year. This may usefully be provided through SEAs, Audit, and reflection on complaints.

5. Quality of log entries - focus on learning: the purpose of the log is to generate self-awareness, critical thinking and learning. Too often the majority of the text is descriptive. Keep this to the minimum necessary and focus on the learning that has been generated and/or is planned.

6. OOHs: a session is five-six hours; enter each session as a single log entry. If the required number (36 hours in ST1/2, 72 hours in ST3) is not completed by the ARCP submission date, we require you and your trainer to state that the outstanding sessions are booked. These will be checked prior to progressing. Please complete the OOH record sheet and attach to the OOH section of the log, as well as including the number of hours and cumulative hours on the title of your OOH entry.

7. CPR certificates: it is a requirement that you have evidence of up to date certified training in CPR at the time of completing training as an ST3/4- your Educational Supervisor ‘ticks’ this as ‘met’ on the ‘Progress to Certification’ page. We do require you to attach the certificate to a clearly titled ‘CPR’ log entry (under certificates).

8. SMARTEN up the PDP: The PDP is for you, but to have any educational meaning, to make it likely you will achieve the outcomes, keep it short and simple. The college is aware that the current system where actions are populating the PDP isn’t helpful and changes are afoot.

As always, if you have any questions about the forthcoming ESRs or ARCP Panels, please contact Alison Needler. I am also happy for you to contact me directly,

Best wishes

Dr John Edwards FRCGP
Associate Post Graduate Dean for Assessment Health Education South West - Severn Postgraduate Medical Education  

Voting in the RCGP Presidential and National Council Member elections is now open – you may cast your vote from this page

Only 15% of GPs vote.  This year there are 2 local GP education candidates - Dr Terry Kemple for RCGP President and Dr Holly Hardy for the College Council.

For full details including candidates' statements and biographical details, please click here

For all ST2s

Just a reminder that the deadline to apply for the GP Scholar Posts is approaching. If you’re interested, please email your application. For more information on available scholarships and how to apply please click here  

For all ST3s

We are currently inviting applications for Leadership and Excellence Training Extensions posts starting August 2015. This is an exciting opportunity to develop your skills both as a doctor and as a clinical leader.

We are planning to run an introductory meeting on Wednesday 29th April between 2pm and 3pm at Deanery House, Bristol. If you would like to attend this meeting, please do come along; Dr Tom Pelly will be pleased to tell you all about LETE. For more information on these posts and how to apply please click here  

This neurology course consists of nine focused 40-minute talks on topics of great relevance to primary care, including 10 minutes for Q&A per talk. Our speakers are leading experts in their fields, including consultant neurologists and professors from National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square. With emphasis on up-to-date evidence and practical guidance, topics range from stroke, headaches and brain tumours to indications for neurology MRI and CT scans.  This course will be of interest to your postgraduate trainees in general practice and also GP principles.

A full description of the event and a booking form can be found here

Best wishes and hope to see you there.

Alastair G Sutcliffe MB, ChB, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRCPCH, PG Dip CT

Professor of General Paediatrics, Institute of Child Health, UCL, Hon Consultant Paediatrician UCLH (and GOSH)

www.alastairsutcliffe.co.uk 

Dear GP trainees and qualified GPs,

Written reflection… Is it valuable or is it a game?  Have your opinion heard! 

I am a newly qualified GP and, alongside my clinical work, I am a GP Research Fellow at the University of Bath, in association with Health Education South West. Our research is looking at the pros and cons of written reflection - would you help by completing a brief online survey?

The survey explores whether a GP's approach to studying makes them more or less likely to feel they benefit from written reflection. We’d like to know your views on written reflection, and whether you think that any of the alternatives are preferable to the written reflection system used in NHS appraisal. Participants that did the pilot version said it took them around 10 minutes.

For further information, please see the participant information sheet, available here 

Your answers will be completely anonymous, so please be forthcoming with your views!

The link to the survey is here

Many thanks in advance,

Dr Pamela Curtis, MBBCh, MRCGP, GP Research Fellow, University of Bath.

Dear All

The Essential Knowledge Update (EKU) 15, has now been released.

Best regards, 

Mona Lindsay

Co-ordinator| Development & Enterprises - (Enterprises)
Tel: 020 3188 7610

Dear All,

The timetable for this year's ARCPs is here .  Please note that for the June and July ARCPs, there is a 2 stage process scheduled by patch and ST year. 

I will email you 6 weeks before the day, but contact me if you have any quearies in the meantime.

Best regards,

Alison Needler, Support Manager

Sent on behalf of Selena Gray, Deputy Postgraduate Dean

Dear Colleagues,

You may be interested to see this updated guidance from the GMC.

The guidance gives advice to medical schools and deaneries/LETBs on making it easier for students with disabilities to progress through medical school and training, and provides practical suggestions to help ensure that that disabled students do not face unnecessary barriers to successful medical careers. As well as the updated web version, there is also a new-look Gateways pdf which is currently in electronic form only.

Best wishes
Selena Gray

dear all,

I am writing to let you know about some upcoming events which the GMC is hosting and COPMeD is supporting.

The events are focused on the topic of medical professionalism and they are aimed at frontline doctors, medical education and training representatives, and other healthcare professionals. The events are taking place in Bristol, Newcastle, Birmingham and Cardiff throughout the year and they are free to attend.

The first event, ‘the collaborative doctor’, is happening in Bristol on 12 May from 6pm-9pm. It will include a keynote speech by Peter Lees (Chief Executive, FMLM), a panel discussion featuring Maureen Baker (Chair, RCGP), Niall Dickson (Chief Executive, GMC) and other local senior clinicians, plus a light dinner and the chance to network. The topics for debate will include:

• partnerships with patients and shared decision making
• integrated care and multidisciplinary working and learning
• doctors as leaders and the role of the accountable clinician
• what doctors can learn from other professions.

To find out more and book your free place click here  If you have any queries, please contact the organising team by email or telephone - 0117 906 4537.

Kind regards,

Samuel Taylor
Events Officer
General Medical Council
Regent's Place, 350 Euston Road, London NW1 3JN

Severn Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME) has many accomplished trainees involved in a variety of activities including research, education, leadership and pursuits outside medicine. Severn PGME School of Primary Care supports the introduction of annual awards to both encourage and reward outstanding achievement.

For full details and application forms please click here.

The 2015 GP Scholar Posts are now open to applications. These are a great opportunity to challenge and acquire skills over and above those obtained during your GP training. The addition of new exciting posts, such as the social media and dementia scholars, means there are a broad variety of roles to fit you and your interests.

New Scholar Opportunities:

GP ST3 Social Media Scholarship Programme

• Includes using social media to promote GP training in Severn and enhance learning opportunities for GPSTs.
• Opportunity to develop ways for effective online learning, such as podcasts.
• GP ST3 Dementia Scholarship Programme
• Working as part of the CCG dementia team to develop a community based project.
• Opportunity to gain experience in memory clinics, interface services and dementia research.

What some existing trainees have to say…

'I have used the scholarship to do some great things, though highlight to date was a day in London with Dr Maureen Baker, the RCGP Chair, it was really inspiring.'

'It's been an inspiring year with great opportunities - being involved in an exciting project, examining at the GPST Stage 3 interviews, additional courses and being involved in medical student SSC to name but a few.'

For more information on available scholarships and how to apply please click here

We recruit to five one year fellowship programmes during the spring and invite our current GP ST3s and qualified GPs to apply. Applications are invited for the following posts based in Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Gloucestershire and Somerset. We are looking to appoint 5 GP Educator Fellowships for a fixed period of one year. Each will work closely with one of our local educational teams. There will be local and school-wide educational support, educational events and mentoring for each post holder in order for them to develop expertise in this area as part of their ongoing career development. The application form and further details are available on the NHS Jobs website, reference number 984-BT135-SW. 

We are committed to Equal Opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of gender, race, disability, sexuality or age. All applicants who have a health problem or disability and meet the minimum criteria for the position will be guaranteed an interview.

The Scottish School of Primary Care (SSPC) is advertising GP Academic Fellowship posts 2015-16.

Four fellowships are available that offer unique opportunities for training in academic aspects of general practice, and are ideal for GPs at an early stage of career development contemplating an academic career. Applicants will ideally have some experience in research (although this is not required), and longer term career development will be a central aim of each post. The posts are available for one year and are suitable for applicants who have or are due to complete their CCT training in 2015. During the one year post successful applicants will gain new skill and develop their research ideas into a formal research proposal. They will also be expected to retain at least a minimal clinical commitment of 2 sessions.

The closing date is Friday 27 March, details can be found here.

Many thanks for your help,
Regards, 

Dr Alison Hinds, Manager, Scottish Primary Care Research Network, University of Dundee, Mackenzie Building, Kirsty Semple Way, Dundee DD2 4BF

Tel: 01382 383707
Mob: 07896 804760
Fax: 01382 383802

As always, we're looking to RCGP members, students and other primary care professionals to contribute to the RCGP Annual Conference programme by submitting an abstract to present a 10 minute short paper at Conference.

The deadline for paper submissions is Monday 23 March, so if you're thinking about submitting a paper, you need to act quickly.

In addition to research and scientific abstracts, we welcome submissions that demonstrate good practice, education and any new or innovative projects in primary care.

The RCGP Annual Conference takes place in Glasgow, 1-3 October 2015.

Full details on the submission guidance can be found here.

Submission deadlines
Oral - Monday 23 March 2015
Posters - Monday 27 July 2015

SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT

Motivation

In 2012 my wife, Sarah, and I spent a year doing voluntary work in Kenema Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. I’d also worked in Sierra Leone in 2007. We had developed a great love of the country and its people. Despite being one of the poorest countries in the world (183rd out of 187 nations on the UN Human Development Index) the people in Sierra Leone are the warmest, most hopeful and most joyful people I can imagine.
Despite having been devastated by a brutal civil war which ended in 2002 Sierra Leone had made great progress over the last decade. It had transitioned into a safe and stable multi-party democracy. Although healthcare systems were still very poor there was real progress with infant mortality and maternal mortality rates falling, ever increasing rates of childhood vaccinating and improving life expectancy.
When the Ebola epidemic spread in to Sierra Leone from Guinea Kenema was one of the first districts to be affected. Because it was affected so early in the epidemic there was very little infrastructure in place to care for Ebola patients. Healthcare workers did not have adequate protective equipment and a great many were infected and died. Thankfully none of our close friends died, however hearing reports of how serious the situation was Sarah and I felt incredibly frustrated not to be able to help.

At Kenema Government Hospital they have put a poster on the wall in memory of each member of staff who has died of Ebola

Eventually we found out about an organisation UK-MED. They were working closely with NHS England and the Department for International Development to try to make it possible for NHS staff who wanted to work on the Ebola response to take time out of their NHS work. The British government were building a number of purpose built Ebola Treatment Centres and the plan was to use NHS staff as part of the clinical workforce. We applied and after a screening interview we were selected and asked if we could make ourselves available to depart within 10days! Initially we weren’t sure that we would be able to take time away from out training programs at such short notice. However the support we received from PGME, our GP training program and our clinical placements was absolutely fantastic. An application which is supposed to be submitted at least 6 months in advance was approved within hours.

Pre-departure

Before we could be deployed to Sierra Leone we had to attend a 9-day intensive residential training course. This was hosted by the British military at an Army medical base just outside York. We were in a group of around 35 NHS staff (mostly doctors, nurses and paramedics) along with around 30 Norwegian healthcare workers. As well as bringing us up to date with the clinical management of Ebola patients this provided lots of time to practice using protective equipment similar to what we would use in Sierra Leone. They had even constructed a mock-up Healthcare Centre so that we could go through a 3 day simulation of running a Treatment Centre. By the end of the course we felt really well prepared and were raring to go.

Arrival

We arrived in Sierra Leone towards the end of November. 16 Of us were all working together in the new treatment centre in a town called Port Loko – the only problem was that the rainy season had gone on little longer than usual so construction at the site had fallen behind and it wasn’t yet ready to open. The plan was that once it was ready to open then the site would be handed over the Irish charity GOAL who would run it on a day to day basis. As we couldn’t yet treat Ebola patient we spent the next couple of weeks doing whatever as necessary to speed along the process. Some of the time was spent on training with the local and other international staff to ensure that we would all together effectively, but we also worked on finalising treatment protocols, constructing hospital beds, putting up fencing and anything else that was needed to get the site ready to open… We knew that within the district there were hundreds of people with suspected Ebola. A few were at another treatment centre that had opened, but most were being held in Community Care Centres. In these community care centres the supply of protective equipment was variable, and the staffing levels were poor which meant that patients could not receive the level of care that they needed.

Port Loko Treatment Centre when we arrived - A building site

Ebola Care

Once we were finally able to open we started to receive Ebola patients. Initially we only took a couple in order to make sure that our procedures and systems worked, but over the weeks we increased the numbers up towards 30. The centre was divided into 3 zones: The white zone was purely administrative; The green zone was a clinical area where we kept patient records, made decisions about care and where the pharmacy was; The red zone was the wards – this was the danger area where we always had to wearer protective equipment to ensure that we did not become infected ourselves. In the first instance we were sent the very sickest of the patients as they were the hardest to treat in the Community Care Centres. Emotionally this was very hard as many of them died shortly after being admitted to our treatment centres – and at times it did seem that the task was hopeless and we had to shift our expectations to recognise that even with our best efforts nearly half of the patients would die. Patients were of all ages and all socioeconomic background – Ebola is not a discriminating disease. Gradually in the second week though we started to see some patient improve and by Christmas Eve we had our first patient who had fully recovered and was able to be discharged home. Over the following few days more and more patients who had tested positive for Ebola improved and as their repeat test came back negative we could discharge them.
The biggest challenge by far was how to provide effective medical care whilst protecting ourselves from infection. It was essential that every single person in the treatment centre adhered strictly to the same procedures. Should one member of staff not do this then there was the risk that they could bring Ebola out of the Red Zone, putting everybody at the ETC at risk. The protective equipment that we wore was hot. We would wear normal hospital scrubs with Wellington boots whenever we were in the green zone. Before we could enter the red zone then on top of this we were completely covered head to ankle in non-breathable, waterproof protective clothing. We had 2 pairs of surgical gloves and a full head hood. Inside the hood we had a mask covering mouth and nose, and on the outside goggles protecting our eyes. Finally there was a heavy waterproof apron on top. In 35̊C heat it was only possible to spend a maximum of 35 minutes in the red zone. By this time there would be sweat pooled in the gloves and wellington boots, the scrubs underneath would be completely soaked through, the goggles steamed up and I’d be feeling quite dehydrated. Staying in any longer would have been dangerous as fainting in the red zone would carry a very high risk of being exposed to Ebola.
Even for those 45min it was hard to achieve much. Everything takes at least 3 times as long when the patient has Ebola. Siting an IV line is a 2 person job, made all the more challenging when vision is impaired by the fogged goggles, all the while aware that slightest drip of blood could be enough to infect yourself or a co-worker. Helping to change an incontinent patient is a slow laborious process. We had to be so careful not to become contaminated with faeces and take care not to move too suddenly or vigorously for fear of dislodging the mask or goggles. Talking to colleagues was difficult due to the protective equipment, but trying to communicate with patients who do not speak English was virtually impossible. At times we had young children separated from their parents and the only human contact that they had was with us in our full protective equipment – they were absolutely terrified.
Even after all that there was the challenge of removing the protective clothing carefully – this is the most high risk process and has to be done with painstaking care. It takes about 20min to get fully undressed: After being sprayed top to bottom with chlorine each item is individually removed with repeated hand washing between each step. Only the apron and goggles are reusable – the rest is added to the clinical waste and burned. The apron and goggles are soaked in strong chlorine to ensure that they are fully disinfected before being left to dry in the sun.

Sunset behind the incinerator

For all the challenges there were also wonderful experiences. As patients began to improve they were able to come outside of the wards and then we could talk to them as real humans (although we did have to stay 2 metres apart separated by 2 layers of chain link fencing at least we could chat wearing only scrubs). Many patients did recover fully – even some who had been really critically ill. The day that we were able to discharge a grandmother with 2 grandchildren all having recovered was a very special moment.

Going forward

At last the numbers of cases seems to be falling – although the epidemic is sure to run for many more months there is a real feeling that things are heading in the right direction. Already many people are looking forwards to the next challenges. How to rebuild a health system which has been destroyed by the loss of so many healthcare workers, and by a loss of trust between the population and the hospitals? How to catch up on preventive healthcare such as childhood vaccination which has halted completely for the last year? How to catch up on lost education as school have been closed (and many have been used as makeshift Ebola care centres)? How rebuild a fractured society in which some people have been so scared that they have even abandoned sick relatives, and where many children have been left orphaned? Many people have died of Ebola, but many more have died because they could not get treatment for common diseases like malaria or pneumonia – with no clinics open no treatment has been available. Because of Ebola people have not had access to even basic healthcare. Women have died in childbirth because there is no way to safely perform a lifesaving caesarean section.

After a few weeks rest at home I will head back out to Sierra Leone for a couple more months to work on a project to strengthen the Community Care Centres and maybe support the reopening of primary health clinics.
My experience in Sierra Leone has taught me a lot. Obviously some practical skills around infection prevention and control, but more importantly it has forced me to learn greater adaptability. I had to work across cultural boundaries (we had team members from Denmark, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ireland, Kenya, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, USA, Spain as well as the UK and Sierra Leone….). I had to develop a new level of emotional resilience and in doing so made new friendships that I truly believe will be lifelong. Most importantly seeing Sierra Leone in this time of crisis reinforced my great respect for the spirit, determination and hospitality of Sierra Leoneans.

Dominic Waddington

GPST2 North Devon

Ebola and Sierra Leone

In 2012 my husband, Dom, also a VTS trainee, and I worked for a year in Kenema Government Hospital in Sierra Leone with Voluntary Service Overseas. When the first cases of Ebola reached Sierra Leone in March 2014 Kenema district was badly affected. Over 30 doctors, nurses and laboratory staff from Kenema hospital contracted and died of the disease. We watched on with great sadness as Ebola started to take a grip on the country we had come to know and love.

Hence choosing to return to Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak was an easy decision to make. In many ways the country appeared much as it had done – it remained as beautiful as I remembered it and the people were as warm and open as they always had been. Yet in other ways the impact of Ebola was starkly apparent: quarantined houses were scattered through most towns and villages; previously bustling markets were closed due to a ban on public gatherings; checkpoints punctuated the roads every few miles to restrict the movement of people; even Christmas was ‘cancelled’ by the government.  

We were based in Port Loko, a small town several hours outside of Freetown, the capital, working for the Irish NGO GOAL. The Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) in Port Loko had been built by the British army, but due to the gruelling temperatures, plus the rainy season going on for almost a month longer than normal, the completion date was delayed. Not being able to get straight to work was disappointing for us, particularly as the scale of the problem within the district at that time was so immediately apparent. However there were lots of other things to be getting on with - protocol writing, training of local staff, bed building etc. - and retrospectively we feel really pleased to have been part of those formative weeks for the treatment centre.

When we did open I found working in an ETC is nothing like as scary as I had thought it might be. The biggest challenge was getting used to spending most of my time literally dripping with sweat! Ebola is a cruel illness causing severe diarrhoea, vomiting, weakness, and often dreadful pain.  I would be lying if I said we did not see a lot of unpleasant things. However we also experienced the joy of seeing survivors leave the centre and witnessed the incredible humanity of patients who, even once cured, remained inside to care for others. I feel honoured to have worked with an enthusiastic and hard working group of Sierra Leonean nurses and community health officers for whom this is not just a short break away from normal life but their life for the foreseeable future.

Recent figures suggest that the numbers of new Ebola cases in Sierra Leone are starting to diminish. Although no one can be sure whether or not the outbreak is finally coming under control there is certainly reason to be optimistic. Sadly for Sierra Leone they have a long uphill struggle ahead of them even once the Ebola outbreak is over. 7500 children have been orphaned to date – and the eventual numbers are likely to be much higher. Food shortages are anticipated due restrictions on the movement of people meaning farmers were unable to grow crops this year. And there will of course be the psychological scars that people will carry with them.

However, for now we must focus on the positives, and hopefully, with the support of the international community, we are finally seeing the Ebola crisis starting to come under control. Let us hope that this progress continues….

I am incredibly grateful for the amazing support I have received from the deanery and colleagues in making it possible for me to return to Sierra Leone and play a small part in the international response to the Ebola crisis.

Sarah Williams
GPST2 North Devon

Trainees in sport and exercise medicine (SEM)

Amended 9th February 2014

Dr Justin Hughes, SAC Chair for Sport and exercise medicine
Dr Sheona Macleod, Director of Education and Quality and Postgraduate Dean, HE East Midlands, Lead dean for Sport and exercise medicine
Tara Willmott, GMC Head of Approvals
Nicola Ellis, GMC Education Quality Analyst

Background
The SAC Chair for Sport and exercise medicine, Dr Justin Hughes, expressed a need for clarification from the GMC around whether it is considered appropriate for doctors in training to do paid work outside of their training programme. In particular, it is common for SEM trainees to take up work as a team doctor or provide crowd cover/pitchside support but it is not clear whether this is allowed. They would usually be paid a nominal fee for this work.

Part of the SEM Curriculum includes experience in team sports and in providing medical care at sporting events. Therefore, weekend work with teams or a regular attachment to a club is considered useful experience. To prohibit SEM trainees from taking up these roles would leave a large area to be covered by volunteers, which has safety implications, and may affect attraction and retention to the specialty.

The SAC is unsure what it should be telling Training Programme Directors to advise doctors in training, and so urgently requests guidance before the next recruitment round starts.

GMC current position
Current GMC guidelines state that in order to be awarded a CCT doctors in training must be working wholly within a training programme. This is usually interpreted to mean that doctors in training cannot, for example, work part time outside the specialty or run a business. This has been written into EU legislation.

As there is no position statement on this specific area at present, doctors who have taken up ad hoc positions with the best intentions will not be penalised and can continue doing so until guidance is published.

Advice for SAC
The GMC need to determine what reasoning would be allowed for doctors to work outside of training and formulate a position statement. This is likely to take at least six months, but the following advice can be given in the interim.

• It is likely that work outside of training will need to be allowed for shortage specialties (like, for example, GP working part time whilst training in Public health medicine).
• With regards to SEM, the GMC acknowledges that there may be a need to allow for work outside of the curriculum but it must be recognised that these doctors are not fully trained and they must not be put in the position of undertaking work for which they are not competent.  
• It is noted that some SEM trainees come to the specialty as qualified GPs and will want to continue surgery work whilst training. They fulfil a service need, which is essential in the current climate. The GMC feel this is reasonable and anticipate this will be included in the position paper.
• Weekend work should be agreed locally with the Training Programme Director and must be appropriate to experience. Therefore, it is essential that the competencies required of these roles are clearly defined. A trainee with a GP background will be more experienced than an MRCP route ST3, for example. It is likely that pitchside cover will be considered a reasonable role for an early stage trainee but that being a team doctor will not. The TPD should discuss matters with the Training Committee if at all unsure about the appropriateness of a role. It has been suggested that the impact of the doctor in training’s additional work could be considered with the ARCP process and a judgement made as to if it had a detrimental impact on the progression.
• The GMC is comfortable at this stage with encouraging doctors in training to take up club positions while training if this is on an ad hoc basis, but not if they are choosing to train less than full time to do this. The issue of payment is not considered relevant. Doctors who are intending to train part time in order to take up a position with a club should be advised to wait for the GMC’s position paper.
• The GMC needs to ensure that any concessions it makes in relation to work outside of training for SEM trainees is justifiable and not considered unfair to those in other specialties who are effectively not permitted to earn additional money. It is noted that trainees in Emergency medicine and Trauma and orthopaedics are comparably skilled and often do similar work.
• It is also important that not only is the doctor in training working within their scope of practice but that those that are employing them are aware of their skill levels given that they would not be under supervision in these roles.

Dear all,

We would like to welcome you to the next Dermsoc meeting.

Dr Cameron Kennedy is running a session on Paediatric Dermatology 

Date and time:  Thursday 5th March at 18.30pm - 20.00pm

Venue- Tutorial Room 1, UH Bristol Education Centre

Refreshments will be provided .

Dr Kennedy will talk for an hour followed by refreshments. There will then be a short interesting case presentation (Dr E Vardanega).

Please email dermsoc if you want to come along so we have an idea about numbers for catering. Everyone is welcome and feel free to bring interested housemates etc!

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Dermsoc Commitee

P.S. There are going to be monthly sessions for the rest of the year, there are opportunities for short case presentations. If you are interested in presenting a case please email dermsoc or Jo Fawcett 

There is an opportunity for GPs who are qualifying, just qualified and GPs with up to around 10 years experience in practice to join a Balint group.

The next meeting will be on March 03 2015 at 8 pm and will take place at 27 Kings Drive, Bishopston BS7 8JW.  Further groups will continue on the first Tuesday of the month.

The group will be run by Dr Judy Malone who is an experienced psychotherapist and Balint leader 

If you are interested please call Judy on 07906 479564.

The dates for the next RCGP Faculty AKT and CSA Preparation Courses are now confirmed.  Further details will be on their website shortly (scroll down to Faculty Events section).

AKT Prep Course

8 Sept 2015 – 50 delegates
10 Nov 2015 - 50 delegates
1 Dec 2015 - 50 delegates
1 Mar 2016 - 50 delegates

CSA Prep Course

23/24 Sept 2015 – 40 delegates
25/26 Nov 2015 – 60 delegates
6/7 Jan 2016 – 60 delegates

Applications are invited from second-year general practice specialty trainees in English deaneries (current ST2s) that wish to undertake clinical academic training starting August 2015. Funding is now available to enable trainees to extend their training by a year, allowing part-time attachment to a University department during the ST3 and ST4 years.  Fellowships are offered at all nine Universities within the NIHR School for Primary Care Research: Bristol, Cambridge, Keele, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford Southampton and University College London. In most cases we anticipate applicants will wish to continue to train in their existing Deanery although cross-Deanery transfer may be possible in specific cases.

Further details of these awards including the specific training opportunities available at each University can be found here  

To make an application, please click on the following link

Closing date for applications is at midnight 11th March 2015  

There is also information about the posts on the website of Health Education West Midlands - West Midlands Deanery is hosting the recruitment application process. 

The Centre for Academic Primary Care at Bristol...

is one of the leading centres for research and teaching in relation to primary health care in the UK. We conduct high quality research, addressing questions relating to primary care of high priority to the NHS: important clinical areas such as infection, mental health, domestic violence, and cardiovascular disease, or wider questions of great importance for health policy, for example into the organisation of care and evaluation of new models of service delivery. In 2006 we became a founder member of the NIHR School for Primary Care Research, recognising the excellence of our research. This status was renewed following the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise where 70% of our research submission was rated either 3* or 4* and again after the 2104 REF when 80% of our research was rated either 3* or 4*.

This ST3 entry ACF programme will provide two years of integrated academic general practice, with time divided equally between academic work and training as a GP registrar in a local practice which is recognised for undergraduate teaching, accredited for vocational training and is highly research-active.

The objectives are to provide:(i) an excellent basic training in research methods (ii) experience of conducting a specific research project (iii) support for a trainee with outstanding potential in making an application for an externally funded doctoral training fellowship eg MRC, Wellcome, NIHR to follow on from this post (iv) a limited exposure to and experience of undergraduate teaching (v) high quality and comprehensive vocational training for general practice, leading to successful achievement of the MRCGP qualification, as well as formal accreditation on completion of training (vi) a stimulating intellectual environment and inspiring role models, to introduce GPRs to the opportunities, challenges and excitement of an academic career.

For further information please click here or contact Professor Debbie Sharp 

RCN and RCGP would like to draw your attention to a new training facility, which focuses on obesity and malnutrition to support the rapidly expanding multimorbidity agenda and its relationship to lifestyle issues.

They have set up this training day with RCGP and RCN which forms part of the new RCGP Introductory Certificate in Obesity, Malnutrition and Health. 

In order to promote uptake of local training in obesity, this course has been designed to ‘train the trainers’, to enable local cascade training of some of its content, by making available the interactive workbook and slide sets. For this reason we are suggesting that CCGs or local authorities consider funding or part funding local staff to attend and are offering a group discount when booking three or more places at the same time. Alternatively, the workshop sections of the course could be commissioned for local delivery.

It is suitable for all non-specialist clinical staff in community and integrated care, as well as primary care, including GPs, GP trainees, nurses, health visitors, dieticians, health trainers, physiotherapists and dentists. It takes a strong focus on supporting behaviour change and will also touch on the health of health workers themselves.

The course is SCOPE accredited, includes an interactive workbook and is complemented by six e-Learning sessions on the RCGP e-Learning platform, which are currently free to access. 

Please find the programme and flyer (with booking form) attached and please do circulate to the relevant members in your team who may be interested. Call 0292 0546 460 to book on to the event.

For further details, please contact Rebecca Hoole, Conference & Events Organiser, RCN.

Sent on behalf of the Chief Examiner

Dear Colleague

I am writing to let you know that we are in the process of reviewing our arrangements for recruitment to the panel of examiners for MRCGP examinations in line with new recommendations from the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the General Medical Council. We will be consulting with stakeholders, including COGPED about our new process to ensure that it remains fair and fit for purpose, and complies with our public sector equality duty. We anticipate that the review will be completed by August 2015 and will let you know the details of the new process as soon as we can. In the interim we have closed our waiting list to new applicants and have written to all those currently on the waiting list to inform them of the review.

As many of our applications come from GP Trainers and TPDs I think it would be helpful if the training community were informed about our plans and would be most grateful for your help in disseminating this information.

Kind regards

Dr Pauline Foreman
Chief Examiner

Attention all GPs, but especially AiTs, First5 GPs, Foundation Trainees and Medical Students!!

Severn Faculty RCGP are pleased to announce that, in collaboration with Severn Postgraduate Medical Education, we are able to fund several bursaries to attend the RCGP annual conference

RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference at SECC, Glasgow, 1-3 October 2015

RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference is the must attend event of the year for GPs and practice team colleagues, showcasing the latest clinical and policy developments across the UK and brings together an impressive range of national and international speakers. This year’s theme is 'Expanding horizons of care' and the programme is packed with seminars and workshops relevant to all GPs, several of which are specifically for AiTs and First5 GPs, and will be extremely informative to Foundation Trainees and Medical Students. The conference is also an invaluable opportunity to meet GPs from across the UK, and good fun!

Conference details 

Register for the conference as early as possible to secure your place at the discounted earlybird rates.  Bursary recipients will be prioritised to those submitting a poster or presentation, and the quality of the written submission. Applications should be received before midnight on Saturday, 28 February 2015. The bursary will support Conference fees, travel and accommodation (but not incidental expenses) up to a maximum of £500 per individual. One additional bursary is open to post-First5 GPs who have never previously attended the RCGP Annual Conference. 

There will be an expectation that successful applicants will feed back their experiences to the Severn Faculty Board and to Severn Postgraduate Medical Education by way of a brief report and give a short talk at the Severn Faculty AGM which will be held at Deanery House, Hambrook, Bristol on 4 Nov 2015. The Faculty will notify applicants if their application was successful by 31 March 2015.

Applications should include a written submission entitled “How can the profession ensure careers in General Practice are sustainable and attractive to new applicants, and how can the Severn Faculty RCGP help?” (max 500 word summary), what grade of doctor/student/trainee you are (please include a brief CV- no longer than 1 page) and whether you intend to submit a poster or presentation at conference. Written submissions will be judged on fluency, realism, practicality, innovation and conceptual thinking.

Please submit your application (or any queries) via email 

I am a GP and a member of the college but also I work for a charity called The Mullany Fund. We were set up after the tragic death of Dr Catherine Mullany, a GP and her husband, who was training to be a physiotherapist who were killed on their honeymoon in 2008.

The Mullany Fund is an educational charity that works to address the lack of social mobility within the healthcare professions. Our objective is to inspire and support young people into careers in medicine and other related healthcare professions.

Our vision is of a nation where talented, motivated individuals are not excluded from a career in medicine or healthcare because of poverty or any other disadvantage. We feel that access to knowledge is key to widening access to education.

After running a pilot ementoring project which was very successful we won a Lottery Funding grant for £150,000 to carry on the project and expand it.

We are at the moment trying to recruit mentors from the medical field to volunteer their time to e-mentor the children who are being recruited to the programme.

In the pilot many of my GP colleagues were involved and gained a lot from the experience.

I wondered if you could support this project in any way.

With many thanks

Camilla

Dr Camilla L Ducker MBBS MSc MRCGP DRCOG DCH

Trustee
The Mullany Fund
Address: P.O. Box 29, Swansea, SA9 5AB, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)7830315216

FAO all GP ST trainees

I'm one of the health inequalities scholars. As part of my work I'm keen to get some background attitudes from the severn GPSTs on working and training in areas of Deprivation.

I have designed a quick survey - 2-3 minutes I reckon; and I'd be most grateful if you could complete this.

Here is the weblink:

Many thanks to those of you able to give your time.

Sent on behalf of Meleri Jones, ST3 trainee

A series of 16 events organised by the Royal College of General Practitioners and Health Education England are being held across the UK in January – March 2015 which will provide you with an opportunity to really understand life as a GP and the many exciting opportunities that general practice offers as a career. They will provide you with the chance to hear about the unique and varied role that GPs have in the NHS, to ask questions and to meet with fellow medical students and professionals considering general practice as a career.

At Severn we are holding the the event on Wednesday 25th February 2015, from 6.30-8.00pm in Seminar Room 5 at Southmead Hospital. Dr Alison Hutchings is giving our headline presentation at the event. Alison is a Newly Qualified GP, having qualified in 2014; she has been an Education Scholar and is currently an Educator Fellow on the Bath Scheme. She will talk about her recent experiences of GP being a Newly Qualified GP and her GP Training at Severn. There will also be opportunity to meet with and question current practising GPs and current GP Trainees.  To book please click here

For more information, or to book an event elsewhere in the UK, please visit the RCGP site for further information. 

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
Join the celebration!

Severn Postgraduate Medical Education and Severn Faculty RCGP - GP Trainee Awards Event and Michael Lennard Reception

Wednesday 22nd July 2015
(afternoon followed by BBQ early evening)

Please note the new venue is 

Holiday Inn Bristol – Filton
Filton Road, Bristol BS16 1QX

All are warmly invited, and it is expected that all ST1 and ST3 Trainees attend. Full information about nominating ST3s for awards, the event and booking your place will follow shortly.

Dear Colleagues,

As you may be aware we have now awarded the tender for the Community and Primary Care Workforce Development Contract and we had a launch event last Thursday which was well attended. I am pleased to announce that following the event Health Education South West now has a web page specifically for this education.

As you will see from the webpages, we are currently advertising the future development and consultation events on Tuesday 10th February 2015 and Tuesday 3rd March 2015 where we will be consulting with employers regarding the content and nature of this education. We will ensure that as the consultation proceeds we will update these pages with more detail and provide links to the provision from our two university providers.

Please could you alert colleagues to these pages and to the future consultation events

Thank you once again for your help

With best wishes

Ian

________________________________
Ian Bramley
Innovation and Development Manager
Health Education South West

07867 348745
ian.bramley@southwest.hee.nhs.uk

The EKC Team are delighted to announce the release of the new Essential Knowledge Challenge 14. EKC14 is a fifty item online self-assessment applied knowledge test, with questions sourced from the major updates, briefings and reference material found within Essential Knowledge Update 14, covering such topics as Prostate Cancer, Myocardial Infarction, Peripheral Arterial Disease, Chronic Pain in Adults, Acute Rhinosinusitis, Osteoarthritis in Adults, Polypharmacy & Medicines Optimisation, and Vitamin D.

A score is given for each attempt you make within the Challenge and you are entitled to an unlimited num-ber of attempts. Once you have completed the Challenge you will receive a certificate (for each attempt) which can be printed off/uploaded to your RCGP ePortfolio for CPD and revalidation purposes.

Did you know… By taking part within an Update, Challenge and providing evidence of how your new knowledge has changed your practice you could receive up to 20 CPD credits!

Coming Soon: EKU14 Answers and Benchmarking Graphs

The answers to this new Challenge will be released in April 2015 for users to access. You will also be able compare your scores with other participating users with the EKU14 Benchmarking Graphs. The anonymised scores of all users who have taken part in Challenge 14 will be collated and produced as a graph, displaying the highest scores achieved by users based on all first attempts and 2-5 attempts.

To learn more about the EKU Programme or to take part in the latest Updates and Challenges
please visit the RCGP Online Learning Environment

Access to the Essential Knowledge Update Programme
The Essential Knowledge Updates and Challenges are FREE to all RCGP members, Associates and AiTs as part of the Col-lege membership benefit package. Non RCGP members can purchase an annual Essential Knowledge Update Programme subscription for £149 alternatively you can purchase an individual Update for £75 or Challenge for £55. To subscribe to the EKU Programme or purchase an Update or Challenge, please follow register with the College here.

You may already have seen these, but if not, here are links to the BMA, RCGP and GMC social media guidance

Social media: managing your online presence - webinar

BMA - Using Social Media

RCGP Social Media Highway Code

GMC Ethical Guidance

Training Programme Directors/APDs/Fellows/Patch Scholars/Honorary Tutors - One day Conferences to be held at Eastwood Park Conference Centre (both conferences)

We have now booked the above conferences for 2015. It is really important that you attend both of these conferences and to date we only have 35 educationalists registered to attend the Spring Conference and 26 Educationalists registered to attend the Autumn conference!

Can I ask you to click on the links below to register your attendance (these links are definitely working)! 

Spring Conference – 15th April 2015 (Bristol Prog4ramme will be facilitating) booking form 

Autumn Conference – 21st October 2015 (Bath Programme will be facilitating) Booking Form

It is important that we know the numbers attending and therefore please ensure that you all register your attendance at both conferences by clicking on the above links

Pauline Harper, PA to Professor Bill Irish, Director of General Practice Education and Dr Simon Newton, Deputy Director of General Practice Education

Severn Deanery Representing at the Head Torch Run on the 28th March 2015 for Age Uk Bristol

The is a 5km or 10km run......IN THE DARK! Our path will be illuminated with lights and along with some high vis and a head torch, we will navigate our way around the muddy tracks of Avon Valley!

Good way to get a group together, get fit and have some fun

Cost only £13! 
See website to book:

I will still be keeping a charitable theme and collect donations for Age UK Bristol! There will be donation buckets at the event. It would also be great if you could get colleagues to sponsor you for the event too. More details to follow.

Following this exciting run were can relax at one of two near by pubs.....

- The Lock Keeper 
- The Brassmill 

Any queries please contact Hazel Walkin (Social Secretary)

FAO All GP Trainees

We would like to welcome you to the next Dermsoc meeting.

Dr David De Berker is running a session on Teledermatology

Venue: Seminar Room, Dermatology Department, Bristol Royal Infirmary

Date and Time: Tuesday 27th January 1830 - 2000

The session is sponsored by Dermol who will be supplying pizza and drinks.

Dr De Berker will talk for an hour followed by refreshments. There will then be a short interesting case presentation.

Please RSVP to Dermsoc so we have an idea about numbers for catering.

We look forward to seeing you there!

The Dermsoc Commitee

P.S. There are going to be monthly sessions for the rest of the year, there are opportunities for short case presentations. If you are interested in presenting a case please email dermsoc or jofawcett@msn.com.

15 & 16 April 2015 - Taunton Racecourse

This course will enable you to develop the skills required to run a successful minor surgery service in primary care.

Topics covered include:

• minor skin procedures
• joint injections
• non-surgical techniques
• advice about how to set up a service
• medico-legal and contractual obligations required of those practising minor surgery

Our course is taught by a very experienced team of clinicians drawn from plastic surgery, orthopaedics, general practice and physiotherapy who have extensive experience of running minor surgery courses. If you have little prior experience of minor surgery there is an opportunity to learn the basics, if you are already experienced then there is the opportunity to fine tune your skills with the support of our experienced tutors.

Click here for full details and to book your place

Severn Faculty RCGP are pleased to announce that, in collaboration with Severn Postgraduate Medical Education, we are able to fund several bursaries to attend the RCGP annual conference.

RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference is the most attend event of the year for GPs and practice team colleagues, showcasing the latest clinical and policy developments across the UK and brings together an impressive range of national and international speakers. This year’s theme is 'Expanding horizons of care' and the programme is packed with seminars and workshops relevant to all GPs, several of which are specifically for AiTs and First5 GPs, and will be extremely informative to Foundation Trainees and Medical Students. The conference is also an invaluable opportunity to meet GPs from across the UK, and good fun!

For further information including how to apply click here

The Vasco da Gama Movement (VdGM) forms part of the WONCA organisation and is the European International Committee for GP trainees and GPs within 5 years of completing training. The WONCA World Conference this year is themed on "New routes for general practice and family medicine" and will be held in Lisbon, Portugal.

Sponsorship is available for ST2, ST3 GP trainees and/or newly qualified GPs (first 5 years) to attend the conference in 2015. Entry is by competition, open to Severn Faculty GP trainees and Severn Faculty “First 5” GPs.

For further information including how to apply click here

Dear Colleague,

Would you like to know more about GP training throughout Europe and connect with a network of GP Educators in 40 European countries? Membership of EURACT (The European Academy of Clinical Teachers in General Practice / Family medicine) will enable you to do just that.

EURACT is a network organization of WONCA, which was launched in March 1992. The overall aim of the Academy is "to foster and maintain high standards of care in European general practice by promoting general practice as a discipline by learning and teaching”. Since the launch of the Academy it has grown and now has over 800 members in 40 countries. Membership tends to be higher in those countries with less well-established systems of primary healthcare or those that are small, as these factors are often associated with fewer training opportunities and internal support systems for educators.

It was the instigator of, and provided the principal authors of, the European Definition of Family Medicine published in 2002 and has produced other documents to support training in GP / FM. It runs courses for new teachers in primary care through the Leonardo programme and the annual course in Slovenia that provides teaching for established teachers. Next year’s course is on the theme of ‘Managing Multi-morbidity in an Aging Population’.

EURACT sponsors attendance at the courses and the Council meeting for some doctors from low-income countries. The council meetings offer support for the teachers and leaders of FM / GP; this is of particular importance in those countries which are small and/or have poorly developed systems of primary care. Council also develops guidance documents, which are particularly useful for those countries. The RCGP International Committee currently pays expenses for the UK Council Member to attend the twice-yearly council meetings.

EURACT is clearly offering practical help and moral support to colleagues in countries across Europe that appears to have supported the development of family medicine. Through its training programmes it plays its part in improving the quality of GP/FM.

The UK membership base is small but we are keen to expand this. By joining you will be connecting with GP Educators across Europe and supporting the activities of EURACT.

If you would like to join please complete this membership form and return to Jo Buchanan 
Membership fees of £43.00 can be paid by cheque [payee: EURACT] or by BACs.
Bank Acct No: 71219609 Sort Code 54-21-50 Acct Name: EURACT

Cheques should be sent to: Jo Buchanan 462 Redmires Road, Sheffield S10 4LG.

With very best wishes

Jo Buchanan Justin Allen
UK EURACT Council Member Founder member EURACT

Roger Price
Previous Council Member

Dear Trainees,

Bookings are now being taken for this year’s Severn Faculty & Severn Postgraduate Medical Education GPST Conference & Careers Fair which is being held on Wednesday 18th March at Engineers House, Clifton, Bristol. We are delighted that Professor Amanda Howe - Vice Chair (Professional Development) for the Royal College of General Practitioners, Dr Jill Wilson (Chair Severn Faculty RCGP) and Professor Bill Irish will be speaking at this year’s event.

Please click here on the link below for full details of speakers and workshops and to book your place. Places are limited and attendance is strictly by advance booking.

Once you have booked online we will send you a confirmation email and link inviting you to choose your workshop choices for the day.

If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to receiving your booking and welcoming you on 18th March.

Kind regards

Sophie Martin
Severn Events Administrator | Severn Faculty
Royal College of General Practitioners
Tel: 01454 252725 

GPR Colleagues

Dr Trevor Thompson here again from the medical school. Those of you who hail from Bristol may recall the Year 3 "Central Study Days". This year the CSDs have had a complete overhaul in terms of teaching buzz. We are looking for interested GPRs to act as tutors on our CSDs. Here are the basic deets:

• When: one of AM or PM Monday 16th February, or AM Tuesday 17th February.
• Where: the Great Hall of the Wills Memorial Bldg (atop Park Street)
• What to do: Facilitate small group learning with a group of 10-12 year 3 BRL medical students.
• Timings: AM: 9am to 12.30pm and PM: 1.30pm to 5pm.
• Topics:
• Monday AM: "Understanding the NHS"
• Monday PM: "Harm Reduction in Substance Misuse" (this includes a lecture by the famous "Professor Nutt"
• Tuesday AM: "Compassion in Healthcare".

Full deets of these sessions can be found in Central Study Days Handbook that will be sent to you by return if you email Dr Trevor Thompson. 

• Why: excellent opp to hone your small group teaching skills. Challenging group exercises and interesting/useful plenary material. Good for your CV!
• What next: Please email me, Trevor Thompson, and I will connect you to the relevant CSD lead (I am the lead for Compassion).
• What preparation: you will be given guidance notes and also need to do the same preparatory work as the students - fairly light touch.

Thanks for your attention!

Trevor Thompson
07935 900990

Pulse is on the look-out for the next Copperfield or Peverley. We’re looking for students who can blog ~500 words once or twice a month, discussing what it’s like to be a trainee during the NHS’s worst GP recruitment crisis. Whether rants or raves, bloggers can cover whatever they like, as long as it covers their life as a GP trainee.

Previous GPs to be bloggers have said working for Pulse was a great platform, whether the blogger wants to keep writing for us or branch out into other magazines, or GP politics.

If you're interested, please email Ellie Broughton, Features Editor, Pulse

T: +44 (0)20 7214 0539
Follow me on Twitter @___ellie

Our recent initiative offering GP trainers the opportunity to observe the MRCGP CSA has been a great success to the extent that we are now somewhat overwhelmed by applications.

Whilst we are extremely pleased by this positive response, there is a limit to the numbers of trainers that we can accommodate on a daily basis without overburdening the candidates. All places for this current academic year have now been filled but we would hope to re-start the process again towards the end of 2015, with those currently on our waiting list receiving priority.

With best wishes for 2015.

Dr Pauline Foreman, Chief Examiner, RCGP 

We have an opportunity for GP Registrars to become a tutor for the "Whole Person Care" Element of a Year One teaching Unit. They would be tutor or co-tutor for a group of x12 students meeting on four occasions as below. The topics include the arts in medicine, the placebo effect, mind-body medicine, systems theory, and complementary medicine. Interest but not expertise in some of these topic areas would be necessary. The general feedback is that tutors get a lot out of this tutoring and junior doctors have proved very able tutors. 

The dates for WPC 2015 are as follows:

Tue 10 Feb (pm) L & T

Tue 17 Feb 12-1 pm LECTURE ONLY

Tue 24 Feb (pm) L & T (Drama week so goes on slightly later)

Tue 3 Mar (am) L & T

Tue 10 Mar (pm) L & T 

Some things to note re: these dates:

• there is no tutorial on Tuesday 17th as this is half term week
• the lecture and tutorial on Tuesday 3rd March is in the morning. This is beyond our powers to influence and is due to a cunning plan to get the students out to GP placements in alternate weeks. 

Here are the seven themes or “Big Ideas” of the WPC Element

1. Levels of Health and Illness. Health and illness exist in many levels in a system.
2. Creating Resilient Systems. The best interventions promote systemic health.
3. Self-healing in the human system. People have intrinsic abilities to regain health.
4. The Art of Medicine. Stories and therapeutic relationships shape good medical care.
5. Mind-Body Medicine. Emotional health connects to bodily health.
6. Self care and self-development. The things that breed resilient doctors.
7. Integrative Medicine. Holism in practice - learning from different philosophies of health.

Please note - Trainees can take professional leave to teach medical students as per our working week and study leave guidance.  2 days maximum for teaching out of a total of 5 days per annum so this would use the teaching part of their allowance.

For further information, please email Trevor Thompson at Bristol University.

A study day for general practice and hospital based medical staff.
One day study day on Wednesday 25th March 2015

Venue: Oake Manor, Taunton, TA4 1BA
Registration fee: £25 / free to foundation Drs
Refreshments and lunch included

Topics include:
Lab. tests & results
Haematological diseases
Non-haematological causes
Patient information & consent
Indications for transfusion
Hazards of transfusion
Pre-surgical optimisation
Medical management
GP referral pathways
Certificate of Attendance will be provided.

Please complete and return the registration form below as soon as possible

For any enquiries please contact: Alister Jones, Patient Blood Management Practitioner, NHS Blood & Transplant, Tel: 0117 9217498 ; Mob: 07590 353120
or
Katy Hurrell, Patient Blood Management Practitioner, NHS Blood & Transplant, Tel: 01392 2310135 ; Mob: 07808 906473
or
Jackie McMahon, South West RTC administrator

Managing Anaemia
- everybody s problem!
A study day for general practice and hospital based medical staff.
REGISTRATION FORM
Please complete using BLOCK CAPITALS
Name:
......................................................................................................................................... .....
Job Title:
............................................................................................................... ...................... ..
Hospital / Practice / Deanery:
.
E-mail address:
.....................................................................................................................................................
(please supply a valid e-mail as this will be the means of communication with you)
Contact telephone no.:
........................................................................... ..........................................
Date:
..............................................................
Registration fee: £25 not applicable to foundation Drs
Payable only by cheque, made out to NHSBT
Return registration form and registration fee by no later than
11th March 2015 to:
Jackie McMahon, South West RTC Administrator
NHS Blood and Transplant, North Bristol Park, Filton, Bristol, BS34 7QH
E-mail: jackie.mcmahon@nhsbt.nhs.uk
Tel: 0117 9217454 ; Fax: 0117 9125797

Dear All,

26th—30th January 2015

Aves Kilsby Meeting Room
Level 4 . Bristol Haematology
and Oncology Centre

This is the third Gynaecological Oncology Course here at University Hospitals Bristol.  This is a RCGP accredited course.

The course covers a number of topics including:

• Surgical and non-surgical management of Gynaecological cancers
• Introduction to Brachytherapy
• Diagnostic surgery in Gynaecological Cancers
• Gynaecological Investigations
• Chemo Radiotherapy
• Chemotherapy and Radiobiology
• Palliative Care
• Lymphedema Management
• Patient Support and Follow up Clinics

The course is suitable for Gynae Oncology specialist registrars, GP’s Radiographers, specialist nurses and Junior Doctors.  Book online at our website 

Our website allows you to view the course programme and meet the team.

Dr Hoda Booz
www.bristolgoc.co.uk

Attention all GPs, but especially AiTs, First5 GPs, Foundation Trainees and Medical Students!!

Severn Faculty RCGP are pleased to announce that, in collaboration with Severn Postgraduate Medical Education, we are able to fund several bursaries to attend the RCGP annual conference 

RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference, SECC, Glasgow, 1-3 October 2015

RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference is the must attend event of the year for GPs and practice team colleagues, showcasing the latest clinical and policy developments across the UK and brings together an impressive range of national and international speakers.

This year’s theme is 'Expanding horizons of care' and the programme is packed with seminars and workshops relevant to all GPs, several of which are specifically for AiTs and First5 GPs, and will be extremely informative to Foundation Trainees and Medical Students. The conference is also an invaluable opportunity to meet GPs from across the UK, and good fun!

Conference details will be made available in January 2015

Register for the conference as early as possible to secure your place at the discounted earlybird rates 

Bursary recipients will be prioritised to those submitting a poster or presentation, and the quality of the written submission. Applications should be received beforemidnight on Saturday, 28 February 2015. The bursary will support Conference fees, travel and accommodation (but not incidental expenses) up to a maximum of £500 per individual. One additional bursary is open to post-First5 GPs who have never previously attended the RCGP Annual Conference.

There will be an expectation that successful applicants will feed back their experiences to the Severn Faculty Board and to Severn Postgraduate Medical Education by way of a brief report and give a short talk at the Severn Faculty AGM which will be held at Deanery House, Hambrook, Bristol on in Oct/Nov 2015 (date to be confirmed).

The Faculty will notify applicants if their application was successful by 31 March 2015.

Applications should include a written submission entitled “How can the profession ensure careers in General Practice are sustainable and attractive to new applicants, and how can the Severn Faculty RCGP help?” (max 500 word summary), what grade of
doctor/student/trainee you are (please include a brief CV- no longer than 1 page) and whether you intend to submit a poster or presentation at conference.  Written submissions will be judged on fluency, realism, practicality, innovation and conceptual thinking.

Please submit your application (or any queries) via email 

We have an opportunity for GP Registrars to become a tutor for the "Whole Person Care" Element of a Year One teaching Unit. They would be tutor or co-tutor for a group of x 12 students meeting on four occasions as below. The topics include the arts in medicine, the placebo effect, mind-body medicine, systems theory, and complementary medicine. Interest but not expertise in some of these topic areas would be necessary. The general feedback is that tutors get a lot out of this tutoring and junior doctors have proved very able tutors.  This opportunity provides both teaching and clinically-relevant experience.

The dates for WPC 2015 are as follows:

Tue 10 Feb (pm) L & T
Tue 17 Feb 12-1 pm LECTURE ONLY
Tue 24 Feb (pm) L & T (Drama week so goes on slightly later)
Tue 3 Mar (am) L & T
Tue 10 Mar (pm) L & T

Some things to note re: these dates:

• there is no tutorial on Tuesday 17th as this is half term week
• the lecture and tutorial on Tuesday 3rd March is in the morning. This is beyond our powers to influence and is due to a cunning plan to get the students out to GP placements in alternate weeks.

Please contact Trevor Thompson, Reader in Healthcare Education,at University of Bristol for further information.

FAO all supervisors and trainees

Here is an update about some important current issues in WPBA

1) OOH

• It has proven quite difficult for supervisors, ARCP panels, and sometimes trainees to work out whether enough out of hours (OOH) shifts have been done, and to what level.
• We have therefore produced a simple spreadsheet that we will require all trainees to complete and upload to the learning log under OOH before each ARCP panel showing the cumulative total of OOH done.
• We suggest that trainees start to fill this in straight away (including all OOH done since the beginning of training), ready to show your supervisors at the next ESR meeting.
• Here is the link to obtain the spreadsheet.  It is also here - scroll to the foot of the page.

2) ESR Checklist

• To make it easier for trainees and supervisors to know what is necessary for an ESR before the ARCP, we have now produced a simple checklist for trainees to tick off - which will make sure that your ESR is "ARCP ready".
• Here is the link to the spreadsheet.  It is also here - scroll to Item 4. 
• Some common examples of missing inadequate evidence at the Summer panels were:
• MSFs and PSQs not commented on and/or not released to the trainee
• The CPR/AED certificate has not been uploaded
• Missing Form Rs (or Form Rs "not shared")
• No reference to a dated learning log SEA when a complaint/investigation is referred to in the revalidation questions

We welcome any comments and feedback as to how this checklist can be improved

3) Supervision of ST1/2s in GP Practice placements
A reminder about the guidance (not rules) about the learning log when a trainee is GP Placements:

• The GP CS should read and comment on the learning log. The reason is that this is considered to be part of the day-to-day clinical supervision of the trainee.
• It is also useful to have read through the learning log entries in order to complete the CSR - specifically the section re "keeping up to date" as well as the questions re Professionalism/ethics etc.
• It is true, that strictly it is not the CSs role to link the log against competency areas, although pragmatically it is not much extra work to do this.
• The ES (and GPST) also need to look at the learning logs when completing the ESR - just like they look at any other linked evidence that they wish to refer to. However, they do not need to write supervision comments (unless they wish to) or add any more competency linkages.

4) DOPs to CEPS
The ePortfolio is being updated today 15/12/14 to introduce the new competency "Clinical Examination and Procedural Skills". This eventually will replace the existing DOPs, although will run in parallel until August 2015. The key points are that:

• CEPS will need to be assessed as part of all ESRs completed as from 16/12/14
• All current ST3s completing in August 2015 will still be required to complete the existing 8 mandatory DOPs (which can also be used as suitable evidence for the CEPS competency)
• Evidence for CEPS is supposed to be less onerous than DOPs, as it will be incorporated into existing assessments, (COTs and CSRs) which will have slightly adjusted wording. There will also be a new learning log category
• There will be new questions for the ES to answer on the last page of the ESR about evidence of progress in genital and intimate examinations.
• For further information please see: <http://www.rcgp.org.uk/training-exams/mrcgp-workplace-based-assessment-wpba/dops-tool-for-mrcgp-workplace-based-assessment.aspx>

If you have any further questions about WPBA it is worth visiting the WPBA page of the website: http://www.primarycare.severndeanery.nhs.uk/training/gp-curriculum-and-mrcgp/wpba/ and http://www.rcgp.org.uk/gp-training-and-exams/mrcgp-workplace-based-assessment-wpba.aspx

I would like to thank all trainees and supervisors for your excellent work and support over the last year and wish you a Happy Xmas and success in the New Year,

John Edwards
Associate Post Graduate Dean for Assessment Health Education South West - Severn Postgraduate Medical Education

Now in it's second year this conference provides an accessible approach to patient safety with a range of plenary talks and practical workshops.

Click here for full details.

Sponsorship for GP Speciality Trainees and those within 5 years of completing training

Severn Faculty RCGP would like to offer sponsorship to attend the 20th WONCA Europe Conference in Istanbul, Turkey 22-55 October 2015 (VdGM preconference 21-22 October 2015)

Sponsorship is supporting the Vasco da Gama movement 

The Vasco da Gama Movement (VdGM) forms part of the WONCA organisation and is the European International Committee for GP trainees and GPs within 5 years of completing training.
The WONCA World Conference this year is themed on “New routes for general practice and family medicine and will be held in Lisbon, Portugal.
The benefit of attending this conference is for young doctors to share experiences and forge links worldwide.
Sponsorship is available for ST2, ST3 trainees and/or newly qualified GPs (first 5 years) to attend the conference in 2015. Entry is by competition, open to Severn Faculty trainees and Severn Faculty “First 5” GPs.
Severn Faculty RCGP are able to fund up to a maximum of £750 to attend the Conference for up to two successful candidates (terms available on request).

Application is by competitive essay, no longer than one side of A4 entitled:

“Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a European Primary Care curriculum/Should
GPs across Europe be trained according to the same standardised curriculum?”

Along with your application, contact details, current status (either Speciality Trainee or within 5 years of completing GP training, please include details of where you are working within the Severn Faculty region,

Application deadline 30 April 2015

There will be an expectation that successful applicants will feed back their experiences to the Severn Faculty Board and to Severn Postgraduate Medical Education by way of a brief report and give a short talk at the Severn Faculty AGM which will be held at Deanery House, Hambrook, Bristol in November 2015 (date to be confirmed).

Applications can be sent either by email or by post to:

Jane Lohmann, Severn Faculty RCGP, Deanery House, Unit D - Vantage Office Park, Old Gloucester Road, Hambrook, Bristol, BS16 1GW Tel: 01454 252725

Please be aware of this GMC guidance on the use of social media.  

Congratulations to Sam Creavin, GP Academic Clinical Fellow for winning first prize in the National Institute of Health Research New Media Competition.  

Click here for full details and to view Sam's video.

Dear Doctor

Places are still available our 2015 Prospective Clinical Supervisors’ Courses (PCSCs) and Prospective Educational Supervisors’ Courses (PESCs) scheduled for next year. No Faculty course details for 2015 will be posted on our website until later this year due to our website currently being upgraded. It is mandatory that all dates of the course you may select are attended.

In order to attend one of our 2-day PCSCs, a GP must have been on the GMC GP Register for three years or more, with at least 12 months in their current practice where he/she wishes to supervise.

In order to attend one of our 5-day PESCs, the criteria above is the same, however, GPs should be a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) by examination or Assessment of performance (iMAP).

Whilst writing I wish to advise that approved clinical supervisors are responsible for F2 doctors, retainer doctors and, in most local GP Training Programmes, GP ST1 and ST2 trainees too but not GP ST3 registrars. Approved GP educational supervisors are eligible to supervise all of the aforementioned doctors. Attending a PCSC/PESC is the first step towards being granted clinical or educational supervisor approval.

You may find the following website links useful:

Clinical Supervisors

Educational Supervisors

The host training practice criteria can be found here 

Payments and funding information can be found here 

The information on our website is very comprehensive but I am happy to assist with any related queries.

I look forward to receiving your course application form if you meet the necessary criteria and wish to attend one of our courses.

Many thanks.

With best wishes

Jackie

JACKIE PULLIN
GP Co-Ordinator, School of Primary Care
Tel: 01454 252682

Dear GP Trainee,

If you are intending to book a place on the CSA Preparation Course on 6 & 7 January 2015, you need to complete and return your booking form and deposit cheque to reach us by Friday 5th December 2015 as we need to confirm numbers to enable us to facilitate the day. We are requesting this earlier than usual due to the Christmas break.

Please be advised this is the last CSA Preparation Course being run by Severn Faculty RCGP this academic year.

Please click here for the booking form for the course. If you have any queries please do not hesitate to email

If you have already booked a place on the course please disregard this email.

Kind regards

Sophie Martin
Severn Events Administrator | Severn Faculty
Royal College of General Practitioners
Tel: 01454 252725 

The RCGP wishes to appoint a primary care clinician to the post of Executive Editor of InnovAiT. This monthly journal first published in 2008 is aimed at doctors undergoing specialty training for general practice. InnovAiT covers the whole of the GP training curriculum and has grown to become the most valued source of information for trainee GPs.

The Editor will lead the development of InnovAiT, make editorial decisions on content, assess submitted manuscripts, oversee and work with the editorial board on the peer review of manuscripts, contribute content, suggest areas for improvement, ensure that the journal’s editorial policies are up to date, network and promote the journal more widely.
The ideal candidate will have a background in medical education for primary care, be knowledgeable of, and interested in, specialty GP training, have previous publishing and writing experience, and have the capacity to lead the editorial development of InnovAiT. The post attracts an honorarium. Further details are available from, Helen Farrelly, the RCGP Publications Manager.

Applicants are invited to submit their CV and a covering letter to the RCGP Publications Manager, Helen Farrelly

Closing date: 31 December 2014.

Regards
Helen
Helen Farrelly
Publications Manager | Publishing
Tel: 020 3188 7577

The 2015 Educational Supervisors and Clinical Supervisors conferences are scheduled to take place on the following dates:

18th March 2015 - Eastwood Park Conference Centre

Please click here to book your place at the Spring conference

30th September 2015 - Eastwood Park Conference Centre

Please click here to book your place at the Autumn Conference

Best wishes

Pauline Harper, PA to Professor Bill Irish, Director of General Practice Education and Dr Simon Newton, Deputy Director of General Practice Education

Dear colleagues,

Please see the information below regarding the ‘Ready Now’ programme aimed at senior BME leaders.

The year-long Ready Now programme looks to take senior leaders from a BME background on a transformational learning journey, helping them to realise their potential and to take that next step up to a more senior role, to the boardroom and beyond.

Following a thorough selection process, one hundred applicants will be selected to take part in Ready Now, which will run across the course of 2015. The programme will combine face-to-face residential development modules with self-directed and workplace-based learning. Participants will benefit from some coaching input and will also be asked to coach at least one other BME NHS colleague to help them develop their leadership potential.

The Ready Now programme is building on the huge success of similar programmes which the Leadership Academy has overseen, including the Breaking Through programme which saw 75% of its alumni go on to secure more senior roles in the NHS.

Nearly 20% of the 1.3 million people that work in the NHS are from BME backgrounds - without this section of the workforce, many of whom are doctors, nurses and midwives, the NHS could not function. The Ready Now programme fits in to the NHS Leadership Academy’s wider programme of work to promote diversity and inclusion throughout the health service, including its work to develop more inclusive NHS boards.

More information can be found on our website under ‘National Offers’ 

Applications are now open for the Ready Now programme, the innovative and inspirational positive action programme from the NHS Leadership Academy. Building on the success the Academy has already had working with leaders from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds, the programme has been officially launched at the NHS Leadership Academy’s Black History Month seminar.

Applications to the Ready Now programme can be made through the NHS Leadership Academy website

For further information please contact Daniel Stewart  or telephone 07920 502 453.

Kindest regards,

Tasmin Ackland,  Leadership Development Support Officer - Telephone: 01823 361132  

Dear All, 

Many thanks to those who have already bought a ticket to The Severn Winter Ball! Tickets are selling fast and there is a limit of 150 places.

I am very pleased to announce that we will be raising money for AGE UK BRISTOL during the WINTER BALL in the form of a raffle!  It is often not known that Age UK relies on local funding from its respective catchment areas and given our own patient population relies heavily on help from this charity, I think it would be wonderful to raise money for them.

Please could you let me know if YOU could help with potential raffle prizes for the event! Think about local businesses; hampers, meal for two etc

Info to include in the RSVP:

• names of guest
• menu choices 
• whether they have paid
• any preference in sitting next to friends for the meal

Look forward to seeing many of you at this amazing event

contact: Severn Winter Ball  for RSVP , menu and raffle information

Hazel Walklin 

Dear Trainees, 

We in Postgraduate Medical Education are taking Leadership Development amongst trainees very seriously. With a view of this, we'd like to take a snapshot of your current experience, plus where you feel any discrepancies may be. 

I have encoded a short Survey Monkey Questionnaire, and would be very grateful if you'd take a few minutes to fill this in. I will furnish you all with the results in due course, and will be presenting the 'big picture' at the Joint Educational Conference in November. 

The survey can be found here  If you could complete this before Friday, the 24th of October, 2014 it would be very helpful.

Thank you and best wishes to all.

Steve Eastaugh-Waring

Head of the Severn School of Surgery

Dear All,

The Department of Primary Care Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, are once again running their mini-conference entitled ‘Liver disease in primary care’ which will be held on Thursday 20th – Friday 21st November 2014.

This two day CPD accredited mini conference is being run in association with Professor Phil Newsome, Professor of Hepatology at University of Birmingham. It is aimed at GP’s, practice nurses and other health care professionals with an interest in the liver.

Further details can also be found here

Louise Bagley, Primary Care CPD Administrator, Room 105, Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT

National Centre for Anticoagulation Training (NCAT)

Dear Colleagues, 

We have been asked to share details of this role with you.

An opportunity has arisen for a credible and innovative primary or secondary care clinician with detailed knowledge or experience in urgent and/or emergency care (either in primary, community or secondary care setting) to support our work on urgent care across the health and care system in England.  2 days per week – secondment/fixed term for up to 2 years. Salary to be agreed.

Full details can be found here if it is of interest to any of you.

Best wishes,

Dr Maureen Baker, Chair of Council

Being a doctor is much more than simply providing medical care. This book aims to increase the resilience and wellness of doctors, helping the profession to provide better care for patients, through a deep and thoughtful approach to clinical work.

It explores areas that can challenge clinicians in all stages of their career: the doctor–patient relationship, adverse outcomes, the ‘heartsink’ experience, and functional illness. The authors also introduce self-care of the doctor and patient safety, two important issues for modern medicine.

This book is a ‘must-have’ teaching and learning resource for any medical professional and will enable readers to:

• provide better clinical care by understanding the basis of clinical practice
• become more resilient to the challenges of modern medical work
• understand the importance of the doctor-patient relationship
• reconnect to original reasons for choosing medicine as a career.

This is a unique text that draws links between the philosophy of modern medicine and clinical tasks such as consulting skills, the doctor patient relationship, patient safety, reflective practice and doctors' self care.

It is written in an accessible style and is firmly grounded in real-life clinical and teaching experience.

Dear Colleague

Decisions relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Guidance from the British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the Royal College of Nursing

We are writing to draw to your attention the publication of new guidance relating to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which replaces the 2007 Joint Statement produced by the British Medical Association, the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the Royal College of Nursing. There is an increased emphasis and guidance on advance care planning, additional guidance on communicating and recording decisions and communicating decisions to other healthcare providers, and on reviewing CPR decisions.

This guidance takes into account the Court of Appeal judgement in the recent Tracey vs Cambridge case, which concluded that there should be a presumption in favour of patient involvement. A key message of the guidance is that “every decision about cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be made on the basis of a careful assessment of each individual’s situation”. We would be grateful if you would draw this guidance to the attention of medical and nursing directors in your respective regions and ask them to review their local policies and practices with reference to this guidance. The guidance is available on the Resuscitation Council website 

Yours sincerely

Sir Bruce Keogh, National Medical Director, England

Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer, England

14 October 2014

Dear trainees and supervisors, 

Following extensive consultation, the RCGP has decided to pilot a proposed new method to assess competency in procedural skills for GPSTs.

There is a detailed training manual and powerpoint presentation produced by the RCGP describing the changes here - scroll down to DOPS

Key points are that 

- Current ST3s completing training in August 2015 will still need to complete all mandatory DOPs under the existing system.

- There will be a new "13th" competency for procedural skills for all trainees to self rate and ESs to assess at each 6 months review (with effect from the January ESR)

- Assessment of procedural skills will be integrated into some of the existing assessment tools - see training manual for full details

- An update of the ePortfolio to incorporate these changes will take place in November

The RCGP intends to produce further FAQs to address issues regarding these changes. I am happy to receive and compile concerns and questions that are likely to arise and either answer them directly in due course or forward them directly to the College.

Best wishes 

Dr John Edwards,  Associate Post Graduate Dean for Assessment Health Education South West - Severn Postgraduate Medical Education

Dear Colleague, 

MSc in Primary Care - Bath University

It is with some regret, that I write to inform you of Bath University’s decision to close applications to its MSc in Primary care. 

The reasons for this, we are informed, are complex but probably reflect the low uptake of the MSc amongst recent trainees, and the emphasis that the university now wishes to place on Sports’ Science, rather than medicine. 

The 15 trainees currently enrolled on the programme have each been contacted by the University, and provided with advice on how to complete their Masters. There are a variety of options for this, including the possibility of recognition of credits from other university courses in postgraduate medicine and medical education. 

We are currently exploring the potential of offering a similar programme, with a wider range of primary care related topics, with a local medical school. Discussions however remain at an early stage. 

I would very much like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Tim Bilham, who has managed the programme so enthusiastically over the years. He has now retired, and we wish him all the best in the future. 

With all good wishes,

Prof Bill Irish, Director of GP Education, Health Education South West

Chair, COGPED

Dear supervisors

By now we hope you will be enjoying your education for primary care one year journal subscription. For those of you who prefer to access the journal electronically please see the instructions below provided.

Education for Primary Care

GP Non-Principals Supplement February 2002  Appraisal for General Practitioners November 2003

This is an essential publication for ALL primary care medical educators and academics, including: GP trainers, GP tutors and lecturers, CPD tutors, clinical and educational supervisors, course organisers, training programme directors, associate Directors and advisers of postgraduate GP education, directors and deputy directors of postgraduate GP education.  

• To access the full-text of this journal you will need an NHS OpenAthens (Athens) login. If you don’t already have one click here and complete the registration details. 
• To access the journal click here , Click the Athens login button and enter your Athens credentials.

It is also possible to access this and many other full-text journals via the NICE Evidence service

Dear Colleague, 

We are currently recruiting for this GMC associate role.

The GMC is the independent regulator for doctors in the UK. Our purpose is to protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine.

When a doctor's fitness to practise is called into question, we call upon firm but fair procedures to resolve the situation. These can include an adjudication stage where hearings take place before a fitness to practise panel and sometimes an interim orders panel. These are made up of medical and lay (i.e. non-medical) panellists.

In 2012, we established the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) to take on the responsibility of the adjudication stage and we are currently looking for medical panellists who will work in the MPTS Hearing centre in Manchester.

We are looking for people with demonstrable integrity and objectivity, along with the ability to reach considered, unbiased decisions affecting other people. We are also interested in appointing candidates with chairing experience in order to act as future panel chairs.

As part of our commitment to diversity we seek candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and actively encourage applicants from a BME background, women and those with a disability.

We offer a daily fee of £310 with reasonable expenses. Full training will be given.

For further information please click here 

Closing date for receipt of applications: 22 October 2014

Kind regards,

Neil Grant | Associate Services Advisor | General Medical Council | Tel: 020 7189 5336

AKT/CSA Preparation Courses 2014/2015

Places still available on the following courses:

CSA Preparation course – 26/27 November 2014 – only a few places left

CSA Preparation course – 6/7 January 2015

AKT Preparation course – 2nd March 2015

Please go to Severn Faculty website to download booking forms (scroll down to Faculty Events section)

Bridging The Gap Course – 22 October 2015

Engineers House, Clifton, Bristol

Interested in developing your knowledge of Medically Unexplained Symptoms?

Keen to learn skills to use with this patient group in everyday practice?

A course to meet the following objectives:

• Understand Medically Unexplained Symptoms
• Be introduced to Motivational Interviewing techniques and how these may be utilised to facilitate better communication with challenging patients
• Improve understanding of the physical/mental health interface and identify how to use collaborative working to improve holistic care for psychiatric patients
• Improve collaborative working relationships between primary and secondary care providers keeping patients’ needs at the centre
• Develop stronger communication between specialties

Psychiatrists and General Practitioners both frequently see patients with MUS. This group of patients is notoriously difficult to manage well with mutual hostility and incomprehension between doctor and patient a common outcome. This innovative course is a joint training initiative for Advanced Psychiatry Trainees (ST3-6), SAS and New Consultants, GP First5 and established GPs and is supported by the Severn School of Psychiatry and Severn Faculty RCGP and aims to share best practice for the management of this challenging group of patients. 

To book this course click here

Minor Surgery Course - 5-6 November 2014

Engineers House, Clifton, Bristol

This course will enable you to develop the skills required to run a successful minor surgery service in primary care. Topics covered include:

• joint injections
• minor skin procedures
• non-surgical techniques
• advice about how to set up a service
• medico-legal and contractual obligations required of those practising minor surgery

Our course is taught by a very experienced team of clinicians drawn from plastic surgery, orthopaedics, general practice and physiotherapy who have extensive experience of running minor surgery courses. If you have little prior experience of minor surgery there is an opportunity to learn the basics, if you are already experienced then there is the opportunity to fine tune your skills with the support of our experienced tutors.

To book this course click here

Promoting Effective Behaviour Change - 20 November 2014

Deanery House, Hambrook, Bristol

The health agenda is moving more and more towards prevention of ill health and maintenance of health. Clinicians in primary & secondary care, occupational health & private care all increasingly discuss behaviour change in their consultations. So, whether it is in the management of a chronic condition (e.g. diabetes, hypertension) or the targeting of specific behaviours (e.g. smoking, drinking, alcohol, substance misuse and losing weight) consultations are increasingly likely to address patient behaviour.

These sorts of conversations are frequently cited (by doctors, nurses and allied professionals) as being amongst the most frustrating that they have with their patients. Participants will leave this course with enhanced skills for these conversations with patients through a balance of brief presentation, focused discussion, group work and skills focus.

To book this course click here

Dear Colleague,

Following the successful launch of the new Return to Practice (RtP) provision, over the summer, Health Education South West (HESW) is now planning for the second and third cohorts due to commence in January 2015 and May 2015.

If your organisation would like to engage with this process please could you arrange for the attached spreadsheet to be completed with the number of places your organisation requires for the Return to Practice – Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting programmes due to commence in January 2015 and May 2015.

There is currently a list of employer’s names on the HESW website that are supporting RtP during 2014/15. If you would like your organisation to be added to this list please could you provide me with your organisation’s lead name and contact details for Return to Practice.

Financial support for employers

• In addition to the placement support of £450.00 per returnee, HESW will also contribute £100.00 per returnee for employers to undertake their own employment checks (DBS and occupational health assessment/treatment arising from the assessment).

• HESW will pay the returnee bursary to the employer to distribute to the returnee. HESW will pay 50% at the start of the programme and 50% at the midpoint of the programme. The midpoint of the programme will be agreed by the organisation and Plymouth University on an individual basis. The amounts per returnee are:

• RtP Nurse - £1000.00 bursary;

• RtP Midwife - £500.00 bursary;

• RtP Health Visitor - £500.00 bursary.

• HESW will pay £250.00 for preceptorship support per RtP returnee who is appointed to a permanent position upon successful completion of their RtP programme. The employer will need to confirm a position has been offered and accepted resulting in permanent employment.

For more information please follow the link to the Frequently Asked Questions 

Please submit your completed returns and RtP lead contact details to Rachel Roberts  by close of business Friday 10 October 2014.

You will be informed of your organisations allocation of places for both the January 2015 and May 2015 cohorts by Friday 17 October 2014. For organisations within Devon and Cornwall places will be allocated to Plymouth University and for all other organisations within the South West places will be allocated to the University of the West of England (UWE). Please note, you will be given an opportunity to review your allocation for the May 2015 cohort following the commencement of the January 2015 cohort.

If you have any queries regarding this process please do not hesitate to contact me.

Kind regards

Rachel Roberts | Educational Development Support Officer | DDI: 01752 676169 Mobile: 07584 150905

Here is the latest information regarding the launch of the new Essential Knowledge Update 14

FAO all qualified GPs

PHASE (Practical Help for Achieving Self Empowerment) is a charity which works in remote villages in Nepal, supporting work in health, education and improving livelihoods. See their website here

There is a well organised programme of training and support for the health workers in the villages, which includes short visits from British GPs who provide clinical teaching and mentoring - for more details click here  

Experienced GPs with teaching skills and/or previous experience in developing countries particularly welcome.

For further information please contact Sarah Galvin 

Lucy Loveday, a recently qualitifed GP from Severn, volunteered for this organisation this year for 3 months. Here's her blog

Message from the RCGP Trainee ePortfolio Helpdesk

The Trainee ePortfolio helpdesk will be closed on Wednesday 5th November 2014, while the helpdesk team undergo off site training. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you. The Trainee ePortfolio helpdesk will reopen on Thursday 6th November at 9am.

Supervisor continuing professional development and educational supervision payments will be made to practices over the next few weeks.  For more information on what to expect please see:

http://www.primarycare.severndeanery.nhs.uk/training/faculty/faculty-payments/ 

Alternatively I am on leave until the 1st September but am happy to answer any questions you have on my return. 

Kind regards 

Shara Paulo

Severn GP Education Manager

Please be advised that the Trainee ePortfolio site will be unavailable on Saturday 13 September between 0900 and 1200 whilst we complete some essential maintenance on the servers. 

We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this outage may cause. 

Regards 

Chris Mirner
Quality and Curriculum Manager | Postgraduate Training and Standards

Royal College of General Practitioners

Tel: 020 3188 7644 | Email: Chris Mirner

Building on the successful recruitment for last year’s Action Learning Set (ALS) facilitator faculty for the Graduate Management Training Scheme, we are delighted to be able to offer this exciting, challenging and rewarding opportunity once again and are now recruiting on to the Action Learning Set Facilitators Development programme.

We would like to invite you or suitable colleagues in your networks to consider submitting an application. Please do share this information with others who you think may be suitable.

Why become an ALS facilitator?

You will benefit from a comprehensive programme of support and development, leading to an Academy Certificate in ALS Facilitation.

Our aim is to develop a team of facilitators from the NHS – to grow skills from within rather than source them from external consultants. Our ALS Faculty will be drawn from those who can demonstrate not only group facilitation and non-directive learning skills, but also bring useful perspectives from experience and day jobs.

Here's what one of our current ALS facilitators says about their experience:

“I think the biggest change for me has been the skills I have learned for the ALS have been transferred to my everyday practice. The enabling related to my communication skills has been significant and colleagues have commented there is a definite change in my behaviour.” Lorraine Major, paediatric advanced nurse practitioner.

How do I apply?

Full information on this opportunity, including what other  ALS facilitators say about their experiences and the full role specification document, is available on our website. 

Apply online. Applications are NOW OPEN with a closing date of midnight on 26th August 2014.

Should you wish to discuss any aspect of this further, or have any questions, please contact the Academy team.

The NHS Leadership Academy's purpose is to develop outstanding leadership in health, to improve people's health and their experience of the NHS

The College is looking to recruit two or three Lay Advisers for the Membership of the RCGP (MRCGP) Examination. 

These appointments will be for three years in the first instance (subject to annual review), with the possibility of renewal at the end of the contract. Lay Advisers will commit to being available for 12 days p.a. plus one day’s attendance at the annual examiners’ training conference, which in 2014 takes place on 18 and 19 September. 

Lay Advisers will receive a payment for services at £200.50 per day, £100.25 per half day  (subject to regular review) and travel/subsistence costs in compliance with RCGP policy. 

Role purpose  

The MRCGP is the licensing examination for independent practice as a GP in the UK. The licensing standard has a direct impact on the quality of care delivered to patients and their carers by GPs. The delivery and development of the MRCGP is therefore a matter of public interest and is a principal function of the RCGP. 

The MRCGP Lay Advisers will bring a patient’s and carer’s perspective to the development and delivery of the MRCGP. They will offer strategic advice from a non-institutional perspective, contribute to creative debates and enhance governance of MRCGP committees and working groups by scrutinising decisions/policy from an external lay perspective, acting as a ‘critical friend’ and challenging committees/working groups where necessary. 

Lay advisers will contribute to the MRCGP quality assurance and standard setting processes. They will participate in complaints and appeal processes and may be asked to mentor new lay advisers. 

Application process 

If you are interested in the above vacancies, please apply by email to Birgitta Bowman. Applicants should submit a CV and covering letter explaining their interest in and suitability for the role and providing evidence of their skills and experience in relation to the responsibilities outlined in the role description. 

Closing date: 20 August 2014                       Interview date: 12 September 2014

Roles to commence: 18 September 2014

MRCGP Lay Adviser 

Accountable to:                    Chief Examiner

Reports operationally to:     Head of Examinations

Tenure:                                  Three year fixed term (subject to annual review) – renewable at end of term annually up to a maximum three further years

Commitment:                        Availability for a minimum of 12 days p.a. plus 2 days attendance at the examiners conference

Remuneration:                      £200.50 per day,  £100.25 per half-day (subject to regular review) and travel/subsistence costs in compliance with RCGP policy 

Role summary: 

The MRCGP is the licensing examination for independent practice as a GP in the UK. The licensing standard has a direct impact on the quality of care delivered to patients and their carers by GPs. The delivery and development of the MRCGP is therefore a matter of public interest and is a principal function of the RCGP. 

Lay advisers will bring a patient’s and carer’s perspective to the development and delivery of the MRCGP. They will offer strategic advice from a non-institutional perspective, contribute to creative debates and enhance governance of MRCGP committees and working groups by scrutinising decisions/policy from an external lay perspective, acting as a ‘critical friend’  and challenging committees/working groups where necessary.  

Lay advisers will contribute to the MRCGP quality assurance and standard setting processes.  They will participate in complaints and appeal processes and may also be asked to mentor new lay advisers. The inclusion of a lay adviser on MRCGP committees and working groups will also demonstrate the importance of patient safety to the RCGP. 

Lay advisers may be assigned to a range of activities including: 

• Attending Assessment Development Committee (3 p.a., 0.5 days) or Adjudication Committees (4 p.a. in person, 4 p.a. virtually, lasting only about 1-1.5 hours)
• Attending the CSA core group (4 days p.a.) or WBPA core group (3 days p.a.)
• Quality assurance activities (variable)
• Selection and training of new examiners or role players (2 days p.a.)
• Case management activities such as the development of new cases (4 days p.a.)
• Participation in MRCGP complaints and appeals (approx. 2 days p.a.)
• MRCGP development activities (approx. 2 days pa)

Lay advisers will be required to: 

• Successfully complete initial training,  which will include Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and equality and diversity training, and ensure that they perform their duties in a manner that supports the RCGP’s PSED responsibilities.
• Adhere to RCGP’s requirements for information governance and ensure that attention is given to appropriate security for all paper and/or electronic confidential information that is stored
• Adhere to strict confidentiality with regard to all sensitive and/or personal information that is acquired in the course of their MRCGP activities
• Complete tasks including submission of reports and claims in a timely manner
• Attend an annual performance review meeting
• Represent the RCGP in a professional manner at all times according to the RCGP Code of Conduct
• Declare any potential conflict of interest. Lay advisers must not accept any conflicting roles such as representation of specific groups of patients
• Ensure that any personal agenda does not interfere with the MRCGP lay role  

Other information: 

Lay advisers will be required to attend activities across various locations in the UK.  Most activities will be scheduled on weekdays but some will take place at weekends; There may be early starts/late finishes outside normal office hours. Lay advisers are expected to accommodate these conditions as far as possible, giving advance notice to the RCGP where circumstances will not allow attendance or early starts/late finishes. 

This role description is not exhaustive and is intended to be a guide to the principal duties and responsibilities of a lay adviser.  It may be amended at any time to meet the changing needs of the organisation and to reflect the developing skills of the individual. 

Essential attributes: 

Knowledge

• General knowledge of the NHS services in relation to primary and integrated care and issues from a patient/carer perspective (not as a healthcare professional)
• Awareness of Data Protection requirements when handling confidential or sensitive data (guidance will be provided once recruited)
• Awareness of equal opportunities legislation (guidance and training will be provided once recruited) 

Skills and experience

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Practical general IT skills
• Ability to use appropriate initiative and judgement to resolve problems and issues and see them through to conclusion
• Effective negotiating and influencing skills
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy
• Skilled and experienced at interviewing and giving feedback
• Skilled and experienced at evaluating decisions
• Good listening skills
• Ability to rapidly assimilate information related to specific issues
• Ability to make robust and defensible decisions
• Ability to objectively identify problems
• Ability to argue a coherent position and arrive at shared judgements on contentious issues
• Ability to respond appropriately to feedback on performance 

Personal qualities

• Ability to engage confidently with people at all levels
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Conscientious, responsible and discreet
• Flexible and co-operative approach to work and working with colleagues
• Can remain positive when working to tight deadlines
• Able to attend regional and national meetings as required when available
• Adaptable/flexible outlook – able to handle people of all capabilities and attitudes
• Ability to deal with people in a courteous, professional and helpful manner 

Desirable attributes: 

• Knowledge of the principles of adult education
• Knowledge of assessment principles

It’s an exciting time to be involved in the RCGP’s CPD programme. We are already meeting the ongoing learning needs of thousands of Members each month. We are now looking to increase engagement with our Members even further, expand and enhance our provision, and find new customers beyond our Membership.

We need a clinician to steer us to our next stage of success. 

The role holder will be the College’s main clinical lead who will take responsibility for developing and driving forward College CPD strategy and profile, and developing service and products. 

You will be collaborating with other College medical directors and clinical leads, and an ambitious management team.  

The role is offered two sessions per week, 46 weeks per annum, on a three-year fixed-term appointment (subject to annual review) on a contract for services basis, with the possibility of renewal at the end of the three-year contract. 

Payment for services will be at the RCGP daily backfill rate plus 5% (currently £206.30 per session, £412.60 per day). 

Application process

If you are interested in the above vacancy, please email dmilosevic@rcgp.org.uk  to request a role description or to arrange to discuss the role in advance of applying. 

Applicants should submit a CV and covering letter explaining their interest in and suitability for the role and providing evidence of their skills and experience in relation to the responsibilities outlined in the role description. 

Closing date: 22 August 2014. Interview dates: to be held on 17 September 2014.   

The role will commence immediately upon appointment. 

Medical Director for CPD 

Accountable to:     

Staff lead:  Assistant Director of Enterprises 

Term of office:  Three year fixed term (subject to annual review)

Overall purpose:  To be responsible for operational leadership of the ongoing development and delivery of the RCGP GP CPD programme within agreed timescales and resource constraints   

Remuneration:  RCGP daily rate plus 5% (currently £206.30 per session, £412.60 per day) - 2 sessions per week, 46 weeks per annum                                            

Principal Responsibilities: 

• Provide GP leadership for a coherent and realistic clinical CPD strategy 
• Assist in needs analysis and revision of the CPD strategy, based on membership feedback, information gathered from key stakeholders, and through liaison with other College leads for example e-learning, revalidation, CIRC, curriculum, AiT and First5 chairs, Officers. 
• Ensure that modern educational approaches to adult learning (interactive, workbased applications, evidence based, and reflective) are embedded in the RCGP’s CPD offer to members 
• Provide clinical oversight and governance to the delivery of that strategy – maintain links with key individuals (internal and external) and organisations, ensuring new developments and ideas are fed in to the College’s CPD work and that different strands of College work are aligned from a clinical perspective. 
• Work with RCGP employees to ensure RCGP CPD programme is of an appropriate standard, is delivered to timescale and is fit for purpose.
• Identify and develop applications for potential external funding opportunities for new and existing work once prioritised as above
• Advise on and contribute to communications about CPD and promote the College’s provision at every opportunity
• Oversee and collaborate with any other clinical leads working on RCGP CPD programmes.
• Work collaboratively with all key clinical leads, specifically the Medical Directors for Professional Development  and eLearning, and staff leads across the RCGP to ensure the effective delivery of the College’s CPD strategy.
• Identify new developments (national and international) that are relevant to the College CPD programme.
• Working with line managers and officers, liaise and collaborate when needed with the GMC, AoMRC, DH, GPC, COGPED, other Medical Royal Colleges and other interested organisations in relation to CPD matters.
• Ensure that College CPD activities are aligned to College strategy and contribute to College finances.
• To act as a mentor for RCGP Clinical Leads and Fellows (in conjunction with other Medical Directors). 

Essential attributes: 

• Demonstrable skills in leadership, strategic thinking, negotiating, problem solving, stakeholder engagement and communications
• Collaborative approach. Works with stakeholders and College employees to achieve success. 
• Good links with external bodies, including regulation bodies, GP educational bodies (deaneries, COGPED, UKCEA) other Colleges/professional bodies in UK (and ideally also internationally). 
• Excellent educational credentials – probably an appraiser, involved in shaping CPD policy. 
• Experience of writing/editing/reviewing and the delivery of educational content (online and face to face). 
• A comprehensive understanding of the primary care CPD environment – including familiarity with other providers and their products, how they are viewed by GPs.  
• Good understanding of educational technology. 
• Good understanding of the financial realities of delivering CPD. 
• Experience of writing successful funding applications for service development, clinical audit and research projects.
• Excellent links to government, public health, charity sector, commercial sponsors.
• Member or Fellow of the RCGP in good standing. (This includes international membership. It is possible for someone who is not eligible for RCGP membership but who is selected for this role to be awarded honorary membership. Currently in NHS clinical practice).
• A GP in current medical practice (or within two years of active practice).
• Experience of chairing committees and working groups.
• High level of IT literacy.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience of high profile public presentations.
• Flexible and innovative approach to working.
• Political sensitivity, tact and diplomacy. 

Desirable attributes:

• An appropriate post-graduate qualification in medical education.
• Previous experience of work on behalf of RCGP, including knowledge of College structure and governance processes.
• Published work in peer reviewed journals.

Just a final note from us at the deanery to both congratulate you on your CCT and to wish you every success for the future. It was lovely for our faculty to see so many of you at the excellence awards and to be able to celebrate your achievements.

A couple of final points.

• Firstly, Severn (like Mercedes) offer a full aftercare service and warranty for all of our graduates. You will find useful links to our post-CCT work on the deanery website. In particular could I draw your attention to our recently published (free) guide “surviving as a new GP” written by Knut, Holly, Steve, Lucy and Clare. It is downloadable from: http://www.primarycare.severndeanery.nhs.uk/training/qualified-gps/ 
• Finally, Severn faculty of the RCGP is desperately keen to stay in contact with you. In particular their mentoring scheme for newly qualified GPs is utterly brilliant. If you are living in Bath, Swindon or Wiltshire the college tends to default your membership to their faculty based in Andover, Hants. However a quick e-mail to Jane Lohmann in the Severn faculty office will sort this easily and painlessly.

Good luck to you all.

Dr Simon Newton

Deputy GP Director

Welcome to the Severn School of Primary Care. Well done on being appointed to an area which is one of the most competitive in the country and has some of the highest pass rates at MRCGP. We hope and expect that you will have a great time during your three years with us.

Here are a few ‘hot tips’ 

• Get to know your local training programme directors (TPDs) – they run your GP educational sessions (HDRC). They are an enthusiastic and skillful bunch and will work hard to help you through your training. More details at: http://www.primarycare.severndeanery.nhs.uk/about-us/the-deanery-geographic-areas
• Your educational supervisor (ES) is a key part of your training and you’ll work with them throughout your three years. We spend a lot of time helping them develop the skills they need to take on this role. Get to know them early in your training.
• Don’t forget the eportfolio – register now with the RCGP (http://www.rcgp.org.uk/membership/join-rcgp-trainee-gps.aspx) and start using it as soon as you start training. Get feedback on your entries from your ES and your TPDs. Discuss them with your colleagues as well.
• Read the weekly email we send out from the School – this has useful reminders about deadlines and training requirements. It’s also where we advertise new initiatives.
• If you’re struggling at any time in your training ask for help. Your ES and TPDs will listen. We have a range of support systems available in Severn which some of our trainees need each year
• Look to extend your skills beyond the basic GP clinical competencies. We have a reputation for excellence in Severn; each year our Scholars and Fellows develop new projects. We run an annual Awards evening to celebrate the achievements of our trainees.
• Most of all have fun!

Dr Simon Newton

Deputy GP Director

Building on the successful recruitment for last year’s Action Learning Set (ALS) facilitator faculty for the Graduate Management Training Scheme, we are delighted to be able to offer this exciting, challenging and rewarding opportunity once again and are now recruiting on to the Action Learning Set Facilitators Development programme.

We would like to invite you or suitable colleagues in your networks to consider submitting an application. Please do share this information with others who you think may be suitable. 

Why become an ALS facilitator?

You will benefit from a comprehensive programme of support and development, leading to an Academy Certificate in ALS Facilitation.

Our aim is to develop a team of facilitators from the NHS – to grow skills from within rather than source them from external consultants. Our ALS Faculty will be drawn from those who can demonstrate not only group facilitation and non-directive learning skills, but also bring useful perspectives from experience and day jobs.

Here's what one of our current ALS facilitators says about their experience:

“I think the biggest change for me has been the skills I have learned for the ALS have been transferred to my everyday practice. The enabling related to my communication skills has been significant and colleagues have commented there is a definite change in my behaviour.” Lorraine Major, paediatric advanced nurse practitioner.

How do I apply?

Full information on this opportunity, including what other  ALS facilitators say about their experiences and the full role specification document, is available on our website.  

Apply online. Applications are NOW OPEN with a closing date of midnight on 26th August 2014.

Should you wish to discuss any aspect of this further, or have any questions, please contact the Academy team. 

Best wishes

Alice Kostrzewa
Programme Coordinator
NHS Leadership Academy

Phone: 0113 322 5680
Email: Alice Kostrzewa
Web: www.leadershipacademy.nhs.uk
Twitter: @NHSLeadership

The NHS Leadership Academy's purpose is to develop outstanding leadership in health, to improve people's health and their experience of the NHS

Please be aware that both the Trainee and Revalidation ePortfolios are due to be taken offline in order to complete minor updates to the website Monday 28 July between 8am and 1pm. If there are any changes to this timetable, they will be advertised on this page. We apologise for any inconvenience this downtime may cause.

I realise that filling in the End of Post survey can sometimes seem a chore for trainees. It does however provide vital information to our local Quality Panels and helps us improve the quality of our posts and training programmes. We take your feedback very seriously. 

So a very big thank you to our trainees who have achieved a 100% completion rate for the survey between August 2013 and April 2014. Please keep it up and let's hope for 100% in this current round too.

Dr Simon Newton

Deputy GP Director

Dear Colleague 

I am writing to let you know about a forthcoming change to delivery of the MRCGP Applied Knowledge Test which will come into effect for the next examination scheduled for 29 October 2014, and hope that you will be able to disseminate this communication widely within your deanery. 

The following statement, which will be available on the RCGP website shortly, explains the rationale for the change in the duration of the AKT from 3 hours to 3 hours and 10 minutes. We have undertaken an equality impact assessment and this has been accepted by the GMC who are happy for this change to be implemented with immediate effect.  You will also see that we will also be making an on-screen calculator available for all candidates. 

As part of our ongoing strategy to address the differential pass rates between UK graduates and International Medical Graduates in the MRCGP, we commissioned an independent review of the AKT and CSA components by the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER). Professor John Norcini, who conducted the review, suggested that we should consider increasing the amount of time candidates have available to complete the AKT. Although there is no evidence that time constraints in the AKT contribute in any way to the differential pass rates, they might pose more of a challenge for those candidates who are less proficient in the English language. 

The GMC has given us permission to increase the duration of the AKT by 10 minutes on these grounds and we intend to implement this change from the next sitting of the AKT in October 2014.   

In addition to the extra time, an on-screen calculator will be made available. This is being provided at the request of candidates, but any calculation within the AKT will require only simple basic arithmetic, and most candidates will not need to use the calculator. 

The additional time provided for the AKT will not change the standard required to achieve a pass in the AKT. Candidates who require additional time as a result of a declared disability will have this calculated on the basis of the new AKT duration.   

Could I also take this opportunity to issue an invitation to trainers in your deanery who you think might benefit from observing the CSA examination at first hand?  As you will know we’ll be holding examinations on a monthly basis with effect from October 2014 until May 2015 so there should be sufficient capacity to accommodate those who might be interested.  All enquiries in this regard should be addressed to James Clark in the Examinations Department: James Clark. 

With many thanks and best wishes 

Dr Pauline Foreman

Chief Examiner

Dear colleagues 

Please find details of this vacancy closing on 1 September 2014.   

NHS England has decided to establish a nationwide network of Patient Safety Collaboratives led by Academic Health Science Networks and based on their geographical footprints.

The West of England Patient Safety Collaborative had its first Board meeting on 19 June, bringing together all our main providers of NHS services with the seven Clinical Commissioning Groups.

Over the past few months of engagement, Clinical Commissioning Groups and community service providers have emphasised the importance of developing and strengthening approaches to patient safety for primary and community services, as well as along patient pathways. Dr Martin Jones, Chair, Bristol Clinical Commissioning Group, and Paul Jennings, Chief Executive of Gloucestershire Care Services, have volunteered to be the sponsors for this workstream and we are now looking for two Clinical Leaders; one a GP and another a clinician from community services who can offer a day a week to lead the development of this workstream. The Academic Health Science Network will provide administrative, project management and communication support.

If you are interested in one of these roles, please contact Deborah Evans, Managing Director, West of England Academic Health Science Network, on 0117 900 3430, or Martin Jones, on 0117 9841518 for an informal discussion. A role description is attached and we hope to interview on 10 September 2014 for GP applicants. We will pay backfill for your current role.

If you would like to apply for this role, please send your CV with a short covering letter to Natasha Swinscoe, Director of Development, West of England Academic Health Science Network, telling us why you are interested and what you would bring to this role. The closing date for applications is midday on 1 September 2014.

SECONDMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Job Title: Clinical Leaders – Developing patient safety in primary care and community services

Time commitment: 1 day a week /2 sessions

Accountable to: Patient Safety Programme Director

Duration: 1 year initially, review and possible extension

Remuneration: We will pay backfill for your current role

Summary

We are looking for two senior clinicians, one a GP and another from a member organisation which provides community services in the West of England who can lead and help us to develop our primary care and community services patient safety work stream. This workstream is part of the new West of England Patient Safety Collaborative.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Review existing primary care / community services patient safety initiatives in the West of England and wider (working with Safer Care South West) and develop the most appropriate proposals for implementation.
• Work with colleagues at the interface between healthcare settings in existing patient safety work (i.e. with acute hospitals, mental health etc ) to maximise effectiveness and develop a patient safety perspective which is patient centred and along pathways
• Contribute to the Health Education South West sponsored project on developing team work, communications and leadership skills to support patient safety in primary care and community services during 2014/15
• Work with the other Directorates in the Academic Health Science Network to achieve synergies across patient safety, evidence into practice, enterprise and translation and informatics.
• Identify opportunities for partnership working with partner organisations which have a local presence (i.e. NHS England, Health Education South West).
• Be an ambassador for the Patient Safety Collaborative with clinical colleagues, raising awareness and encouraging involvement in patient safety work.
• Take part in national events and collaborations with other Academic Health Science Networks working on similar themes.

Deborah Evans, Managing Director, West of England Academic Health Science Network (WEAHSN), South Plaza, Marlborough Street, Bristol BS1 3NX

Tel: 0117 9003430 (Ext:3430), Email: Deborah Evans

Website: www.weahsn.net

Ideas Spotlight: https://westofenglandahsn.wazoku.com

Following on from recent issues experienced with the Trainee ePortfolio the College is initiating a ‘review and fix’ project to analyse all the supporting functions, both internal and external, as well as the business processes currently employed. This includes reviewing the stakeholder involvement and how we promote communications and feedback with all invested parties. 

As a necessary part of this work, the development of the site has been put temporarily on hold with only the most business critical items to be addressed in order to maintain the stability of the site (the only impending update for July is improving the save/timeout behaviour). This will allow for the identification and implementation of any service improvements deemed appropriate and realistic. I understand that a number of improvements are still needed in relation to several administrative functions, including fixing post imports and the site behaviour for editing posts. Both items remain in our product backlog to be addressed in line with the recommendations put forward by the project. I apologise that we are unable to introduce these items at this time and understand this will have an impact on administrators inputting new trainees’ details. 

As you may imagine, this project will be a fairly involved and extensive piece of work to complete that needs to be appropriately resourced. A timeframe for this work should be available soon, and when it is available I hope to share this and more details on the intended outputs. 

If you have any questions or comments at this stage, please feed them back to me and I can pass them on to the project. 

Please note that the next update of the Trainee ePortfolio will be released on Monday 28 April 2014. Pre-release notes providing more details regarding the timeout fix will be published online in due course along with a notification and link from the login page. 

This release requires downtime from 8am to 1pm Monday 28 July. If there are any changes either way to the timings we will do our best to let you know in advance. This is a minor release with reduced content. 

Regards 

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Product Manager | Development And Enterprises

Tel: 020 3188 7642

NHS England is committed to putting patient and public voice at the heart of the way we work. Over the past year, the NHS England Patient and Public Voice Team have worked with and democracy experts - the Tavistock Institute, Involve, Public-i and the Democratic Society to develop the NHS Citizen Programme.

The aim of NHS Citizen is to:  

• To give citizens and organisations a direct, transparent route for their voices to reach the heart of the NHS England decision making process, in a way that cannot be ignored. 
• To give the NHS England Board and others a new source of evidence and opinion on the NHS, now and in the future.
• To give the public an open and robust way to hold the Board of NHS England to account, and opportunities to participate in every aspect of the organisation's work.
• To establish a mechanism/system that leads to action, quickly

You can see the current version of the NHS Citizen here and for further information please visit the NHS Citizen website

NHS Citizen is a fundamentally important piece of work, it is important that public health colleagues as well as individuals are able to contribute to what it looks like and how it will function. Over the next 12 months, we will continue to develop the programme; there are a number of design days and regional events planned. It would be wonderful if you can spread the word and join in. 

So far NHS Citizen events have been focusing on the big elements of the design and dynamics of the whole system.  Now that we are moving closer to the whole system test in September we need to focus on some of the more practical issues. 

What we want to do in Bristol is to try and immerse people in how NHS Citizen will actually work, as well as taking the opportunity to test some of the tech that we will be working with.  

NHS Citizen will be in Bristol on 24 + 25 July  - this is an exciting opportunity to get involved

Sign up for the Bristol Event here

If you have any questions or if you would like to be added to our mailing list for regular updates please email hello@nhscitizen.org.uk. If you are on Twitter please follow @NHSCitizen and #NHSCITIZEN or like us on Facebook.

As we GP Trainees edge closer to qualifying, a number of us will be thinking about what tools and structures we can draw on to support us in our future work. The days are long and draining, the impact on us can be huge. Over the years, many GPs have found it helpful to attend regular get-togethers with other GPs to share difficult cases and to explore the impact that their work is having on them in a supportive environment. This speaks very much to the renewed interest in 'self-care' as an important area in everyday GP work. The most common and 'tried-and-tested' format for this kind of supervision is the Balint group - see below for more detail of what a Balint Group entails and what group members have got out of being in one. 

We are setting up a Balint Group especially for GP Trainees and possibly one for newly qualified GPs.

The first session is free as a taster session.  Further sessions will cost £20 per person per session.  

Depending on group numbers session will be between 60 and 90 minutes and groups will be able to discuss 2 or 3 cases per session.  Maximum numbers in groups would be 6. 

If you would like to know more, feel free to get in touch.

Email Duncan Still 

GP ST3

More informantion on Balint Groups:

Supervision for GPs can be organised individually or within a group (with GPs from the same or different practices) and is aimed at GPs at all stages in their career.  Balint groups, pioneered at the Tavistock Clinic 50 years ago, have been the most enduring model for GP supervision.  Balint groups used to mostly focus on the doctor patient relationship and 'psychotherapeutic' interventions and treatment by the GP.   With the huge changes in the role and work of the general practitioner Balint groups are evolving and have changed.  

I feel that Balint groups  are a place where GPs can share their experience of their work and  role as a GP and feel supported in their work and role by their peers and a regular supervisory setting in which they can think about all aspects of clinical work, the doctor patient relationship and the impact of  clinical work and where they can consider and discuss issues around technique, stance and interventions and develop consultation skills.  

Enhanced Monitoring Associates (EMAs) 

Serious concerns about medical education and training are often reported to the GMC, and it is our role to advise on and respond to these issues in a targeted and proportionate way. EMAs will represent the GMC at LETB and deanery visits in order to consider processes and verify actions taken locally where issues have arisen. 

Medical Student Associates 

The GMC Education Quality Team is looking to recruit medical students to join our team of associates, whose role will be to analyse information and identify objectives for the quality assurance process; verify information received through visits; and make judgements about whether standards in Tomorrow's Doctors 2009<http://www.gmc-uk.org/education/undergraduate/tomorrows_doctors_2009.asp> are being met. 

If you are interested, or know of someone who may be interested in becoming an enhanced monitoring or medical student associate, please here<https://jobs.gmc-uk.org/wd/plsql/wd_portal.list?p_web_site_id=2965&p_function=map&p_class_type=Location&p_class_value=London&p_title=Jobs> for a full job specification and online application form. 

Completed applications will need to be submitted by Tuesday 3 June 2014. 

Interviews for the medical student associates will be held between 23 and 27 June 2014. 

Interviews for the EMAs will be held between 21 and 25 July 2014.

The RCGP is about to publish The Good GP Training Guide, the ultimate guide to GP training and beyond. It's a must-read for all GP trainees and newly qualified GPs, offering an accessible Lonely Planet-style guide to the GP training process and what to expect once qualified.

It provides pragmatic advice and tips on all stages of training, covering hospital rotations, general practice training in the community, the transition to becoming an independent practitioner, and the various methods of assessment employed by the RCGP.

The guide will be available from late May but pre-orders are being accepted. Full details can be found online.

The WONCA working party consists of up to 20 members with at least two representatives from each of the world's regions: Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australasia/Pacific. These members are identified through WONCA member associations in each region with a requirement that each member be a rural practitioner or has a close association with rural practice.

Our vision is health for all rural people around the world.

The Working Party is committed to transformation of our Membership. We aim for representivity through:

• Developing countries 50%
• Women 50%
• Young doctors: students/residents/registrars/young physicians (<8 years in practice or in training) 20%
• Indigenous representation
• All regions represented

Rural doctors with a passion for rural health will be considered for membership of the working party. It is expected that they will have support of a local organizations, and will attend some meetings as observers (who are always welcome) before becoming members. A balance of representativity from around the world, including gender and ethnicity, are also important considerations in membership.

NEW!! Rural Medical Education Guidebook

Dear GP trainees 

We need your help 

You are the future GP workforce and we need to know what your plans are. The NHS is facing unprecedented demands and the workforce is key but no-one knows what trainees’ plans actually are. Please help us fill in this knowledge gap to inform discussions at a local and national level around the future of General Practice. Tell us what you think of General Practice. 

Please fill in this short survey that will take just a few minutes of your time. 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/whatisyourfuture 

We want to hear from you 

Thank you for your help

To All Trainees

Thank you all so much for your contribution to the GMC training survey this year. The Severn Deanery has a 99.9% response rate, which places us second nationally. We guarantee that the results from this year’s survey will be closely monitored by the Deanery, Trusts and Schools with the aim of improving postgraduate medical education.

We appreciate you taking the time to complete the survey in 2014.

Prof Bill Irish

Director of GP Education and Head of School

This portal contains a wealth of information for anybody working with children and young people’s mental health issues.

You can find the latest news on the About MindEd page.

MindEd is the place to find content from the following curricula:

Dear all

Please find attached for your information the latest GP Trainees newsletter from the BMA, which can also be accessed via the link below.

BMA Newsletter for GP Trainees

The Severn Foundation School has purchased a block of access codes to the BMJ quality improvement programme. This is an online resource that takes you through the QI process in a step-by-step way and that ultimately leads to publication on their site - even getting you a PUBMED reference.  

It seems like a great opportunity and the Educational / Clinical supervisors who support them will also be included in the final publication. Incentives all round! 

Until August, there are some extra licenses available and the Foundation School has generously offered to release these to interested GPSTs - please contact Clare Moorcroft to register your interest and request the access code.  

For Foundation Trainees, this initiative is running next year too - F2s often have more time in GP than when in hospital. It seems like an ideal time for them to do some relevant QI work that can bring benefits to trainees, their practices and supervisors.  

Further information can be found on the BMJ quality site:  http://quality.bmj.com/

The site is relatively user friendly but if you have problems or have feedback then e-mail Rob Bethune 

Dr Tom Pelly
07815 775707

Associate Postgraduate Dean for Foundation and Excellence 
GP School, Severn Postgraduate Education

Email: Tom Pelly
www.primarycare.severndeanery.nhs.uk

We are currently looking for GP trainees to assess candidates' communication skills at a national surgical interview course in Clifton, Bristol on 7th April. 

Assessors would be required to critique candidates and offer feedback on their interaction with actors in prescribed scenarios. 

Previous communication skills accreditation is desired but not required and assessors would be required to stay for the morning only (830am-2pm). 

All assessors will receive certification as teaching faculty. 

If you are interested in becoming involved please reply with your name and stage to the address below. 

st3orthointerview@gmail.com

Following on from last week’s outstanding Severn CSA results here’s a link to some information about the Fraser Rose medal which rewards excellence in the MRCGP examination. Perhaps it will go to a Severn trainee this year…

Information about the RCGP's annual award for outstanding performance in the MRCGP - the Fraser Rose Medal - is available from the RCGP website:  http://www.rcgp.org.uk/gp-training-and-exams/mrcgp-exam-overview/fraser-rose-medal.aspx

Severn Postgraduate School of Medicine & Pathology are currently in the process of arranging Stage 2 ARCP appeals.  They are looking for senior trainees representation to sit on these panels.  If therefore you would be willing and available on either of the two dates below then please contact Matthew Hill.

• Cardiology ARCP appeal – 23^rd April 2014 (timing TBC)
• Histopathology ARCP appeal – 24^th April (between 11am -3pm) 

It is NHS sustainability day on the 27^th March 2014.  This is something all NHS organisations can participate in.  For case studies, toolkits and examples of best practice from across the NHS please see: http://www.nhssustainabilityday.co.uk/

Congratulations to those Severn GP trainees who passed their CSA examination last week. Severn's pass rate was 95.7% compared to the national average of 79.9%. 16% of our trainees scored over 100 marks against a national average of 6.5% achieving this very high score. Severn has a national reputation for excellence and these marks further reinforce it. Well done.

Closing date for applications is 11 May 2014

Please go to our Scholarships and Fellowships page for further information. 

Please note: 

The MRCGP has published a new Step by Step Guide for Educational Supervisors under the heading: 

Resources for educational and clinical supervisors

Educational supervisor review – a step by step quick reference guide [PDF]

Writing clinical supervisors reports e-learning module

Dear trainees and supervisors 

The School of Primary Care now has the ability to text you important and relevant information.  Although we are pleased that this will provide an alternative method of communicating with you we will be sure to use the facility sparingly.  If however you would prefer not to receive any text messages from us simply email one of the team stating this request.

Calling all Severn Deanery Healthcare Professionals - £500 Competition Prize

All you have to do is submit a Sustainable Healthcare Project by 1st November 2014.

For more information including possible project titles please join the Facebook Group – Creating Sustainable Healthcare Systems.

Please submit entries to: Amy Alsop

Prize donated by Wattifi.

All submitted work will be uploaded to the Sustainable Healthcare Education Website.

Good Luck!

From the Severn Deanery Sustainability Fellows (Amy Alsop and Ciara Drummond)

University of Bristol -School of Social and Community Medicine

The School of Social & Community Medicine is looking for a GP to work for 8 hours a week as a teaching fellow or senior teaching fellow (depending upon experience). The post holder will be part of an enthusiastic and dedicated team of GP educationalists who co-ordinate the components of the undergraduate medical course (MB ChB) that are taught in primary care. The main role of the post holder will be to lead the teaching of primary care to first year medical students. The post holder will also be expected to assist with the teaching and examinations given to students in year 4

To apply please click here

We have updated traffic light system for approval of study leave. We have produced this since 2011 and this update we hope is clear when GPST are considering applying for study leave - if not please let us know and we can adapt the guidance:

http://www.primarycare.severndeanery.nhs.uk/training/trainees/leave/the-working-week-and-study-leave/

A CD featuring two practice AKT exams has now been published by the RCGP.

This has been written by 2 current examiners and contains authentic questions. If Supervisors wish to treat their ST2 to a present and add it to their practice library, then copies are be on sale via the RCGP online Shop: http://www.rcgp.org.uk/shop/books/mrcgp-study-aids/applied-knowledge-test-practice-questions-and-answers-cd.aspx.

Dear College Colleagues,

As you will know, there are 18 nationally-elected Council member places on College Council, and each year we hold a ballot of the entire membership to elect six new Council members to replace those who will retire by thirds off the Council at the AGM in November.

The opportunity therefore exists, for those prepared to take it, to be elected to serve on the College Council. Some of the criticisms made by College members of the Council in the past is that it is not truly representative of the membership or their interests; that it does not understand and/or is remote from current GP's thinking and needs; and that it is an “old boys/girls” clique.

Well, each year you have the opportunity to challenge and change that perception. Applications from those who feel they are not represented, or who are currently under-represented on Council, e.g. First5, rural, sessional, portfolio, locum, etc, would be more than welcome.

Just remember however, that to serve on the Council is a privilege and carries with it responsibilities over and above those of an ordinary College member. As a nationally-elected member, you would be responsible for representing not just the interests of your sectional group or constituency, but also the interests of the entire College membership when determining decision-making, the policies and strategic direction of the College. What could be more fulfilling?

Please look out for the national Council member ballot notification and voting details from the Electoral Reform Society (ERS), our election agents, in your email during April/May. The voting website is open for your convenience 24/7, and remember, its your personal opportunity to change things. It’s your College – use your vote!

Looking forward to hearing from many of you soon.

Professor Mike Pringle
President

Further information

Dear Colleague

We are looking for a bright, enthusiastic part-time GP who knows our course to join our team. You must have experience as a medical educator, excellent presentation skills, be working in the NHS as a GP and have a real passion for General Practice and teaching. 

If you are interested please email alaybourne@nbmedical.com for further information.

Kind regards 

Simon Curtis

Medical Director, NB Medical Education

NB Medical Education | Email: hottopics@nbmedical.com |Phone: 0191 5197294
The Quadrus Centre, Woodstock Way, Boldon Business Park, Boldon, Tyne & Wear, NE35 9PF

Tip: Spend some time getting to know and understand your Registrar as a person.

Reason this may be useful: Sometimes we can spend many months working with a Registrar and only discuss formal work related matters. By spending some time discussing the Registrar as a person we can get to know what they enjoy doing when they are away from work. This helps us to understand their personality, attitudes and values, which may explain some of their behaviours at work. If we start early to understand our Registrar as an individual person, we can modify how we relate to them at work, and provide them with a learning environment more suited to them as an individual.

The RCGP has released a new publication "Involving and supporting carers and families". This new educational resource will help GPs, GP trainees, primary care nurses and other team members improve their skills in providing support for the wide range of people who care for others. It contains an educational framework that will help programme directors, trainers and other educators to develop their own carer-related training; such as tutorials, workshops, courses and other learning resources about carers. It contains recommended key messages and themes, together with case illustrations and other practical information.

The document was developed with funding from the Department of Health and forms part of a wider programme of RCGP work 'Supporting carers in general practice'. It is based on the five educational themes being piloted for the RCGP’s enhanced GP curriculum. Separate resources for GPs, primary care practitioners and commissioners have also been developed as part of the supporting carers programme. For further information, please visit www.rcgp.org.uk/carers.

Applications for The National Medical Director's Clinical Fellow Scheme 2014-15 are now open.

The application process closes on 14 February 2014.

Full details about the scheme including an overview of the scheme, FAQs, eligibility and selection criteria and a timeline of the process are available in our information pack. Please download and read the information pack carefully before starting your application.  

Further information is available from our webinar 'what's it all about' which details the experiences of past and present fellows as well as answering questions from potential applicants.

You can also visit the FMLM website.

The RCGP will be holding a student event on the 1st February and it would be great if you could please disseminate this to medical students and foundation doctors interested in general practice. 

Join us at the RCGP headquarters, 30 Euston Square on Saturday 1 February 2014, 2-5pm for an inspiring talk on general practice as a career from some of our most successful GP members.

The day is designed to provide information that can help you make those important decisions and then thrive in your chosen area.   

Attendance is free! 

Follow the link and book your place today!

http://www.rcgp.org.uk/courses-and-events/membership/student-talk-and-tour.aspx

We look forward to seeing you there 

Student LinkedIn group – join today!

We've just set up a new LinkedIn group to allow student members, foundation doctors and GP’s to network, find out more about general practice as a career, start discussions, find out about trainee life or life as a fully qualified GP and much more. You must be a registered RCGP student member to join the LinkedIn group.

Join the group today

Tip: Ask the Registrar what aspects of their work they would like feedback about.

Reason this may be useful: Feedback is most effective when it is requested by the learner. If we give feedback when it is not wanted, it is unlikely to be helpful, and can sometimes lead to defensiveness. If we ask the Registrar what he would like us to comment about, he is receptive to our comments, and we can help him to learn the specific points he is interested in developing at that time. We must ensure the feedback is done in a supportive helpful way, and then it is likely that the Registrar will ask for further feedback in future.

This term the medical Undergraduate Academic Mentor programme at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bristol, are seeking new Academic Mentors to complete the MENTOR POOL. 

Please let us know if:

1.       you would be prepared to take on 2 (or more) more students

2.       you know of any colleagues who would be interested in joining the scheme

You will see that recognition is given: 

·         Mentors given the title of Honorary Senior Lecturer / Honorary Lecturers. 

·         UoB identity to give access to UoB library sources, search facilities etc

·         Our training days earn CPD points

Please apply to Chris Cooper

The EKC Team are delighted to announce the release of the new Essential Knowledge Challenge (EKC) 12. EKC12 is a fifty item online self‐assessment applied knowledge test, with questions sourced from the major updates, briefings and reference material found within Essential Knowledge Update 12. 

A score is given for each attempt you make within the Challenge and you are entitled to an unlimited number of attempts. Once you have completed the Challenge you will receive a certificate (for each attempt) which can be printed off/uploaded to your RCGP ePortfolio for CPD and revalidation purposes. 

Take the Challenge today and test your knowledge! 

Coming Soon: EKU11 Answers and Benchmarking Graphs 

Have you taken part in Essential Knowledge Challenge 11? The answers to this Challenge will be released in late January 2014 for users to access. 

You will also be able compare your scores with other participating users with the EKU11 Benchmarking Graphs. The anonymised scores of all users who have taken part in Challenge 11 will be collated and produced as a graph, displaying the highest scores achieved by users based on all first attempts, 2‐5 attempts and 6+ attempts. 

To learn more about the EKU Programme or to take part in the latest Updates and Challenges please visit the RCGP Online Learning Environment

Access to the Essential Knowledge Update Programme

The Essential Knowledge Updates and Challenges are FREE to all RCGP members, Associates and AiTs as part of the College membership benefit package. Non RCGP members can purchase an annual Essential Knowledge Update Programme subscription for £99 alternatively you can purchase an individual Update or Challenge for £50. To subscribe to the EKU Programme or purchase an Update or Challenge, please follow register with the College here.

Severn Faculty RCGP are pleased to announce that, in collaboration with Severn Postgraduate Medical Education we are able to fund several bursaries to attend the RCGP annual conference 

Application deadline 28 February 2014

RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference

ACC, Liverpool, 2-4 October 2014 

The RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference is the must attend event of the year for GPs and practice team colleagues, showcasing the latest clinical and policy developments across the UK and brings together an impressive range of national and international speakers. This year’s theme is 'Futureproof: resilience in practice' and the programme is packed with seminars and workshops relevant to all GPs, several of which are specifically for AiTs and First5 GPs, and will be extremely informative to Foundation Trainees and Medical Students. The conference is also an invaluable opportunity to meet GPs from across the UK, and good fun! 

Conference details are available at http://www.rcgp.org.uk/annualconference

Register for the conference before 23 June 2014 to secure your place at the discounted earlybird Rates 

Bursary recipients will be prioritised to those submitting a poster or presentation, and the quality of the written submission. Applications should be received before midnight on Friday, 28 February 2014. The bursary will support Conference fees, travel and accommodation (but not incidental expenses) up to a maximum of £500 per individual.  New for this year, one bursary is open to post-First5 GPs who have never previously attended the RCGP Annual Conference. 

There will be an expectation that successful applicants will feed back their experiences to the Severn Faculty Board and to Severn Postgraduate Medical Education by way of a brief report and give a short talk at the Severn Faculty AGM which will be held at Deanery House, Hambrook, Bristol on 22 October 2014. The Faculty will notify applicants if their application was successful by 31 March 2014. 

Applications should include a written submission entitled “How do you think the RCGP – both central college and Severn Faculty – could help maintain your compassion in dealing with patients throughout your career?” (max 500 word summary), what grade of doctor/student/trainee you are (please include a brief CV- no longer than 1 page) and whether you intend to submit a poster or presentation at conference. Written submissions will be judged on fluency, realism, practicality, innovation and conceptual thinking. 

Please submit your application (or any queries) via email to severn@rcgp.org.uk

Sponsorship for GP Speciality Trainees and those within 5 years of completing training 

Application deadline 28 February 2014

Severn Faculty RCGP would like to offer sponsorship to attend the 19th WONCA Europe Conference in Lisbon, Portugal 2-5 July 2014 (VdGM preconference 1-2 July 2014) 

Sponsorship is supporting the Vasco da Gama movement (www.vdgm.eu) The Vasco da Gama Movement (VdGM) forms part of the WONCA organisation and is the European International Committee for GP trainees and GPs within 5 years of completing training.  The WONCA World Conference this year is themed on “New routes for general practice and family medicine and will be held in Lisbon, Portugal. 

http://www.woncaeurope2014.org/en 

The benefit of attending this conference is for young doctors to share experiences and forge links worldwide. 

Sponsorship is available for ST2, ST3 trainees and/or newly qualified GPs (first 5 years) to attend the conference in 2013. Entry is by competition, open to Severn Faculty trainees and Severn Faculty “First 5” GPs. 

Severn Faculty RCGP are able to fund up to a maximum of £750 to attend the Conference for up to two successful candidates (terms available on request). 

Application is by competitive essay, no longer than one side of A4 entitled:

“How Might a European perspective of UK General Practice post April 2014 be relevant to a Severn GP or Trainee?” 

Along with your application, contact details, current status (either Speciality Trainee or within 5 years of completing GP training, please include details of where you are working within the Severn Faculty region

Application deadline 28 February 2014 

Applications can be sent either by email to: severn@rcgp.or.uk or by post to:

Jane Lohmann Severn Faculty RCGP, Deanery House, Unit D- Vantage Business Park, Old Gloucester Road, Hambrook, Bristol, BS16 1G

Please read the latest newsletter from the BMA/GPC GP Trainees' Subcommittee. 

GP Trainees Newsletter Winter 2013

For further information please contact Nick Jestico

GP ST3, Somerset

The RCGP’s curriculum team is recruiting up to six enthusiastic GP educators to help lead the development of the RCGP curriculum, as an important part of the national strategy to ensure the curriculum remains relevant to the needs of the next generation of generalist family doctors, their trainers and patients.  

The new ‘Managing Editors’ will lead the creation, editing and updating of the RCGP curriculum modules (currently known as statements), co-ordinating feedback and advice from our curriculum advisory network (e.g. Guardians, Champions and other experts). Strong writing and team-working skills will be essential for this role. Appointments are for one year in the first instance, although may be extended pending a successful review. The work will be reimbursed within an agreed budget (see the role description for further details). Relevant experience of GP education will be required, but experience of curriculum development is not essential – we would welcome applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds. 

The full advert and role description is available here:

http://www.rcgp.org.uk/work-at-rcgp/rcgp-vacancies/curriculum-development-managing-editors.aspx 

I would be very grateful if you would make your colleagues and networks aware of this opportunity. This is an exciting time for GP training and a chance for enthusiastic educators to make a real difference! 

Many thanks – and have a good Christmas and New Year break! 

Dr Ben Riley FRCGP

Medical Director of Curriculum

Royal College of General Practitioners

Email: ben.riley@rcgp.org.uk

Michael will be retiring from his work at the deanery at the end of December in order to focus more on his flourishing career as an author (of medical textbooks), researcher and an internationally sought resource on GP education.   

He has contributed massively over the preceding 20 years or so, having recovered well from the shock of finding Bill Irish a member of the first small group he facilitated as a course organiser back in 1991.  His invaluable work on QA and supporting GP foundation placements will be taken on by Simon Newton and Tom Pelly; both of whom start work with us in Severn next month. 

We wish Michael all the very best for the future and hope that we can continue to work with him on many other exciting projects in the future.

Please be advised that some users are encountering errors accessing the site this morning. The site has been reported as slow in general but this has been compounded by potential server issues today. 

This is currently under investigation as a priority and I am awaiting further feedback from our IT support about potential next steps. I hope for a resolution to be identified shortly and will advise regarding any progress. 

A message has also been added to the login page advising of this issue. 

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Regards

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Manager | Quality Assurance

Tel: 020 3188 7642

It is with great sadness that we mark the retirement of Paul Main (Deputy Director & Associate Dean) from the deanery at the end of this year.  Many of you will have worked with Paul during his various educational incarnations as course organiser,  Associate Director and Deputy Director over many years.  At the same time he has stayed solidly clinically grounded through his GP work in a very deprived corner of Bristol. 

He will be hugely missed as an exceptional doctor, educator and friend.  We all wish him and his wife Joy a long, happy and stimulating retirement.

Prof Bill Irish

Director of GP Education and Head of School

I am undertaking a study entitled ‘Identifying current provision and future oral health training needs of general practice trainees’. I would greatly appreciate if you could complete the online survey. 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DDXCQ9V   

This national survey, consisting of 10 short questions will help us to gain a better understanding of the educational needs of GP trainees and the resource needs of GP Training Programme organisers. 

Many thanks for your participation.  

Best wishes 

Dr Tim Crossman 

Academic Clinical Fellow, Honorary Research Fellow

Division of Public Health and Primary Care, Brighton and Sussex Medical School

Room 321, Mayfield House University of Brighton, Falmer, BN1 9PH

Tel: 01273 644143

Email

When doing joint consultations, focus on a ‘skill of the day’.

Reason this may be useful:

Sometimes it is difficult to improve all aspects of consulting at the same time. If we focus on one specific skill then it is often easier to develop the skill quickly, and then choose another skill to develop. During a joint surgery, the ES and Registrar could jointly decide which skill to focus on that day, for example, the opening minute, explaining, verbal echo, etc. Firstly, we can discuss details of the skill; the ES can demonstrate the particular skill whilst the Registrar watches; if needed the Registrar can practise the skill with the ES; and then while consulting with patients while the ES watches. The Registrar can continue practising this skill in her own surgeries until she feels fluent, and then choose another skill.

The RCGP Trainee ePortfolio ESR "step by step guide" has been updated including a "new for August 2013" section covering recent changes in the Trainee ePortfolio. 

This guide contains handy hints and helpful tips on how to use and navigate through the Educational Supervisor's Review. 

A direct link to the file here: 

ESR step by step Guide Nov 2013

The link can be found on the following webpage which contains additional resources for supervisors: 

MRCGP: information for deaneries, supervisors and trainers

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Product Manager | Development And Enterprises

Tel: 020 3188 7642

Please see below development items that are coming 3 December 2013. The focus this time is on improving layouts starting with the learning log section, educators' notes and the competence ratings in the ESR - the rest of the site will be updated incrementally although the whole site template has been changed to make use of the entire width of the screen.

Below this is an overview of some 'highlights' from the 100+ tweaks and fixes that are currently in our backlog to do. 

As usual, pre-release notes can be found online here: http://www.rcgp.org.uk/gp-training-and-exams/mrcgp-trainee-eportfolio/rcgp-trainee-eportfolio-pre-release-notes.aspx  

This link is on the login page of the ePortfolio also. 

RCGP Trainee ePortfolio – pre-release notes Tuesday 3 December 2013 

Developers are working on various fixes, please see below list for those areas we aim to address with this release (this may be subject to change): 

• Layout – restore up front/at a glance overview of various sections of the ePortfolio including ESR, Learning Logs and Educators’ Notes.  
• Print Friendly option – access a print-friendly version of contents.  
• Messaging – fix an issue where Supervisors are unable to message Trainees. 
• Learning Log – Fix the layout/display for Significant Event Analysis logs.  
• PDP – stop the date of PDP entry changing every time it is updated.  
• Evidence Table – MSF count to return to number of submissions instead of number of surveys.  
• Upload file – address speed issue when uploading files to the personal library.  
• Notifications – notifications not being generated for new messages received.  
• IE7 – fix an error when trying to download files from ePortfolio.  
• MSF – fix an issue where additional requests cannot be sent after the first results have been received and summarised (current work around is to copy and paste the code/instructions manually to an email for assessors).  
• CSR – If an assessor has not filled in their GMC number in the ‘Personal Details’ section, the site prevents them from submitting the form.  
• Progress to Certification – remove the ‘no’ next to ARCP (this currently displays until a Trainee receives their final satisfactory ARCP is ST3/4).  
• ARCP – fix an issue selecting individual panel members in the ARCP form.  
• New Account Creation – generate an email when creating a new Supervisor/Administrator account. 

We are also restoring some of the Admin reporting function, starting with 5 reports (requested as a priority from feedback by deanery admins) and slowly building up the library once more. The first five reports to be restored are: 

1. Report on Sabbatical/Maternity/Sick
2. AKT/CSA Exam results
3. Trainees in specific ST years
4. Trainee with no review in last 6 months
5. Trainee with Unsatisfactory ARCP result

This still leaves many issues to address such as continuing to improve the layout, speed of the site and improved usability. Please see below for a list for highlights of outstanding issues to be addressed in due course: 

• Improving assessment form performance/usability - some assessors get intermittent errors submitting forms, still under investigation. 
• Improved cross-browser compatibility. 
• Restore display of Supervisors' email addresses in Posts. 
• Count of evidence in Competence Areas summary table - currently 'Totals' and 'ST Year' display the same. 
• Function to allow admins to add the same supervisor to multiple posts 
• Declarations - consistency of display of the signed declaration to match the Trainee's selection and display any added comments. 

Lastly it is worth mentioning that on an ongoing basis there are the suggestions that are received that will be reviewed and considered for development, such as electronically tracking receipt of assessments. 

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Product Manager | Development And Enterprises

Tel: 020 3188 7642

From this year the Medical school will be running MMI's (Multiple Mini Interviews) rather than the more traditional interviews that we have held up until now. We will be interviewing 60 candidates per day with two sessions of 20 in the morning and one session of 20 in the afternoon. There will be two parallel streams being interviewed synchronously, with 10 stations in each stream, at 6mins per station (5mins for the task/question and 1 min change over). There will be one interviewer at each station asking a question or acting out a scenario and each will have a score sheet and guidance on scoring. As Medical interviews have not been run this way before there will be a short training session when you arrive on the day, it is then that we will go through all of the details in full and answer any questions that you may have regarding the process, questions or scoring. 

Bristol Medical School still have five MMI dates that are short of assessors for and, due to the nature off MMI's, without the full number of assessors these interviews cannot be run. Below is a list of dates and timings.  If anyone is available to come down and interview on any of these sessions then please contact Jo Lippiatt. 

• Thursday 20th March
• Friday 21st March
• Wednesday 2nd April
• Thursday 10th April
• Wednesday 16th April 

The full day runs from 09:00-16:45, Morning - 09:00-12:30, Afternoon - 13:30-16:45 

Tea, coffee and biscuits are being provided on arrival along with lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

Level: ST1

Vacancies: 154

Duration: 3 Years

Apply from: 12 November 2013

Closing date: 5 December 2013

Applications are invited for August 2014 GP Recruitment for Severn Postgraduate Medical Education and opens at 10.00am on Tuesday 12^th November 2013. Applications must be submitted by 17.00 on Thursday 5^th December 2013.

The GP National Recruitment Office (NRO) are co-ordinating this national recruitment process and applications will be via the NRO website

Please refer to the person specification to check that you meet the essential eligibility criteria prior to submitting an application. This can be found on the GP NRO website

Please note, the vacancy details are indicative and may change during the course of the recruitment process.

Please click here for further information.

In April 2013 the Association of Palliative Medicine established its Junior Members Working Group to explore how we can integrate pre-ST3 doctors with a passion for the specialty in the future of palliative medicine. The group has been set up to support juniors in getting experience and mentorship in the field, and to provide educational and networking opportunities.

We'd like to ensure that trainees across the country have the chance to get involved and are recruiting regional representatives at all levels within each deanery, ahead of the APM Juniors inaugural conference on 8 March 2014, in Cambridge. 

To get involved, whether as a national / regional representative or just to keep up to date with developments in palliative care for trainees, get in touch via the APM Juniors registration form at bit.ly/17cCRl4.

Use the word "you" as part of most questions when having a Case Based Discussion (CBD).

Reason this may be useful:

Case based discussions are an opportunity to explore the thinking processes of the Registrar. By asking questions containing the word "you" or "your", the question will inevitably explore how the Registrar is thinking, rather than focusing on the patient. For example, "what management options did you consider?” focuses on the Registrar’s thinking in this particular case. If we ask questions such as "what are the treatment options for X?” we are asking about background theoretical knowledge rather than focusing on how the Registrar dealt with this particular patient. By including the word "you" (or equivalent) we encourage the Registrar to reflect on how they were thinking and feeling at the time of the consultation.

When doing joint consultations, arrange the seating so that the observing doctor has a clear view of the consulting doctor.

Reason this may be useful:

The purpose of a joint consultation is for the observing doctor to observe specific behaviours of the consulting doctor. If we arrange the seating in a suitable way, this enhances the ability of the observer to notice details about the consulting doctor. Because we are usually focused on observing the patient, it is common for the observing doctor to watch the patient, and not notice details of the consulting doctor's behaviour. Although the observing doctor may be behind the patient, and therefore not able to see details of the patient's body language etc, if the observer has a clear view of the consulting doctor then they are more able to focus on the doctor, and notice the details of the doctor’s eye contact, body language, gestures, etc.

The School of Primary Care has extended a warm invitation to all Educational Supervisors to help with the assessment of candidates for the 2014 GP National Recruitment Assessment Centre 4^th – 7^th February 2014.  Just to remind you that the deadline for response is 29^th November 2013.  Please remember to register your availability.  If you have not received an invitation, please email Julie Edwards.

Thank you very much for the various feedback regarding the previous proposed downtime(s) for the Trainee ePortfolio. Because of various conflicts and wanting to reduce the impact of any outages, a new release schedule has been designed. 

The new release date will be Tuesday 3 December. The site will be offline on this day between 8am and 1pm. 

Whilst this does mean that there will now be a longer wait before the site receives its next update, the new release schedule reduces the overall downtime in the site to a single half a day and will also contain more improvements and fixes. The downtime on the day will need to be slightly extended (8am-1pm) in order for our team to be able to complete testing. 

Please see pre-release notes drafted for this development. Based upon feedback we have received since going live, the focus for this update will be on adjusting layouts in the site including the learning logs and ESR in order to restore the 'up front/at a glance' overview of information in the ePortfolio. This will be complemented with additional tweaks and bug fixing.

Pre-release notes for Tuesday 3 December 2013

Developers are working on various fixes, please see below list for those areas we aim to address with this release (this may be subject to change): 

• Layout – restore up front/at a glance overview of various sections of the ePortfolio including ESR, Learning Logs and Educators’ Notes. 
• Print Friendly option – access a print-friendly version of contents. 
• Messaging – fix an issue where Supervisors are unable to message Trainees. 
• Learning Log – Fix the layout/display for Significant Event Analysis logs. 
• PDP – stop the date of PDP entry changing every time it is updated. 
• Evidence Table – MSF count to return to number of submissions instead of number of surveys. 
• Upload file – address speed issue when uploading files to the personal library. 
• Notifications – notifications not being generated for new messages received. 
• IE7 – fix an error when trying to download files from ePortfolio. 
• MSF – fix an issue where additional requests cannot be sent after the first results have been received and summarised (current work around is to copy and paste the code/instructions manually to an email for assessors). 
• CSR – If an assessor has not filled in their GMC number in the ‘Personal Details’ section, the site prevents them from submitting the form. 
• Progress to Certification – remove the ‘no’ next to ARCP (this currently displays until a Trainee receives their final satisfactory ARCP is ST3/4). 
• ARCP – fix an issue selecting individual panel members in the ARCP form. 
• New Account Creation – generate an email when creating a new Supervisor/Administrator account. 
• Additional miscellaneous bug fixes.

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Product Manager | Development And Enterprises

Tel: 020 3188 7642

The dates for the Educational and Clinical Supervisors Conferences for 2014 have been booked (Conference room in the main house + 4 breakout rooms in the main house)

Should you wish to attend, please click on the links below for the booking form.  These conferences are extremely popular so please book early to avoid disappointment.

Spring ES and CS Conference – 05th March 2014 (Facilitated by Bristol) - booking form

http://www.primarycare.severndeanery.nhs.uk/events/show/One-Day-Conference-for-Educational-Supervisors-and-Clinical-Supervisors-Spring-2014/ 

Autumn ES and CS conference –  3rd September 2014 (Facilitated by Bath) - booking form

http://www.primarycare.severndeanery.nhs.uk/events/show/One-Day-Conference-for-Educational-Supervisors-and-Clinical-Supervisors-Autumn-2/ 

I have a GP trainee at my practice but I can’t see them on eportfolio

1. Ensure you are in the clinical supervisor or trainer role
2. If you still can’t see your trainee, please contact Melanie van Tonder who can link you to the trainee 

I am an educational supervisor but I can’t see my GP trainee on eportfolio

1. Ensure you are in the educational supervisor role
2. If you still can’t see your trainee, please contact Melanie van Tonder who can link you to the trainee 

I need a new role added to my profile

1. Ensure your user name has been updated to an email address.  Please see the FAQ on user names for the process.
2. Contact Melanie van Tonder  to have your new role added 

I can’t map learning log entries to the curriculum statements.

Have you tried scrolling your screen to the right?  On the new version of eportfolio, the window is wider.  This means some buttons may not appear on the screen if your monitor is narrower than the eportfolio display. 

I don’t have access to complete an ESR.

Check which role you are in, only educational supervisors can create and complete ESRs. 

The ARCP panel can’t see the ESR – what do I do?

If the ESR isn’t completed by the educational supervisor, AND agreed by the GP trainee, the panel can’t see it.  This means the GP trainee may receive an adverse outcome as the evidence is not complete.  Make sure the supervisor has completed it and the trainee has agreed it before the due date of the ARCP. 

How do I change my user name to my email address?

1. Log in to eportfolio and go to “personal details” on the left hand side.
2. Change the entry for “email” to your preferred email address
3. Select “save at the bottom right hand side of the screen
4. Eportfolio will then remove your access as you will continue to appear logged in under your old user name. you will need to log out by selecting the log out option in the blue ribbon on the top right hand side of the screen
5. It will take 10 minutes for eportfolio to update your details.
6. After this time, log in using your email address as your user name and the same password as before
7. The screen will look different and may include access to your revalidation information if you use the RCGP appraisal toolkit.  This is normal.

My Form R won’t upload

There is a size limit for any uploads onto eportfolio.  Make sure your electronic form R is no bigger than 5MB.  If you complete it as a word document, it shouldn’t exceed this limit.  If for some reason you need to scan it, you may need to reduce the file size before uploading it. 

Eportfolio looks different and I don’t know how to use it – what do I do?

We expect updated RCGP user guides will be published in the near future, however you are always welcome to contact us and we can talk you through any specific areas.  Please call or email Melanie van Tonder 01454 252 661. 

With all the changes I am worried my ARCP outcome will be affected.

To the best of our knowledge eportfolio is now fully functioning.  Please do not put off making entries or completing reviews.   If you have been unable to make entries during August or September, you will need to spend some time getting your eportfolio up to date now so that your record is complete for your next ARCP.  If you have any problems using the system, please contact Melanie van Tonder

Development work is ongoing regarding updating and improving the usability of the new Trainee ePortfolio. Thank you for your patience and the flexibility you have allowed to date regarding the downtime to the website.

To this end, further updates are currently being scheduled for release the mornings of Tuesday 5 November and Tuesday 10 December to apply additional fixes and improvements. Releases would follow the usual timetable with the site being unavailable between 8am and 12pm on these days. I hope to be able to advertise these on the website towards the end of next week.

If for any reason these dates are unsuitable please email Jamie Meecham and it may be possible to reschedule.

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Product Manager | Development And Enterprises

Tel: 020 3188 7642

Applications are invited from second-year general practice specialty trainees (in ST2 year) who wish to undertake clinical academic training.

Funding is now available to enable trainees to extend their training by a year, allowing part-time attachment to a university department during the ST3 and ST4 years. Further information can be found here.

Applications are invited from second-year general practice specialty trainees (in ST2 year) who wish to undertake clinical academic training.

Funding is now available to enable trainees to extend their training by a year, allowing part-time attachment to a university department during the ST3 and ST4 years. Further information can be found here.

An evaluation of our Educational Scholars Programme has been presented as a poster at the recent AMEE Conference at the Prague Congress Centre, Czech Republic on the 24-28 August 2013.  

The poster was presented by Mr Anthony Curtis and Dr Paul Main

For further details please follow this link to the AMEE Conference Page

For further information on scholarships please see our Scholarships and Fellowships Page

From the RCGPs Essential Knowledge Update Programme

The RCGP has now released the latest editions of the Essential Knowledge Update Programme; Essential Knowledge Update (EKU) 12 and Essential Knowledge Challenge (EKC) 11 to improve patient care and to help you realise your CPD and Revalidation needs.

Update 12 provides a summary of important new and changing knowledge on a wide variety of primary care topics encountered by general practitioners (details below).  Challenge 11, an applied online knowledge test, enables GPs to test their learning on the 11th edition of the Essential Knowledge Updates.

The Profession’s Guide to Parkinson’s Disease

In the UK, Parkinson’s affects 120,000 people (1 in 500), mainly those over 50 years old.

Quality Standards for the Epilepsies in Adults, Children & Young People

There are more than 40 different types of epilepsy, with 40 different associated seizure types.

Good Practice in Prescribing & Managing Devices

Around 70% of UK care homes within one study had medication errors.

Psychosis & Schizophrenia in Children & Young People

Prevalence of psychosis in children is 0.4% (compared to 0.7% across all ages in the UK).

Assessment & Treatment for People with Fertility Problems

It is estimated that infertility affects one in seven heterosexual couples in the UK.

Assessment & Management of Psoriasis

Patients with severe psoriasis are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and venous thromboembolism.

Management of Adults with Coeliac Disease in Primary Care

It is estimated that less than 15% of people affected by Coeliac Disease are being diagnosed.

Long Term Follow Up of Survivors of Childhood Cancer

Each year 1600 children and 1500 teenagers are diagnosed with cancer in the UK.

Podcasts for Essential Knowledge Updates are released monthly and provide discussions with the topic Authors on the most important educational messages of a module. To access the EKU podcasts please visit the  Podcast Library.

To learn more about the EKU Programme please visit the  RCGP Online Learning Environment

Access to the Essential Knowledge Update Programme

The Essential Knowledge Updates are FREE to all RCGP members, Associates and AiTs as part of the College membership benefit package.

Non RCGP members can purchase an annual Essential Knowledge Update Programme subscription for £99 alternatively you can purchase an individual Update or Challenge for £50. To subscribe to the EKU Programme or purchase an Update or Challenge, please follow the steps below:

• Please register with the College here
• Please subscribe to the programme/purchase an Update or Challenge  here

* Please note that by accessing and using the RCGP Online Learning Websites you will be agreeing to the RCGP Online Learning Terms and Conditions.

Copyright RCGP 2009. Use of RCGP online learning resources and websites is subject to acceptance of the terms and conditions and privacy policy.

Dear GP trainees

We have recently set up ‘DermSoc7’ within the Severn deanery. This is a society for doctors who are interested in furthering their knowledge in dermatology for exams, clinical practice or for those who may be interested in pursuing a specialist interest in dermatology in general practice or as a hospital career.

We aim to provide a number of evening sessions over the year to include interesting case based discussions, subject talks, journal presentations, updates on advances in dermatology and practical sessions. The evenings will be supported by local dermatology consultants and registrars.

We have proposed our first meeting on Monday 21st October at the BRI education centre to start at 6.45.

If you are interested in attending please could you reply to dermsoc7@gmail.com.

If you are unable to attend this session but are interested in future events then please reply and we can add you to our mailing list.

We hope to see you soon.    

Georgina, Emma, Emily and Sophia

CT2 doctors BRI 

The RCGP are pleased to inform you of the release of the latest edition of the Essential Knowledge Update Programme.   Essential Knowledge Update 12 and Essential Knowledge Challenge 11 are now available within the RCGP Online Learning Environment for users to access.

For further information please click here

‘‘Simulation, Robotics and Telemedicine: Innovation Driving Patient Care”.

Date: 12th November 2013

UWE Exhibition and Conference Centre, Bristol, BS34 8QZ

About the event 

This one-day conference has been organised by Health Education South West, the Royal Society of Medicine, and Bristol Robotics Laboratory. It brings together leading clinicians, academics and researchers from the UK and Europe to discuss latest advances in Medical Robotics, Simulation and Telemedicine. The Conference will appeal to surgeons and practitioners wishing to refresh their knowledge, and to junior clinicians and trainees embarking on clinical careers. It will also appeal to researchers involved in medical technology, to medical device manufacturers looking for new opportunities, and to academia, public and charitable institutions. 

Conference Speakers 

Confirmed speakers include: 

• Sir Ian Carruthers (Ex CEO, NHS South of England) and author of Innovation, Health and Wealth: accelerating adoption and diffusion in the NHS (provisional)
• Prof David Gillatt (Consultant Urological Surgeon, Director, Bristol Urological Institute)
• Dr Nicholas Robinson (President Elect, Royal Society of Medicine Telemed Council)
• Dr Magnus Annerstedt (Head of Robotic Surgery, Department of Urology, Herlev University Hospital, Denmark)
• Dr David Grant (Associate Dean, Simulation, Health Education South West; President,  International Pediatric Simulation Society)
• Prof Mark Emberton (Director, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, UCL; Clinical Director, Clinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England)
• Dr Mark Callaway (Consultant Radiologist, United Bristol Healthcare Trust)
• Sasha Karakusevic (Chief Operating Officer, North Bristol NHS Trust; Director, Health Innovation Education Cluster (SW) Torbay Care Trust) 
• Mr John McGrath (Consultant Urological Surgeon, Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust)
• Mr John Ferris (Head of School of Ophthalmology, Health Education South West)  
• Mr Robert Longman (Consultant Colorectal Cancer Surgeon, United Bristol Healthcare Trust) 

Aims of conference 

• Provide a forum for debate on medical innovation and issues relating to robotics, simulation, and telemedicine.
• Provide delegates with a deeper understanding of current issues and technologies for delivering better patient care.
• Stimulate innovation and showcase research and best practice.
• Provide a forum to meet new people, discover/exchange new ideas, and form links for future research and collaboration.

Who should attend? 

• Surgeons involved in laparoscopy and minimal access surgery
• Surgeons involved in image guided surgery and navigation
• Academic researchers in medical robotics and image guided surgery
• Healthcare practitioners and educators involved in telemedicine and medical simulation
• Medical students and trainees
• Robotics and engineering students
• NHS representatives and private companies dealing in healthcare, robotics and ICT.
• Representatives from medical charitable organisations
• Medical device industry design engineers / business development managers

Registration 

• Full Registration - £100 (includes all refreshments and lunch).
• This conference is open to students and trainees at a special rate of £25 (includes all refreshments and lunch). 

Bookings

Please contact James Whitaker, Academic Department, Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 0AE, Tel 0207 290 2980l: Fax: 0207 290 2989 email: regions@rsm.ac.uk

or Book online

Poster presentations 

The conference invites early career medics and researchers to display posters, describing evidence based practice and innovation, and work in progress/new ideas. 

The winning posters will be decided by a conference judging panel, which includes:  

• Prof Davinder Sandhu (Postgraduate Dean/Head of Education, Health Education South West)
• Prof Bob Woodward (Professor of Simulation, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh)
• Dr Parag Singhal (Clinical Director, Weston Hospital)

The wining posters will receive prizes from Professor Steve West, Vice Chancellor, UWE 

The deadline for poster abstracts is Thursday 31st October 2013. 

For further information please email rsm.regions@rsm.ac.uk or visit this link.

Exhibitors and Sponsors from industry or research centres are welcomed. 

Venue

The conference will be held at the University of the West of England’s Exhibition and Conference Centre. It has excellent transport links for the M4, M5 and M32 motorways and onsite parking for 580 cars. Bristol Parkway train station is just a 5 minute taxi ride or 15 minute walk away.

Directions to Exhibition and Conference Centre 

Help the Registrar to organise their PSQ and MSF early.

Reason this may be useful:

Organising the PSQ and MSF usually takes much longer than we imagine, as people are on holiday, or other events seem to take priority. By starting to plan early, we can help the Registrar ensure they get sufficient replies in good time, and they will avoid feeling the pressure of a last minute rush.

Start reviewing the Registrar’s e-portfolio early in their attachment.

Reason this may be useful:

Some Registrars do not write entries in their learning log at the beginning of their attachment, as they are busy settling in and learning many new things. However, these early experiences can provide many areas for discussion and reflection and can be a rich source of learning. Writing them in the e-portfolio can help to maximise this learning, and also maintain the required number of log entries as they go along, rather than leaving them until later when they can become a chore and less useful for learning. By reviewing and commenting on log entries early during the attachment, Educational Supervisors can encourage this learning, and make writing the entries a useful learning process. 

Multidisciplinary teams in primary care

This study is looking at multidisciplinary working in primary care, focusing on GPs, practice nurses and community pharmacists. We are particularly interested in the barriers and facilitators for individuals' integration in the primary care team.

We are looking for GPs, practice nurses and community pharmacists in the South West to complete a short survey (about 20 minutes) and this can be done online or we can post out paper versions.

We have a study website that gives more information:

http://blogs.bath.ac.uk/mdt/

Morning Workshop - 09:00-12:30 

Enhance your telephone consultations 

The use of telephone consultations in primary care is growing rapidly and yet few clinicians have had any formal training. This workshop will allow you to: 

• Develop a framework for safe and effective telephone consultations
• Explore relevant evidence and draw from participants’ experience
• Rehearse specific skill areas including the ‘opening 75 seconds’, making a plan and effective safety netting

To book this half day course follow this link

Afternoon Workshop - 13:00-16:30

Respond effectively to medically unexplained symptoms

A significant proportion of patients who present to doctors will turn out to have symptoms that are medically unexplained.

Most doctors and nurses have regular patients who leave them feeling “overwhelmed”. The expression “heartsink” has been applied to them.

• Can lower your medico-legal risk
• Can improve your outcomes for your patients
• Can improve your efficiency and use of time
• Can improve consultation satisfaction for you and your patients
• Uses techniques recommended in “What’s a good doctor and how do you make one” - BMJ themed edition
• Meets the RCGP guidance on revalidation evidence for GPs (half day seminar)

To book this half day course follow this link

Cost

Members - Half Day £100 / Full Day £165

Non-Members - Half Day £120 / Full Day £185

AiTs/Nurses - Half Day £90 / Full Day £150

Location

Deanery House, Unit D, Vantage Business Park, Old Gloucester Road Hambrook, Bristol, BS16 1GW

Are you interested in enhancing your career with an overseas placement?

The Australian Medical Association (WA) and the Severn Deanery UK are working together to provide newly graduated UK General Practitioners with an opportunity to undertake a six month placement in Western Australia.

Health Education South West NHS Severn Deanery School of Primary Care

The placement is expected to commence in early 2014 and would offer a range of professional development opportunities to enhance your skills including:

• Clinical experience in Indigenous health, emergency medicine, advanced procedural skills, obstetrics, anaesthetics and tropical medicine
• Educational and professional support and mentorship
• Involvement in the training of GP Registrars
• Involvement in guided project work and/or research in primary care with publication of results

To be eligible to apply you will need to demonstrate a commitment to the following values:

• Learning and excellence in general practice
• Teaching of medical students
• Care of patients

Successful applicants would be expected to be ambassadors for the medical profession and to promote and embrace this professional development opportunity.

Minimum guaranteed salary of $3,000 per week with the opportunity to earn significantly more based on a percentage of private billings.

Accommodation and vehicle may be provided for successful rural placements at a subsidised cost dependant on the placement.

Assistance will be given to applicant spouses/partners seeking employment during the term of the placement.

Enhancing your Career

Applications are invited from newly qualified General Practitioners to participate in the

professional development opportunity in 2014 being jointly supported by AMA (WA) and Severn Deanery.

In order to assess applications from interested GPs the following information should be

provided by email to NHS South West severn.GPSchool@southwest.hee.nhs.uk

Name:_____________________________________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________________________

Telephone:_ ________________________________________________________________

Email:___________________________________________ Date available:_____________

Do you have a spouse who will be travelling with you?:_____________________________

Does your spouse require work in Australia?:_____________________________________

Please attach:

• Covering letter addressing how you will demonstrate your commitment to the stated values
• Current CV
• Certificates & relevant registration documents
• Spouse CV if applicable

For specific information on registration or immigration matters relating to this initiative please email noelle.jones@amawa.com.au

Return this application by email to: severn.GPSchool@southwest.hee.nhs.uk with a copy to noelle.jones@amawa.com.au

You will be contacted for further information and/or interview once applications have been assessed by AMA (WA) and Severn Deanery.

Health Education South West NHS Severn Deanery School of Primary Care

Closing date of the 30th September 2013.

Dear All

I am the Publishing Editor at SAGE Publications responsible for the journal InnovAiT. I am writing to inform you that in June 2013 InnovAiT launched a monthly podcast series. Hosted by Dr Simon Glew, Academic Clinical Fellow GP Trainee based at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, this free podcast series is designed to bring a new dimension to the paper and online journal.

The series consists of a few familiar InnovAiT territories, including the popular ‘News and Views’ feature brought to you by Dr Clare Etherington and Dr Nazia Hussain. In addition, Simon and other AiTs will also be interviewing InnovAiT authors, to provide you with supplementary information surrounding their articles.

The podcasts will also include original content, not available in the printed journal. Beth Chapman a psychiatry trainee is producing a series of mental health shorts: conversations amongst professionals on important primary care topics including the national audit of schizophrenia, the mental capacity act and antipsychotic use in older people. Mahomed Saleh, a GP trainee, has produced a guide to social media use based on the recent RCGP guidance. Throughout the series, Simon will also be interviewing inspirational practitioners, as well as developing educational sessions, to supply this relevant information in an accessible medium, to aid with your success in the VTS programme.

InnovAiT Podcast Number 1 (Volume 6, Issue 6): This month’s podcast contains interviews with Dr Chantal Simon, the Executive Editor of InnovAiT about the development of the journal, Dr Tom Bailey (a GP in Birmingham) regarding his article 'Resuscitation of children' (InnovAiT: Volume 6, Issue 6), along with a summary of this month’s News and Views, which focuses on the life of Professor Helen Lester and the updated GMC guidance on good medical practice. http://bit.ly/INOJune2013Podcast

InnovAiT Podcast Number 2 (Volume 6, Issue 7): This edition of the InnovAiT podcast series features an interview with Nazia Hussain about her article on skin cancer including prevention, identification and when to refer suspicious lesions. It also contains an interview with Professor Mike Pringle, President of the Royal College of General Practitioners, discussing his role, what he believes the future has in store for young General Practitioners and how to get involved with the College. Nazia Hussain also brings us this month’s news and views covering social support, changes in QOF criteria and drug updates. http://bit.ly/INOJuly2013podcast

InnovAiT Podcast Number 3 (Volume 6, Issue 8): In this month's podcast we hear from Professor Tony Avery, Dr Richard Knox and Dr Rachel Spencer from the University of Nottingham as they discuss this month's special edition of InnovAiT which is about "Good Prescribing". The full, in depth, discussion of the articles is available as a separate podcast. We also hear from Dr Chantal Simon, editor of InnovAiT, on what she enjoys most about the journal and on the process of submitting an article for publication in the journal. Finally, we hear from Dr Clare Etherington with a round up of this month's news and views. http://bit.ly/INOAug2013Podcast1

InnovAiT Podcast Number 4 Good Prescribing Special (Volume 6, Issue 8): In this special edition of InnovAiT podcasts we hear directly from the authors about their six articles on good prescribing. Learn about the importance of selecting the right drug, avoiding hazardous prescribing, selecting the right dose, providing the right dose instructions, how to provide the right medication monitoring and about undertaking effective medication reviews. http://bit.ly/INOAug2013Podcast2

This series is available for download on the InnovAiT homepage (http://ino.sagepub.com), at the individual issue level on the InnovAiT website and on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/sage-podcast/id281473116).

We are looking for volunteers who would like to interview prominent GPs, authors of InnovAiT articles or experts in their field for these podcasts. No experience is required. If you are interested and would like further details, please contact Dr Simon Glew at podcasts@innovaitjournal.co.uk.

Charlotte Jardine

Publishing Editor, Medicine and Life Sciences
SAGE Publications Ltd
1 Oliver’s Yard, 55 City Road
London, EC1Y 1SP
UK
T: +44 (0)20 7336 1244
W: www.sagepub.co.uk

Sign up for InnovAiT Table of Contents alerts here: http://bit.ly/InnovAiTalerts

Dear Trainee 

May I thank you all collectively on behalf of Health Education South West (Severn Postgraduate Medical Education formerly known as the Severn Deanery). We had the second highest response from all the Deaneries within the UK for participation in the 2013 GMC Trainee Survey. Once again Severn Postgraduate Medical Education is particularly grateful for all of your help. The Deanery takes the survey seriously and the results are disseminated to Directors of Medical Education in our 8 Acute Trusts and 3 Mental Health Trusts. Similarly the information is disseminated to Training Programme Directors and Heads of School.

We received 31 immediate patient safety comments which were free texts and a further 125 non-immediate patient safety comments from the survey. Each of the immediate patient safety comments is returned to us by the GMC within 2 days of receipt and we are required to provide the GMC with a response within 2 weeks. The deadline for the non-immediate patient safety concerns is extended to around a month.

These concerns are taken extremely seriously by both the Deanery and all of the Trusts. The concerns are all investigated individually. Clearly there can be clustering around particular areas and this does and did happen. Action plans are generated and we as the Quality Team at Severn send responses to the GMC. The GMC then feedback to us if there are outstanding issues.

Patient safety is at the top of everyone’s agenda. We feel that it is important that you have some closure and realise what happens when free text comments are made. Patient safety is also an issue that occurs throughout the year and not just within the reporting period of the GMC Trainee Survey. It is important that if there are concerns regarding patient safety they are brought to the attention of your clinical leads within your working environment or your Clinical or Educational Supervisors.

Once again may I express my thanks to you for your participation in the 2013 GMC Trainee Survey.

Yours sincerely 

Mr Stuart Cook

Associate Postgraduate Dean (Quality)

Further to our previous release, the developers are now busy working on issues to be addressed in the next release on Wednesday 18 September.  The following is a list of the higher priority known issues.  They are being worked on based upon the number of users affected, the functionality they relate to and the impact to usage of the site. 

1. Curriculum Coverage – Some Trainees see ‘0’ in the summary table despite having linked learning logs.
2. Evidence Table – the summary of evidence by ‘all years – all reviews’ is incorrect and the totals for WPBA tools completed appear to be different when accessed via different routes.
3. File access issue – permissions need to be updated to allow download of all attached files.
4. Browser Issues – Some browsers behave differently. We are working to improve consistency across platforms. 
5. Speed – General site speed issues.
6. ARCP – validation of mandatory fields update and improved pdf layout.
7. NTN – Trainee’s missing NTN numbers. Some Trainees’ details are not being imported as expected from another database.
8. Text not visible – html tags can render some text entries invisible, database clean up.
9. Learning Log / PDP’s – a minority of Trainees may not be able to locate some records. All historical records have been backed up and these will be restored in due course.
10. Layout – updating Educators’ Notes, Learning Log and Competence Feedback to display ‘up front’ and in a more easily readable summary format (column widths).

It may not be possible to address all of these issues within this release, so we would like your input on:

1. what you think is the most important, and
2. are you aware of any other major bugs that you think require an urgent fix but are not covered here? 

Please let me have your feedback as soon as possible (Jamie.meecham@rcgp.org.uk) 

For a list of current issues, updates and downtime please have a look at the RCGP Eportfolio Website.

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Manager | Quality Assurance

Tel: 020 3188 7642

Revalidation & Trainee ePortfolio - Site Errors - Monday 2 September

Both Revalidation and Trainee ePortfolio sites are experiencing issues with navigation and access. This has been raised to our technicians who are currently investigating and will aim to resolve as soon as possible. Until further notice, should you get an error please try again later. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

RCGP Trainee ePortfolio, Planned downtime, essential maintenance - Wednesday 4 September 2013, 8am - 11am

The next release currently planned for the morning of Wednesday 4 September - more details will be made available ahead of time. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

For a list of fixes to date as well as know issues in the site that we will be working to resolve in the coming months - click here.

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Manager | Quality Assurance

Tel: 020 3188 7642

Earlier this year we emailed the Administrators regarding interest in joining the ePortfolio Development group - since there were multiple applicants I need to ask again for submissions, this time with a supporting statement (not very long, max.250 words) as to why you think you would be an appropriate choice. 

The Development Group usually meets 2 or 3 times per year, with some work undertaken by email. The next meeting is scheduled for 29 October (afternoon). 

If you are interested, please could you let me know (Jamie Meecham) by Wednesday 25 September. 

This will be an ideal opportunity to represent your user group and input in to the development of the ePortfolio. 

I look forward to receiving your submissions, the successful candidate will be informed a week after the deadline.

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Manager | Quality Assurance

Tel: 020 3188 7642

All staff associated with teaching in the School, trainers, educational supervisors, clinical supervisors, course organisers, tutors, fellows etc are eligible for full-fee Deanery bursaries to take Primary Care modules from the University of Bath programme.

Bursaries are now available to undertake the new module Common Musculoskeletal Conditions in Primary Care which received excellent feedback from staff and trainees earlier this year. The course is mainly studied online with one clinical study day on a Saturday in November. The module includes clinical examination and joint injection techniques and provides online access to three key e-books in musculoskeletal medicine, sports injuries and joint injections, and to Anatomy.tv the online 3-D Anatomy resource.

‘Resources were excellent especially Warburton's. MCQs, Case studies and quizzes were excellent’

‘The clinical day away was super, I would encourage more of this’.

The course starts on 30 September.  

Full fee bursaries are limited in number so if you are interested please contact the Director of Studies, Tim Bilham, t.d.bilham@bath.ac.uk, as soon as possible.

Buy the latest CSA DVD Series 4 (2013) "An update on the recent changes"

CSA Series 4

Includes new cases and an update on the recent changes to the CSA.  Produced by Drs Mark Coombe, Jeremy Stupple and Chris Elfes, CSA Trainers and Examiners

Only £28, plus £2.50 p&p

This 4th DVD shows the new examination centre at 30 Euston square, the introduction of the iPad and the change in emphasis in some cases for example; the use of younger role players, a wider range of physical examination and the importance of safe prescribing.

Other DVDs in the series

To order

Tel: 020 3188 7710

Email: wessex@rcgp.org.uk

Website: http://www.rcgp.org.uk/shop/books/new-and-noteworthy/a-guide-to-the-csa-series-4.aspx

Large discounts negotiable on orders over 100 DVDs

Free Postage and Packing on orders of 3 or more different DVD’s

BBT is a two-year structured core training programme providing six-month placements in Core Medical Training, General Practice, Paediatrics and Psychiatry followed by CT/ST2 level training in one of the four specialties, subject to satisfactory progression.

The first trainees started in post on 7th August 2013, and we are now turning our attention to recruiting the next cohort to start in August 2014.

If you are coming to the BMJ Careers Fair on 18th and 19th October 2013, please come and visit us at Stand 75 and do look out for our article on BBT, likely to be published in the 5th October edition of the BMJ.

Further information on the GP aspects of BBT recruitment can be found via http://www.gprecruitment.org.uk/index.html. The GP website is likely to be updated for recruitment 2014 by the end of September 2013.

We have a dedicated website, which will be kept updated with all the latest BBT news. Please see https://www.nwpgmd.nhs.uk/bbt.

Please send any queries to: nwd.bbt@nw.hee.nhs.uk

Follow us on Twitter @NHS_BBT

Dear Doctor

As part of the development of the School of Primary Care at Severn PGME, we organise a number of regular educational courses and events for our Faculty members (Educational and Clinical Supervisors, GP Educators and Associate Postgraduate Deans).  The involvement of GP ST3 and ST2 trainees is absolutely critical and an extremely valuable resource to the success of each.  In addition to it being a contribution to the development of your teachers and supervisors, such sessions are hugely educational for specialist trainees and the feedback we receive is usually excellent.  Some of these areas where your assistance is required are as follows: 

• Prospective and Experienced Educational Supervisors’ courses
• Advanced Trainer courses
• Practice Re-Approval visits to approved training and Foundation practices 

We expect all GP ST registrars to become involved in a share of these and this policy has been approved by the Severn GP ST Committee.  It is unlikely that you will need to attend more than one course during each academic year and I am writing to request your attendance for one day at either each of the three remaining courses scheduled for this year or your attendance at one of the three courses which will be scheduled for early 2014.  We require GP ST2 trainees and ST3 registrars to assist on Day 4 of the Prospective Educational Supervisors’ courses (PESCs) or on Day 2 of the Experienced Educational Supervisors’ courses (EESCs).  Your attendance will be required from approximately 10.00 am until 3.30 pm.  This is counted as professional leave and is extra to study and annual leave.   

May I add that we usually require you to bring a DVD of 2 - 4 of your consultations in general practice and three cases for CBD.  However, any preparatory requirements will be confirmed prior to each course.

The venue for the 5-Day PESCs is Eastwood Park Conference Centre, near Falfield, South Gloucestershire and our 2-Day residential EESCs are held at Guyers House Conference Centre in Corsham near Bath.       

You will appreciate the good quality teaching that you receive from your GP supervisor and I am sure you will know that supervisors are continually updating their skills.  Every three years they attend a refresher course when they learn about recent developments in training and practise new skills on ST2 trainees and ST3 registrars.  Many registrars have helped in this way in the past, and have found it a valuable insight into the process of training. They have learned some useful tips about consulting, received some helpful feedback, learned some principles of teaching and learning and have enjoyed a nice lunch.  Contributing to courses like this is an excellent way of developing the registrar’s own e-portfolio, particularly in the "teaching" section.  

As the focus of the course is on the supervisor or prospective supervisor, rather than the trainee/registrar, even when a DVD of a consultation is shown, it is not appropriate to carry out a COT.  This is because the attention of the supervisors and the facilitators is on developing the supervisors’ skills and often only part of the consultation will be viewed so that the supervisor can try out new phrases and techniques.  However, registrars/trainees can gain ideas for development and useful personal feedback by being part of this process. 

After consultation with your supervisor at your current practice, please confirm on which of the following courses you will be able to assist.  Further details will be confirmed nearer the time of each course.  I appreciate this leaves four weeks prior to the first course but I wished to allow you a couple of weeks to settle in to your new practices prior to requesting your assistance.  The course dates are as follows: 

EESC:  Attendance required on Friday, 20 September 2013 

EESC:  Attendance required on Friday, 11 October 2013 

PESC:  Attendance required on Thursday,  21 November 2013 

We hope you will take up this interesting and informative opportunity to develop the skills of our GP supervisors and that you enjoy spending time with them at a friendly, conducive venue.  The School will reimburse your travelling costs at a rate of 67 pence per mile.    

For further details please email Jackie Pullin or ring on 01454 252682

The release was completed as planned to the Trainee ePortfolio on Friday 16 August. This included several fixes to remedy widespread user issues, details can be found below. This information will also be made available online via the login page in due course.

Also included below are details for the next fixes we aim to make (subject to change). These are planned to be released to the site for the morning of Wednesday 28 August, the site will be unavailable between 8am and 11am. 

Finally please familiarise yourself with the list of outstanding priority issues for us to resolve entered at the end of the page. I am continuing to collect and collate issues, please email Jamie Meecham if you identify any new ones. 

RCGP Trainee ePortfolio – bug fixes Friday 16 August 2013

Please see below release notes for bug fixes and updates that have now been applied to the website: 

• Page timeout – Address an issue where entries are not saved to the database. An increase has been made to the timeout in line with expected behaviour and additional save signposts and buttons have been inserted in to the learning log. 
• Add/Edit Posts – Slow pages, unable to update records. Improvement to this function in speed and stability. 
• Educators’ Notes – Add Note button missing for Admins. Button restored. 
• Advisor role – visibility/access to expected Trainees, and display in alphabetical order. Applied to this role and Panel roles for consistency. 
• AKT/CSA – display of date in progress to certification where a ‘pass’ has been achieved. 
• Educational Supervisor Review layout – save/cancel functions were being obscured by text boxes. 
• CCT – Advisory message for completed Trainees corrected. 
• ARCP Summary Table – Update to ordering of records by date for consistency. 
• Database – Various bug fixes. 

The next update is scheduled for the morning of Wednesday 28 August 2013

Developers are already working on various fixes, please see below list for those areas we aim to address with this release (this may be subject to change): 

• Add User – Administrators are unable to create new users e.g. Trainers, Supervisors where the password field is missing.
• MSF – Assessments cannot be entered on a code that shows as valid for today’s date.
• ARCP – Regional Admins are not able to view ARCPs signed by the Chair.
• Evidence Table –the summary of evidence by ‘all years – all reviews’ is incorrect.
• Evidence Table – correct the display of MSF and PSQ results by review period.
• Skills Log – Visibility of comments in ESR.
• Skills Log – linking to DOPS forms.
• CSA – Results layout with in-page contextual guidelines regarding feedback.
• Learning Logs – The ‘courses’ category may have been transposed to Reading or Out of Hours in the data migration for some Trainees.

RCGP Trainee ePortfolio - Known issues

Here is an up-to-date list of the higher priority known issues that have been raised for fixing to our developers. They are being worked on based upon number of users affected, the functionality they relate to and the impact to usage of the site. 

• Browser Issues – Some browsers behave differently. We are working to improve consistency across platforms. 
• Applied for CCT – adding a timestamp. 
• ARCP – validation of mandatory fields update and pdf layout. 
• Email notifications – emails being received multiple times. 
• Layout – updating Educators’ Notes, Learning Log and Competence Feedback to display ‘up front’ and in an easily readable format (column widths). 
• Text not visible – html tags can render some text entries invisible, database clean up. 
• Import Posts – Improve Import posts error messaging. 
• Curriculum Coverage – Some Trainees see ‘0’ despite having linked learning logs. 
• Speed – General site speed issues.

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Manager | Quality Assurance

Tel: 020 3188 7642

Regarding the planned hot fix for today (Wednesday) - unfortunately this fix could not successfully be applied as expected and will now be included with the update on Friday.

Regards 

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Manager | Quality Assurance

Tel: 020 3188 7642

Thank you for your feedback on the new site and for your patience whilst we address ongoing issues to establish a more stable application. 

I am writing to confirm that an update will be made early tomorrow (Wednesday 14 August) to resolve the issue affecting the speed of the add/edit post function. 

There will also be a release on Friday which will focus on resolving the timeout issues for Trainees in the learning log section. There are a number of bugs still to address, please see the attached for an overview of the higher priority areas. 

If you become aware of any bugs or issues that are not on this list please email me Jamie Meecham with the specifics and I will add them in. 

Regards 

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Manager | Quality Assurance

Tel: 020 3188 7642

In order to address some bugs in the Trainee ePortfolio there will be a minor release to the site on Friday morning - in order to complete this work, the site will be taken offline between 8am and 11am. 

Fixes address the following issues: 

• Admins add/edit posts - users may experience issues trying to add/edit posts for Trainees.
• Session timeout - users web sessions timeout resulting in work not being saved to the database (eg, learning log entries).
• Additional fixes - further details will be circulated in due course. 

There will be further releases after this to introduce fixes, this is currently planned for the morning of Wednesday 28 August and the morning of Wednesday 4 September, more details will be made available ahead of time. We apologise for any inconvenience this downtime may cause. 

Regards

Jamie Meecham

ePortfolio Manager | Quality Assurance

Tel: 020 3188 7642

On behalf of the AKT Clinical Lead, I am writing to let you know that the AKT presentation for candidates and trainers has been updated. The presentation can be downloaded as a PowerPoint file from the RCGP website via the link below: 

AKT presentation for candidates and trainers

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any queries.

Best regards

Chris Chivers

Knowledge Test Manager | Exams and Assessment

Tel: 020 3188 7621

For further information on CSA and AKT exams please click here. 

With the great British summer we are having, what better way to get around than by bike? It is sustainable, healthy and economical. Dr Annie Elkins, our ST3 sustainability scholar in 2011/12 would agree. 

Did you know GP trainees employed by Gloucester Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (the host employer) can claim 10p per mile for cycling to undertake GP home visits and other work-related activity?   As with usual expenses, claims need to be:

• Fully itemised i.e. Including to and from details, total mileage, and dates of claim
• Made within 3 months of the activity
• For work-related activity only
• Signed off by an authorised approver 

Don’t have a bike?  You may be able to apply for one on the cycle to work scheme.  Gloucester Hospitals are members of the cycle to work scheme.  Now that GP trainees are employed by them you can sign up to get a bike! There is no waiting period to be able to apply; however you need to have a contract which has at least 12 months remaining to cover the contract term. 

All staff of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who have a permanent contract of employment with the Trust, or a fixed term/temporary contract which is due to last at least 12 months from the date of joining the scheme are eligible.  In addition, staff must be earning enough to ensure that the salary sacrifice does not take their hourly rate of pay below the National Minimum Wage (it may be possible to avoid this happening by extending the ‘hire period’ from 12 months to 18 or 24 months).  The Trust will check all this when you apply to join the scheme. 

If you leave the employment of the Trust during the 12 month hire period, the outstanding repayment will not be through salary sacrifice, and you will not benefit from savings in tax, National Insurance etc. 

Sound like something you want to consider?  Contact Richard Giles for more information.

Dear ST1 Trainee 

Congratulations - you made it! 

Welcome to the Severn Deanery, School of Primary Care.  We are genuinely delighted to have you working with us for the next three years and we are completely convinced that you will be both happy and thrive during your time here. 

By now, I anticipate most of you will be in active contact with your programme team and new educational supervisor.  There are so many things to take on board during the next few weeks that it is easy to become overwhelmed.  Could I just ask you however to prioritise setting up your AiT arrangements with the RCGP - which will in turn allow you to access your e-portfolio?  This probably fits into the “boring but important category”, but is absolutely crucial. 

If you are interested in engaging with the University of Bath MSc in Primary Care your local programme directors will be able to advise.  At the moment we are covering the costs of this higher degree - something unique within the UK deaneries. 

Most information that you could possibly want is available on our website.  If it isn't, then the GP programme managers at your medical education centres will know the answer… or know someone who does. 

Do enjoy yourselves.  And of course work hard…!

Best wishes

Prof Bill Irish

Director of General Practice Education

Dear ST3 

Just a final note from us at the deanery to both congratulate you on your CCT and to wish you every success for the future.  It was lovely for our faculty to see so many of you at the excellence awards and to be able to celebrate your achievements. 

The “class of 2010” will long stay in our memories as a truly vintage year! 

A couple of final points.  

• Firstly, Severn (like Mercedes) offer a full aftercare service and warranty for all of our graduates.  You will find useful links to our post-CCT work on the deanery website.  In particular could I draw your attention to our recently published (free) guide “surviving as a new GP” written by Knut, Holly, Steve, Lucy and Clare.  It is downloadable from: http://www.primarycare.severndeanery.nhs.uk/training/qualified-gps/  
• Finally, Severn faculty of the RCGP is desperately keen to stay in contact with you.  In particular their mentoring scheme for newly qualified GPs is utterly brilliant.  If you are living in Bath, Swindon or Wiltshire the college tends to default your membership to their faculty based in Andover, Hants.  However a quick e-mail to Jane Lohmann in the Severn faculty office will sort this easily and painlessly. 

Good luck to you all.

Best wishes

Prof Bill Irish

Director of General Practice Education

Pulse Blogs are looking to start a new 'GPs to Be' blog as well as re-launch their 'First 5' blog, which follows newly qualified GPs in their first five years after qualification.

Any past of present trainees are very welcome to participate. 

For further details, please contact Jessica Baron, Digital Content Manager, Pulse, Tel. 0207 332 2938

www.pulsetoday.co.uk

Follow us on twitter@pulsetoday

Venue:  Engineers' House, Clifton, Bristol

“Not just another brick in the wall.”

Educating medical students – past, present and future

Mr Justin Morgan qualified in 1986 from the Welsh National School of Medicine. He was appointed in 1996 as a general and renal transplant surgeon at the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital before moving to Southmead Hospital in 1998.

His specialist interests include renal transplant, thyroid and parathyroid surgery as well as medical education.

He is Dean of the North Bristol Academy for the University of Bristol having been the Sub-Dean since 1999.

Reception 6.30 pm, Supper 7.15 pm, Lecture 8.15 pm

(Attendance free for lecture. CPD, CME 1 hour)

To attend Reception and meal:

Members and non-members £20, Students – first 5 medical students to apply pay nothing and the next 15 only pay £5

NB: This is a change of date for this talk from the date advertised in the programme

Meal bookings: Please telephone Diana Day on 07931 313765 or email Diana Day by Monday 7^th April (Please note, once booked, meals cancelled after Monday 7^th April will still need to be paid for)

www.bristolmedchi.co.uk

Phase 3 of the TeP implementation plan has been progressing fairly well since Monday 5 August and the team have already identified and fixed a large number of bugs in the live environment. 

Unfortunately they have also identified a number of critical issues, which are currently being addressed and will need to be tested again. A 'critical' bug is something that we can't go live with, so in discussion with the development team it has been decided to delay the release until tomorrow morning 8 August, by which time they should all have been resolved and tested. 

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause, but I hope to reassure you that we are working flat out to resolve these issues as quickly as we can. I'll send a further update tomorrow morning once I have confirmation of the timing of the release.

The School of Primary Care and the Severn Faculty RCGP were delighted to host the MDU GP Trainee Excellence Awards and Michael Lennard Reception on Wednesday 24th July to celebrate the achievements of all GP trainees who have completed their training this year.

For further information please see our 2013 Awards Page

Musculoskeletal medicine course and MSc Primary Care 

All staff associated with teaching in the School are eligible for full-fee Deanery bursaries to either take individual modules on the University of Bath Primary Care or to register for a Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma or MSc in Primary Care. 

The new module Common Musculoskeletal Conditions in Primary Care received excellent feedback from staff and trainees earlier this year and will run again starting on 30 September. The module includes clinical examination and joint injection techniques and provides online access to three key e-books in musculoskeletal medicine, sports injuries and joint injections, and to Anatomy.tv the online 3-D Anatomy resource. 

‘Resources were excellent especially Warburton's. MCQs, Case studies and quizzes were excellent’  

‘The clinical day away in Frome was super, I would encourage more of this’. 

Fees are paid in full by the School and you can also claim credit for previous postgraduate study, such as medical education or professional clinical qualifications, thus fast-tracking to a Bath degree. 

Other modules available this coming academic year include: 

• Learning and Teaching in Primary Care
• Sports Injuries and Rehabilitation
• Evidence-based Practice in Primary Care
• Exercise for Health
• Practice Enquiry
• Exercise physiology
• Psychology of sport and exercise 

If you are interested please contact the Director of Studies, Tim Bilham, as soon as possible.

AKT Preparation Course - Engineers House, Bristol - 5th September 2013 

CSA Preparation Course - Engineers House, Bristol - 12th September 2013 

Please book on the Severn Faculty Page 

For further information please contact Sophie Martin, Severn Events Administrator on Tel: 01454 252729, email: Sophie Martin, or alternatively email: RCGP Severn Faculty

Website: www.rcgp.org.uk

The work to implement the new ePortfolio website is well underway and on schedule to be released on the afternoon of Wednesday 7 August.  

Phases 1 and 2 have been completed successfully and Phase 3 is now underway.

*Only to be invoked in case of the site not being ready to be made available on the 7 August 

We have undertaken load testing on the site twice over the last week and are aware that some pages are loading slower than we would like, though none more than 10 seconds. The test involved 700 concurrent users, which is more than our average of 600 concurrent users at our busiest time of day, so we are hoping that in reality it will actually perform slightly better once live. However, we will continue to monitor it and will make improvements as necessary once the website has gone live. If you experience any slowness issues with pages do let Jamie know, please bear with us in the meantime. 

We've advertised that the site will go live at 12pm on Wednesday but based on current estimated work to be completed, we think it will be nearer to 2pm. We'll send out further updates in due course. 

Jamie is also preparing an update for all users on the major changes, we're sorry for the delay in getting this to you, but in the lead up to the release testing had to take priority I'm afraid. 

For further information please contact Sarah Robinson - Quality & Curriculum Manager | Postgraduate Training, Tel: 020 3188 7644

On behalf of the School Board members, our congratulations are extended to Dr Terry Kemple, TPD Bristol GP Training Programme, with regard to his election to the Council of the RCCP and to Dr Tim Ballard, ES, Old School Surgery, Great Bedwyn near Marlborough with regard to his election as one of the two Vice Chairs of the RCGP.

The College has just issued a press release regarding the extended downtime for the ePortfolio in August.

Press releases are, by their very nature, brief and we thought you might appreciate further details of the ongoing work on the new ePortfolio website.

Final testing and bug fixing is currently underway and due to be completed by Thursday 1 August.

We have decided to bring the start of the downtime forward by 24 hours, to start at 5pm on Thursday 1 August, and this has been publicised in the press release. The intention is to build more time into the implementation schedule. This will allow more time to resolve any issues that might arise. The Phases for the release of the new website are as follows:

*Only to be invoked in case of the site not being ready to be made available on the 7 August

At 5pm on 1 August, the old website will be removed from the servers and all the data backed up – it takes approx 9 hours to run the programme to do this. We cannot proceed without a successful data back-up so this is a critical stage.

However, any problems with completing any of the Phases of the Implementation Plan will likely have a knock-on effect to later phases, so if issues arise it may take the rest of the week before the site goes live. We would therefore strongly advise you not to plan any Panels, Induction events or other educational sessions using the ePortfolio during that week.

We have also agreed a contingency plan in the event that additional work may need to be completed. We have planned and tested as much as we can to mitigate any potential issues, but there is always the possibility that something cannot be resolved in the time allowed. The plan in this scenario is to ensure that (a version of) the website is up and running by Monday 12 August at the very latest.

Depending on the nature of the problem arising, we will take a decision during the previous week whether to continue attempts to fix the problem with the new website or to reschedule the release and reinstall the old website. If this does happen, the problems will be thoroughly investigated and a new release date set and advertised in due course.

If the release goes well and it is up and running by 12pm on Wednesday 7 August as planned, there will be a number of planned short periods of downtime as follows:

• Thursday 8, Friday 9, Monday 12, Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 16 August - TeP will be unavailable for short periods of time to be confirmed - This is to accommodate a post release maintenance schedule 
• Monday 19, Wednesday 28 August and Wednesday 4 September - TeP will be unavailable for short periods of time to be confirmed - This is to accommodate a post release maintenance schedule

During the course of the Implementation Phases we plan to communicate updates to users so that people will be aware early on if we are encountering issues and there are likely to be delays to the release. We will also continue to update all stakeholder groups as appropriate in the lead up to the release.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact Jamie Meecham

Dear Practice Managers and Supervisors,

At this time of year we arrange payments to your practices for the following activity:

Due to the School of Primary Care changing from being employed by South West Strategic Health Authority to Health Education South West (HESW) there are additional steps we need to take to raise payments in this year.

As such there will be a delay in sending these payments to you. We will aim to make payments as soon as possible, but some may only be completed by the end of August.

I am sorry for the delay.

For more information on faculty payments, please click here 

Kind regards,

Shara Paulo, Severn GP Education Manager

Written in association with the Severn School of Primary Care, the RCGP Severn Faculty, Concord Medical Centre and the RCGP First5 Programme this short guide helps newly qualified GPs make the most out of their first few years in practice. Download your free copy now and discover how to make life as a new GP more enjoyable, rewarding and fun.

Dear all,

I am pleased to report we have an updated trainee induction handbook (thanks to the GPST committee) and updated practice welcome pack (thanks to practice manager Janet Biard) available on the school website. To download a copy ahead of your next placement, please use the following links:

Trainee Induction

Practice Welcome Template

Kind regards,

Shara Paulo

Severn GP Education Manager

Here is the July edition of the BMA newsletter for GP Trainees.

BMA Newsletter

The new date for the Careers Fair 2014 is now confirmed as 9th April 2014

We would like to draw your attention to a free online learning course ‘Edward Jenner- Foundation of Leadership’ which is currently being provided by the NHS Leadership Academy.

Eligibility

This course would be ideally suitable and highly beneficial for all first line leaders. The course is designed to be flexible and work to the pace of the individual using online resources.  Please consider whether this programme is relevant for you or members of your team and discuss with them appropriately.

Registering

Registering on the course is easy via this link

Course Details

The course is summarised below:

• Inspired by Edward Jenner, the ‘father of immunology’, this accessible programme is a free online learning course which is designed to give first line leaders confidence and competency within their role.
• The course is designed to help individuals use their own experiences as part of the learning process.
• It’s a flexible, online course which can be learnt at the individuals own pace and compromises of 20 sessions (plus an introduction session). These sessions take approximately 30-40 minutes, and if all 21 sessions are completed the individual will receive an award in the ‘Foundations of Leadership’.
• This course is ideal for all aspiring leaders, from any non-clinical or clinical backgrounds. The only requirements are experience working in healthcare and a desire to improve knowledge and skills.

Further Information

Further information can be found on this course and a number of other leadership courses offered by the NHS Leadership Academy can be found on their web site

Wednesday 24th July 2013, 2pm at Engineers' House, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3NB

It promises to be an exciting, celebratory event incorporating trainee presentations, announcement of the Award winners, a formal welcome to all new Members to the Severn Faculty RCGP, inspiring guest speaker Jamie Andrew and evening BBQ.

Everyone who is planning to attend (including trainees, Educators and Supervisors), must book a place as capacity is limited.

Please book your place by completing the following very short Survey Monkey

Everyone who is planning to attend (including trainees, Educators and Supervisors), must book a place as capacity is limited. You can attend part or all of the event. There is no charge.

2.00 pm  Registration/coffee

2.30 pm  Introductions and welcome; Severn Deanery, Severn Faculty RCGP and the MDU

2.50 pm  Trainee award presentations

4.30 pm  Drinks and exhibition time

5.30 pm  Guest speak - Jamie Andrew

6.30 pm  Severn Faculty RCGP Michael lennard reception: Presentation of certificates to signify completion of MRCGP to St3/4s

7.15 pm BBQ supper and drinks

Guest Speaker: Jamie Andrew

At the height of his climbing career, he was caught in a storm after completing the North Face of Les Droites in the French Alps. He developed severe hypothermia and frostbite, requiring quadruple amputation. Jamie has subsequently gone on to climb several mountains and run the London marathon; his story is both moving and inspiring.

Full information about all GP Trainee Awards

Please contact Pauline Harper if you have any questions.

The RCGP reviews the GP curriculum each year and makes changes where appropriate in response to user feedback and to ensure the content is kept up-to-date. These changes are submitted to the GMC Curriculum Advisory Group for approval.

In January, the RCGP Curriculum Development Group submitted a small number of minor updates for approval by the GMC and the changes listed below have been approved, These will be implemented at the start of the new training year (7 August 2013) and all trainees should use the revised version from that date.

Information about the changes and track-change copies of the statements have been posted on the RCGP website

Amendments to the curriculum statements:

Supporting Carers

Statement 3.01 Healthy People - a new question for reflection has been added to the case illustration (‘What sources of support and advice could I offer to Tracy in her role as carer for other family members?’)

Statement 3.04 Care of Children and Young People – a new key message has been added (‘GPs should be able to recognise the support needs of those children and young people who care for others’)

Updating content and resources

Minor amendments have been made to some statements to bring the content and signposted resources up-to-date. These include the following changes to learning outcomes (additions shown in italics):

Statement 3.01 Healthy people, p6

LO1.1 Understand the concepts of promoting health (salutogenesis), Health and Wellbeing, and quality of life as perceived by patients

Statement 3.09 End-of-life care, page 6

LO1.3 Summarise the principles of palliative care and end-of-life care and how these apply to cancer and non-cancer illnesses such as cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory and infectious diseases

Other updates are in:

1 Being a General Practitioner, p30 Web resources

2.01 The GP Consultation in Practice, p17, 18, 19 Learning resources

2.02 Patient Safety & Quality of Care, p3 Key messages, p18 Web resources

2.03 The GP in the Wider Professional Environment, p7 Case illustration, p20-21 Web resources

2.04 Enhancing Professional Knowledge, p16, 17 Learning resources

3.01 Healthy People, p11 Learning strategies

3.04 Care of Children and Young People, p17 Web resources

3.09 End-of-Life Care, page 6 Introduction to the learning outcomes, p12 Web resources

3.10 Care of People with Mental Health Problems, p16, 18 Learning resources

3.11 Care of People with Intellectual Disability, p13-16 Learning resources

3.12 Cardiovascular Health, p13 Web resources

3.14 Care of People who Misuse Drugs and Alcohol, p12 Learning strategies, p15 Learning resources

3.15 Care of People with ENT, Oral and Facial Problems, p13 Learning resources

3.16 Care of People with Eye Problems, p10, 12 Learning resources

3.17 Care of People with Metabolic Problems, p14 Learning resources

3.18 Care of People with Neurological Problems, p12 Web resources

3.20 Care of People with Musculoskeletal Problems, p3 Key messages

Correcting textual errors

We have identified and corrected some textual errors and clarifications in the following statements:

1 Being a General Practitioner

2.03 The GP in the Wider Professional Environment

3.01 Healthy People

3.06 Women’s health

3.08 Sexual Health

3.09 End-of-Life Care

3.15 Care of People with ENT, Oral and Facial Problems

3.17 Care of People with Metabolic Problems

Updating of obsolete website links

We have updated weblinks in the following statements:

1 Being a General Practitioner

2.02 Patient Safety & Quality of Care

2.03 The GP in the Wider Professional Environment

2.04 Enhancing Professional Knowledge

3.01 Healthy People

3.03 Care of Acutely Ill People

3.04 Care of Children and Young People

3.06 Women’s health

3.10 Care of People with Mental Health Problems

3.11 Care of People with Intellectual Disability

3.12 Cardiovascular Health

3.12 Digestive health

3.15 Care of People with ENT, Oral and Facial Problems

3.20 Care of People with Musculoskeletal Problems

We welcome applications from people wishing to undertake a full-time or part-time PhD related to General Practice medical training in the West Midlands, UK. The research must have a practical as well as a theoretical focus, so that it could help to improve the training of GPs and hence benefit patients. For example, there is concern that spoken communication and reading/writing difficulties may be involved when some trainees fail the final knowledge test (Applied Knowledge Test) or the final Clinical Skills Assessment. The research could investigate the nature of one of these difficulties and potential strategies for overcoming it.

Application details and further information on undertaking a PhD in the School of Education, University of Birmingham.

For general information on studying for a PhD at the University of Birmingham, order your bespoke copy of the new Doctoral Research Prospectus

Funding Notes: The Primary Care Research Trust is a West Midlands medical charity that wishes to fund one PhD student by paying the home/ EU fees (not subsistence) 

Best Wishes

Dr Martin Wilkinson, Director of General Practice Postgraduate Education, Health Education West Midlands  

Tip: When planning induction for a new Registrar, consider doing a short quiz for the Registrar to complete, asking questions about some common practice procedures, staff roles and names, etc.

Reason this may be useful: When a Registrar starts working in a GP surgery, it is helpful if they have some practice documentation to help them learn about their new working environment. For example, it is useful to have a list of staff names and roles, some basic practice procedures, some useful telephone numbers, etc. As well as providing information, a quiz encourages the Registrar to ask questions of receptionists, secretaries, and other colleagues, so that new colleagues get to know each other. A quiz can also be more fun and interesting than just reading lots of information.

With thanks to Damian Kenny FRCGP FHEA Cert Med Ed GMC No. 2702256 Community Education Advisor in General Practice for Gloucestershire, Severn Deanery Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Here is the News Bulletin for RCGP Severn Faculty - Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Bath and North East Somerset and part of Wiltshire

Congratulations to Sarah Macrow, who is the registrar at Leckhampton Surgery.  She has just won the prize for best GP teacher in Year 3.  Her education supervisor is Martin Nicholas.

Barbara Laue's scheme for training the registrars to teach students in Year 3 has been very successful and last year we launched a series of Best GP teacher prizes (one for each year of the MB ChB programme).  This is the first time that a registrar has won a prize.

Sarah was presented with the prize by Dr Andrew Blythe at this year's Summer Education Day for the Primary Care School of Social & Community Medicine.

 We need doctors to join the team as new authors for the 10th edition of the bestselling Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine.

We’re looking for people who are:

• Interested in the philosophy of medicine and ready to challenge the status quo
• Committed to excellence with a talent for writing
• Excellent at time management
• Level ST3 or above and registered with a Royal College

Interested?

Click here to find out more

Job opportunity: Sustainable Specialties Programme Manager

The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare is seeking a dynamic and motivated individual with clinical experience, to assist in managing our expanding Sustainable Specialties programmes. Permanent position. £35,000 pa.

Closing date for applications: 22 July 2013.

Full details

The Royal College of General Practitioners provides recommendations to the General Medical Council on applications for a Certificate of Eligibility for General Practice Registration (CEGPR). The role of panel members is to evaluate the evidence presented by applicants and determine whether this demonstrates equivalence to the requirements for a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT).

The RCGP is seeking to recruit new panel members. Applicants should:

• Have experience of management of GP training at a senior level
• Have experience of assessing evidence objectively against standards
• Have an eye for detail whilst being able to synthesise evidence succinctly

Applicants will be expected to review a number of applications per year (three panel members review each application) and attend two panel meetings / workshops each year. An induction day will be held in the autumn.

Applicants should provide a CV and covering letter to Kate Farbey.   

The closing date for applications is Friday 16th August 2013.

Dr Kevin Hill, RCGP Certification Lead, would be happy to discuss the role with anyone attracted to this interesting and important role. He can be contacted on 07971 956 668 by email.

SENT ON BEHALF OF GOVERNANCE AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT - RCGP

Please note below deadlines for the following Awards.  Application details of all College Awards are also available on the RCGP website

Adolescent healthcare award - Deadline 30 June 2013

In memory of Dr Kathy Phipps. Award of £2,500 and a commemorative plaque for a GP or practice who has demonstrated a significant innovation or improvement in the standard of care provided for young people over the previous two years. The award presented at the RCGP’s AGM. Criteria

GP speciality trainee awards - Deadline: 12 July 2013

Awarded for original and innovative work undertaken during GP speciality training. Up to five winners will attend the RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference taking place this year in Harrogate, 3–5 October 2013. The theme is ‘Progressive Primary Care’. Criteria

Great expectations bursaries - Deadline: 31 July 2013

Several bursaries will be available to attend the RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference taking place in, Harrogate, 3–5 October 2013. The theme is ‘Progressive Primary Care’.  Criteria/Application form

Caring about carers award 2013 - Closing date: 31 July 2013

These awards are run by the RCGP in partnership with the Carers’ Trust and Carers UK. Patients and carers who feel that they have been helped and supported by their GP or GP practice are encouraged to nominate.  Individual awards are made to practices in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with an overall award for the GP or practice judged to have made the biggest difference or improvement to carers’ lives.  Application forms for patients to nominate their GP practice are available from Carers Trust and Carers UK  Download the Guidance to making a nomination

Kind regards

Mayuri Patel, Administrative Assistant (Awards and Committees) | Governance and Knowledge Management, Tel: 020 3188 7537

The following courses are available to book NOW. Please follow the links below to download the booking forms and post to Severn Faculty with your deposit cheque. Contact information is included on the form.

AKT Preparation Course

5th September 2013 at Engineers' House, Bristol BS8 3NB  

http://www.rcgp.org.uk/rcgp-near-you/faculties/sw-england-and-wales-region/~/media/Files/RCGP-Faculties/SW-England-Wales/Severn/AKT%205th%20September%202013%20v1%201.ashx

CSA Preparation Course

12 September 2013 at Engineers' House, Bristol BS8 3NB 

http://www.rcgp.org.uk/rcgp-near-you/faculties/sw-england-and-wales-region/~/media/Files/RCGP-Faculties/SW-England-Wales/Severn/CSA%2012%20Sept%202013%20v1.ashx

The forms are also downloadable from the Severn Faculty RCGP home page

Best wishes

Jane Lohmann, Severn Faculty Administrator, Severn Faculty | Royal College of General Practitioners

Tel: 01454 252728 | alternative email: severn@rcgp.org.uk | Website: www.rcgp.org.uk

SAVE THE DATE!! 

This is due to be held on Wednesday 23 April 2014 at Engineers’ House, Bristol, BS8 3NB

The event will include interesting Plenary speakers and you will have an opportunity to attend some very exciting workshops, for example Setting up as a locum, Expedition Medicine and learning about organising your finances. Final details will be at a later date. Lunch and refreshments are included. The event will have a relevant and high quality programme.

The event will be organised by the Central Leadership Scholar, Severn Deanery and the Event Administrator from Severn Faculty RCGP.

Best wishes

Jane Lohmann, Severn Faculty Administrator, Severn Faculty | Royal College of General Practitioners

Tel: 01454 252728 | alternative email: severn@rcgp.org.uk | Website: www.rcgp.org.uk

Have you ever wanted to work with a supportive and non-judgmental colleague to help you think through topics like undertaking a new role, managing a team, dealing with challenging work relationships; introducing changes to working practices, developing your job in innovative ways or long term planning for your career.

What holds you back? Do you find yourself saying:

I don’t like to bother people. Everyone is so busy;

I don’t like to ask for help;

I feel I should ‘just know’ this – I don’t want people to find out that I don’t (known as the all-too-common ‘impostor syndrome’).

The Professional Support and Development (PSD) Team, within the Severn Deanery, can offer GP Trainees the opportunity to do this in a safe and supportive environment by working with one of the PSD Support Coaches in a pilot scheme which is aimed at supporting trainee development needs and at the same time providing further training for the coaches.

For further information, please contact  Lynn Hodgson, Support and Development Manager, on 01454 252651 or Kirsty Merrills, Operational Support Manager, on 01454 252669.

Closing Date: Monday 31st July 2013.

For all educational and clinical supervisors

The current re-approvals spreadsheet is now available to view.

The Substance Misuse Scholarship and the Technology Scholarship now have a closing deadline of Friday 21st June, 2013.

Substance Misuse Scholarship - full details

Technology Scholarship - full details

All GPs, GP trainees and secondary care doctors are warmly invited. 

Appraisal and Revalidation - Everything you need to get through!

Tuesday 25th June 2013, 9.30am - 4pm, Engineers' House, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3NB

Course Content and Learning Objectives - Please click here for full information.

The course offers accurate information about the requirements of appraisal and revalidation, and practical advice and experience to help ensure that you get through. Whether you have your first appraisal coming up or are coming to the end of your career, have struggled with previous appraisals or simply want to know what you need to do to get through as efficiently as possible, this is the course for you.

The mixed interactive and practical sessions will ensure that participants:

• Become familiar with the requirements of appraisal in the context of revalidation, and to know options for collecting the required supporting information
• Develop skills at making effective changes to your practice
• Develop skills at writing reflective journal entries, and
• Know the principles behind, and practise giving constructive feedback

Speakers/ Facilitators

• Dr Martyn Hewett, APD for Appraisal and Revalidation, Severn Deanery School of Primary Care and Severn Faculty RCGP
• Dr Peter Saunders, Appraisal Lead for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire
• Dr Liz Alden, Education Lead, Severn Faculty RCGP

Delegate Fees

• Avon GP Education members - Free of charge
• RCGP Members - £75
• Doctors who are not members of either the RCGP or Avon GP Education - £90

Book your place now

Use one of the following options to book your place on this course:

• Book and pay online via the RCGP website
• Avon GP Education members should book their free place on this course via the Avon GP Education website
• Or complete the attached booking form and return it with your cheque to Avon GP Education - full details are on the form.

Please do contact Mandy Williams (0117 970 2755) or Jane Lohmann (01454 252 728) if you have any queries about this course.

Dear GP Registrar

Over the past two years or so, Severn Deanery School of Primary Care and the Australian Medical Association (WA) have been working together on an initiative that will provide newly graduated general practitioners with the opportunity to work for 6 – 12 months in Western Australia before settling into a GP practice in the UK. The intent is to provide a medical experience that will enhance your career for the future.

It is hoped that the relationship between the two organisations will develop to become a regular feature for doctors graduating as GPs through the Severn Deanery.

In the first instance a couple of placements are offered for 2014 for GP Registrars graduating in 2013. Depending on the number of applications a selection process maybe required. For more information on the initiative and to make application please click here.

Applications for this initiative should be returned to Julie Edwards, GP Recruitment Manager with a cc to Noelle Jones at the AMA (WA) by 30 June 2013.

Dr Paul Main, Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer Universities of Bath and Bristol, Deputy Director & Associate Dean, School of Primary Care,

Tip: During the last few months of a Registrar’s training, encourage them to be ‘first in line’ for short periods, eg during a partner’s holiday.

Reason this may be useful: Once the Registrar has completed their formal assessments, and is coming towards the end of their training period, it is helpful for them to increase their workload towards that of a fully qualified GP. When a partner is on holiday, it can be a good opportunity for the Registrar to deal with all their paperwork, and miscellaneous queries. This will expose them not only to increased workload, but also to some unusual or even novel problems which they may not have seen whilst working as a Registrar. They still have the opportunity to discuss unusual problems with their supporting GP colleagues, but by being first in line to deal with all problems, the Registrar has the opportunity of preparing for a real working role in a supportive environment.

The application deadline for the 2013 - 2014 School of Primary Care scholarship programme has now been extended to Tuesday, 11th June, 2013.

Full details about all scholarships

For all qualified GPs

We now have an updated Revalidation update which gives comprehensive guidance on the process.

Best wishes,

Dr Martyn Hewett MBChB DCH FRCGP MSc, APD for Appraisal, Support & Development Severn Deanery School of Primary Care

Trainees and supervisors will be interested to hear that the ePortfolio update this August is going to implement some significant changes to the look, feel and functionality of the system, which should address many of the concerns that users have had over recent years. This update will transfer all existing portfolios over to totally new software and requires a planned downtime between 5pm, Friday 2 August and 12pm, Wednesday 7 August 2013.

Improvements include:

• new modern look with familiar windows functions
• more functional learning log
• ability to hyperlink to evidence in reviews
• ES enters ratings below trainee's and can explicitly agree or disagree with trainee's assessment
• Clearer cumulative tables to show progression in competency evidence and curriculum coverage
• PDP entries populated from ESR

Click here for more information and click here for a preview of the updated layout.  More information on specific improvements and changes will be made available ahead of the release.

Guidance on use of the new software will also appear on the WPBA pages of the deanery website by August.

Dr John Edwards, Deanery Assessment Lead, Severn Deanery School of Primary Care

The application deadline for the 2013 - 2014 School of Primary Care scholarship programme has been extended to Tuesday, 4th June, 2013.

Full details about all scholarships

The Education Resource Locator is an exciting new deanery initiative.

This single point of access for local education events has been developed in conjunction with local Education Provider Organisations and is an evolution of the Severn Appraisal toolkit.

The education events page is freely open without password protection.  As well as listing local courses and study days, it will also gradually build with other useful education resources such as websites and podcasts.  You can search for events by locality, date or event type.  Additionally, the ERL browser “tree” allows you to search for events by learning need.

Jim Morison FRCGP, Associate Postgraduate Dean, Severn Deanery School of Primary Care

Dear Trainee

Please could the Deanery ask for some feedback about the local Education Provider Organisations (EPOs).  The survey should take 2 minutes to complete.

Please click on this link

Thank you

Jim Morison FRCGP, Associate Postgraduate Dean, Severn Deanery School of Primary Care

This innovative, exciting programme will enable development of clinical skills, new knowledge & learning to prepare Practice Nurses for their role in general practice.

The programme involves

• 4 hour introduction to the 12 month online programme resources
• Only 5 workshops(over 12 months)
• Competency led (clinical skills achieved in the workplace)
• Portfolio assessed
• Provision of workplace support for practice nurse team
• Opportunity for accreditation (15 credits L3 /LM)

Dates

• 18th September 2013 (Introduction ½ day)

Following workshop dates can be attended individually:

• 16th October 2013 - Clinical Skills e.g. ECG, Phlebotomy, STI screening
• 11th December 2013 - Immunisations/ Vaccinations
• 12th March 2014 - Wound Care Management
• 14th May 2014 - Ear care
• 9th July 2014 - Physical Assessment
• 10th September 2014 (Submission date for module applicants)

Cost

• £80 per individual day
• £553 full course without credits
• Additional cost for accreditation

Venue

• Glenside Campus, Bristol

To book places please contact the CPD team by E-mail HLS.studydays@uwe.ac.uk
Telephone +44 (0)117 32 81161

For further course information, please click here and here

For all current ST1 and ST2 trainees 

Here in Severn, we are really lucky to have a friendly GPST committee that is actively involved in the deanery, as well as having representation at local LMC committees, the BMA and the RCGP AIT committee. Every year we elect a new committee who represent trainees from all over the Severn deanery patches. The committee meets 6 times a year to discuss issues affecting trainees.

The following positions are available for election for the 2013/2014 session:

• Chair: Chairs the meetings, attends regular school board and deanery meetings.
• Vice-Chair: Supports the chair, attends meetings when chair is not available.
• Secretary: Organises the agenda and minutes for meetings, manages the committee email account.
• Treasurer: Manages the committee accounts and finances
• Social secretary: Organises social events for GPST trainees in the deanery
• Patch Lead(s):
  • Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Gloucester/Cheltenham, Somerset. Submit a patch report before each meeting detailing any concerns and feedback raised by trainees.
• LMC rep:  Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Avon, Somerset. Attends local LMC meetings and reports back to the committee.

Externally elected positions:

• BMA rep - see BMA website for election details
• RCGP AIT rep - see RCGP website for election details

If you would like to be involved or get further information, please email us at severngpcommittee@gmail.com

The elections will take place at our next meeting on June 13th at Deanery House at 2pm. If you would like to stand for a position, please come to this meeting to meet us all for the election. If you are unable to attend, please could you send us a written statement detailing why you would like to be on the committee, and your previous committee experience.

The positions are open to all years of training so do come along and get involved.

Best wishes, Diana Rodrigues, Vice-Chair GTST committee.

For the attention of: GP ST3/4 Trainees/ Educational Supervisors/Clinical Supervisors/Training Programme Directors/Programme Administrators (bc)

 Dear all

Severn Deanery has many accomplished GP trainees involved in a wide range of activities. The annual GP Trainee Awards aim to encourage and reward outstanding achievement. This culminates in the celebratory MDU GP Trainee Excellence Awards and Michael Lennard Reception on the afternoon of Wednesday 24th July 2013, organised by the Severn Deanery and Severn Faculty RCGP. 

We are delighted to have secured a significant sponsorship arrangement with the MDU to support both excellence and talent management.

Call for nominations for the MDU GP Trainee Excellence Awards 2013

GP Trainee Excellence Awards available in 2013:

• Academic/ Research Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Avon LMC
• Clinical Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Wesleyan
• Learning & Development Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by the Medical Defence Union (replaces the Education Award)
• Green Practice Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Dr Tim Ballard
• Leadership Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Frome Medical Practice
• Excellence Award for Medical Work outside the GP training programme, £200, sponsored by Severn Faculty RCGP
• Excellence Award for Personal Achievement outside medicine, £200, sponsored by Swindon Trainers' Group

Complete the nomination form to propose any ST3/4 trainee who will finish/ has finished GP training between August 2012 and August 2013 (September 2012 to September 2013 for Scholars). Nominations are warmly welcomed from trainees, Educational and Clinical Supervisors, TPDs, APDs, Deanery and Lay, Clinical and Academic colleagues. The closing date for nominations is Wednesday 19th June 2013.

The GPST Programme (Patch) Awards 2013

One GPST Programme (Patch) Award for £100 is available in each of the five GPST Programmes (Patches), and all are sponsored by BrisDoc. The winning ST3/4s are selected entirely by ballot of the trainees in each Patch.

The Robin While Prize 2013

The Robin While Prize will be award to the Severn Deanery GP Trainee of the Year. This may be awarded to a winner of an Excellence Award, or to a trainee attaining a single remarkable achievement or excellence across a breadth of activities.

Full information about the nomination, shortlisting and final selection for all the Awards is now available here

Severn Deanery and Severn Faculty RCGP
MDU GP Trainee Excellence Awards and Michael Lennard Reception
Wednesday 24th July 2013, 2pm - 7pm
Engineers' House, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3NB

Save the Date, and book your place now!

This joint Severn Deanery and Severn Faculty RCGP event, sponsored by the MDU, celebrates all ST3/4s' completion of GP training. Full details of the programme and guest speaker will follow shortly, and the event promises to be both inspiring and celebratory. It will incorporate presentations from shortlisted Excellence Award candidates, final selection and announcement of Award winners, and the Michael Lennard Reception where all GPST 3/4s completing training this year are formally presented with a certificate to mark successful completion of MRCGP and welcome them as Members of the Severn Faculty RCGP. The evening barbecue will follow this. 

All are warmly invited. It forms the last day of the GPST Programme so all ST3/4 GP trainees are expected to attend.

If you are planning to attend (including ST3/4s) please complete this short Survey Monkey to book your place.

Please contact Pauline Harper if you have any queries, or to submit your nominations.

We are offering up to five OOPE placements for trainees who are beginning their ST2 year in August, 2013.  Click here for full information and an application form.

Applications are now open.  The closing deadline is 12th June, 2013.

Attention all AiTs, First5 GPs, Foundation Trainees and Medical Students!!

Severn Faculty RCGP are pleased to announce that in collaboration with the Severn Deanery we are able to fund several bursaries to attend the

RCGP Annual Conference in Harrogate, 3-5 October 2013

The RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference is the must attend event of the year for GPs and practice team colleagues, showcasing the latest clinical and policy developments across the UK and brings together an impressive range of national and international speakers. This year’s theme is Progressive Primary Care, and the programme is packed with relevant seminars and workshops several of which are specifically for AiTs, First5 GPs and will be extremely informative to Foundation Trainees and Medical Students. The conference is also an invaluable opportunity to meet trainees and other GPs from across the UK, and good fun!  Conference details are available here 

Register for the conference before 24 June to secure your place at the discounted earlybird rates.

Bursary recipients will be prioritised to those submitting a poster or presentation, and the quality of the written submission.

Applications should be received before 3 June 2013 (to take account of the earlybird discounts).

The bursary will support Conference fees, travel and accommodation (but not incidental expenses) up to a maximum of £500 per individual.

There will be an expectation that successful applicants will feed back their experiences to the Severn Faculty Board and to the Severn Deanery by way of a brief report and give a short talk at the Severn Faculty AGM on 6th November 2013 in Bristol

The Faculty will notify applicants if their award was successful by 10 June 2013

Applications should include a written submission entitled “What role would you like both central College and the Severn Faculty RCGP to fulfil for you and your career?” (max 500 word summary), what grade of doctor/student/trainee you are (please include a brief CV- no longer than 1 page) and whether you intend to submit a poster or presentation. Written submissions will be judged on fluency, realism, practicality and innovation and conceptual thinking

Please submit your application (or any queries) via email to severn@rcgp.org.uk

Tip: When preparing questions for a CBD, choose a few competency domains only.

Reason this may be useful: During a Case Based Discussion, it is more effective to choose 2, 3 or 4 competency domains and explore these in detail, rather than trying to cover many domains during one discussion. We can use a planning template, and design questions to probe deeply into the chosen competency domains, using the word pictures from the e-portfolio. By reading the word pictures first, and considering the particular case, we can design questions to probe whether the registrar demonstrated particular word picture competencies. For each CBD, we can choose a different set of competencies, so that over time we probe deeply into all of the competencies, but only doing a few during each individual CBD.

With thanks to Damian Kenny FRCGP FHEA Cert Med Ed GMC No. 2702256 Community Education Advisor in General Practice for Gloucestershire, Severn Deanery Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Applications are invited for the following GP Educator Fellowships posts based in Bristol, Bath, Swindon, Gloucestershire and Somerset.

We are looking to appoint 5 GP Educator Fellowships for a fixed period of one year. Each will work closely with one of our local educational teams. There will be local and school-wide educational support, educational events and mentoring for each post holder in order for them to develop expertise in this area as part of their ongoing career development.

Please see the Job Description and selection criteria.

For further information please go to the NHS Jobs website using the references 984-HEE251-SW to find the advertisement within the site. Late and incomplete applications and applications on incorrect forms will not be considered.

The closing date for receipt of applications is at 23:59 hrs on the 28th May, 2013.

We are committed to Equal Opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of gender, race, disability, sexuality or age. All applicants who have a health problem or disability and meet the minimum criteria for the position will be guaranteed an interview

Dear Colleagues,

The attached briefing has been produced as we had become increasingly aware that trainees were receiving mixed messages from some trainers about issues relating to the CSA examination. This briefing has been produced by me in my role as a CSA core group member who is still an active trainer and Associate GP Dean. My aim is to dispel any myths and to produce a document that all trainers have access to so that trainees know what to expect when they attend the CSA examination centre. 

With kind regards,

Richard Jones, CSA Core group Member, Associate GP Dean Oxford

National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme – open to doctors in training

Applications are now open for the National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme. The scheme is an exciting and unique opportunity for doctors in training to gain skills in leadership, management and health policy. Participants spend a year full time, learning by doing, in an extensive range of host organisations, including NICE, NHS Commissioning Board, GMC, BUPA and Medical Royal Colleges. Based on the current fellows’ experiences, the broad portfolio of potential work ranges from organising ministerial seminars to coordinating the national viral outbreak response strategy. This work is complemented by extensive training opportunities and the peer support offered by being part of a cohort with other junior doctors. Clinical Fellows have the chance to work alongside influential leaders and meet key players in healthcare from the NHS and beyond. The scheme has acted as a launch-pad for further careers in medical management, clinical leadership, public health and policy. Secondment ensures that existing terms and conditions are maintained and the posts are paid a clinical salary with banding. This year there will be placements across England, including a number of opportunities in the north of the country. For more information please click here

Applications close on 24 May 2013 and will be followed by a shortlisting process, with interviews on 4 June 2013.

A few more facts:

• The scheme is open to all doctors in training who will have completed the Foundation Programme by the time they take up the scheme.
• The Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management took on the management of the scheme (formerly the Chief Medical Officer’s Clinical Advisor Scheme) in 2011.
• Participants spend a year full time in an extensive range of host organisations learning by doing, including NICE, NHS Commissioning Board, GMC, BUPA and Royal Colleges.
• This year’s cohort have led some extraordinary pieces of work, such as organising ministerial seminars, implementing the national response strategy to viral outbreaks, opportunities for disinvestment, developing guidelines on service redesign and writing important policy documents. They also wrote a response to Francis which was widely commended, including by Robert Francis himself.

The popularity of the scheme is reflected in the number of applications and positive feedback from participants, who see it as effective in providing them with the skills needed to become the healthcare leaders of the future.

The Clinical Fellows and FMLM invite you to

NHS | Future Leaders “Creating the future we want” - Will competition improve the NHS?

Wednesday 22nd May 2013, 18:15 – 21:00 at Harris Lecture Theatre, Hodgkin Building, Guy's Hospital Campus, King’s College London, SE1 1UL

Speakers:

Prof John Appleby, Chief Economist, The King’s Fund

Prof Allyson Pollock, Professor of Public Health Research and Policy, Queen Mary University, London

Dr David Bennett, Chair & Chief Executive, Monitor

Followed by: Q&A and Networking

Please register for your place at: http://fmlmcompetition.eventbrite.co.uk  Event enquiries: events@fmlm.ac.uk

Kindly supported Student Medical Leadership Association

Doctors in training event 7 June, London

Health Education England’s (HEE) Better Training Better Care (BTBC) programme is holding a trainee doctor event to launch the winners of the Inspire Improvement project.

There are two sections to the event:

Morning: Presentations from HEE senior managers and launch of the winning trainee doctors’ ideas that have been funded part of £100,000. This is to implement projects that impact nationally on the role of trainees in medical education and training, and in turn patient care. These projects could be from apps or simulation programmes, to mentorship projects or training packages.

Afternoon: Trainees participate in two out of three workshops:

• Being trainee representatives on local and national programmes
• Trainee mentorship - how to get involved or become a mentor
• Developing and project managing projects, around quality improvement and other workplace projects.

Attendance is free and works on a first come, first served basis. Please do not request a ticket unless you can guarantee your attendance. To book your place, please email hee.btbc@nhs.net  with your name, trust name and contact details.

FREE to attend

Sent on behalf of RCGP Governance and Knowledge Management (Awards & Committees)

 Dear All,

Please note below deadlines for the following Awards.

Application details of all College Awards are also available on the RCGP website:

• Adolescent healthcare award Deadline 31 May 2013

In memory of Dr Kathy Phipps. Award of £2,500 and a commemorative plaque for a GP or practice who has demonstrated a significant innovation or improvement in the standard of care provided for young people over the previous two years. The award presented at the RCGP’s AGM. Criteria

• GP speciality trainee awards Deadline: 12 July 2013

Awarded for original and innovative work undertaken during GP speciality training. Up to five winners will attend the RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference, taking place this year in Harrogate, 3–5 October 2013. The theme is ‘Progressive Primary Care’.Criteria:

• Great expectations bursaries - Deadline: 31 July 2013

Several bursaries will be available to attend the RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference, taking place in, Harrogate, 3–5 October 2013. The theme is ‘Progressive Primary Care’. Criteria/Application form

Kind regards

Mayuri Patel, Administrative Assistant (Awards and Committees) | Governance and Knowledge Management Tel: 020 3188 7537

For all ST2 trainees

 Dear all,

 Applications for the Sustainable Healthcare Scholarship are now open.

For all ST2 trainees

Dear all,

Applications for the following Severn Deanery scholarships are now open:

• Central Leadership
• Educator
• Health Inequalities
• Public Health Leadership
• Speciality Training Programme (Patch)
• Substance Misuse
• Technology

Details for the Sustainable Healthcare Scholarship will follow shortly.

Dear Doctor, 

I am writing to invite you to a Standard Setting event scheduled to take place on Friday 21st June 2013 (10am-4pm), University College London, Archway Campus, 2nd Floor Holborn Union Building, 2-10 Highgate Hill, London N19 5LW. 

The day will be dedicated to setting a standard for the knowledge base which is equivalent to the AKT and appropriate for independent general practice. Training will be given on the day. 

Honorarium is £350 plus travel expenses covered and lunch provided. 

If you are interested in attending, please email me back with your GMC number and mobile number. 

As there are only 10 attendees needed for the day, these slots will be offered on a first come, first served basis - so please respond as soon as you are able. 

Please let me know if you would like to attend or have any further queries about the event. 

Kind Regards 

Lisa Doyle GMC Projects Events Administrator, GMC Development Unit, UCL Medical School, University College London, Archway Campus, 4th Floor Holborn Union Building, 2-10 Highgate Hill, London N19 5LW

For all APDs, TPDs, Educational and Clinical Supervisors

The Royal College of General Practitioners wishes to appoint additional External Advisors to join the RCGP Panel responsible for providing external scrutiny and feedback of Deanery ARCP Panel processes throughout the UK. The Panel also quality manage ARCP Panel outcomes, Educational Supervisors’ Reports (ESRs) and Clinical Supervisors’ Reports (CSRs) in the ePortfolio.

External Advisors must be available to visit Deanery Panels at least once per year (usually June/July); attend RCGP External Advisor training/calibration sessions at least once per year; review in detail a sample of ePortfolios (either remotely or at a College forum); and must stay abreast of any changes or developments in GP specialty training. External Advisors should be able to commit to a minimum of 10 sessions per year.

Applicants should be currently active in clinical general practice, be within two years of retirement, or have a general practice educational role. They should have experience of ARCP Panels, of the management of general practice training, and of using the ePortfolio. They should be familiar with the principles of education in general practice. They should have, or be able to quickly acquire, a sound knowledge of the regulatory framework governing postgraduate medical education, the certification process for doctors completing GP specialist training, and the MRCGP WPBA assessment processes.

Remuneration: Loss of earnings payment/fee for services at the standard RCGP rate, which for the financial year 2013/14 is £401 (amount reviewed annually). Expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with the College Guidance.

Applications are welcome from applicants from all Deaneries, but particularly from Defence, East Midlands, KSS, London, West Midlands and Wessex Deaneries as the Panel is currently under-represented in those areas.

A role description is available from Sarah Atkinson, QA Coordinator, Royal College of General Practitioners, 30 Euston Square, London, NW1 2FB or sarah.atkinson@rcgp.org.uk.

To apply, please provide a CV, personal statement, and a reference from a Director of Postgraduate General Practice Education or Head of GP School, who can testify to your commitment to education and continuing professional development.

The closing date for applications is Friday 10 May 2013.

The Education Resource Locator is an exciting new deanery initiative.

This single point of access for local education events has been developed in conjunction with local Education Provider Organisations and is an evolution of the Severn Appraisal toolkit.

The education events page is freely open without password protection.  As well as listing local courses and study days, it will also gradually build with other useful education resources such as websites and podcasts.  You can search for events by locality, date or event type.

Additionally, the ERL browser “tree” allows you to search for events by learning need.  A detailed User Guide is available from the deanery website

Over the next few months, the site will be continuously update and modified in the light of user feedback. We hope it will be used by all those working in clinical primary care

Jim Morison FRCGP, Associate Postgraduate Dean, Severn Deanery School of Primary Care

Tip: When giving feedback, use verbs rather than adjectives.

Reason this may be useful: Feedback is most effective when we describe what we have seen and heard, ie we describe the behaviours that we have witnessed. If we use adjectives (e.g. good, bad, fantastic, lazy, etc) then we are making value judgements and the person will interpret this as criticising them as a person. If we describe the behaviours we have seen and heard, and compare these to the expected behaviours, then we can have a conversation about whether the person should continue with the current behaviours or how they might wish to change their behaviour. They are much more likely to accept a discussion about behaviour, than a comment about character traits, personality, or their core identity.

With thanks to Damian Kenny FRCGP FHEA Cert Med Ed GMC No. 2702256 Community Education Advisor in General Practice for Gloucestershire, Severn Deanery Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Mary Valentine and I recently presented our work around international medical graduates and the CSA at the trainers conference. There were a number of requests to publish some guidance related to this on the Severn deanery website. Health Education Scotland have written some very helpful guidance and I have contacted the authors to ask permission to publish their work on our website, which they have agreed to.

This is now included on our  Educational Supervisor Teaching Tools webpage.

Best Wishes

Louise Whyte, TPD and Fellow, Swindon

For all trainees

Dear All,

I know you all get fed up with filling out endless questionnaires. And accordingly the school tries to keep these to an absolute minimum.

However this one is important. Those of you who come to the quality panels and school board will know that a low graded post used for GP specialty training is put firmly under our spot light. Each year a handful are given special measures, and one or two are quietly, or publicly axed. T&O at Gloucester being the latest casualty. So your comments and box ticks really do make a difference.

If altruism doesn’t float your boat, then be assured that quickly completing the form will be far less hassle than dealing with the daily electronic abuse that will come from the deanery and GMC as the deadline approaches…. !

There is a feeling that this is fair game - as completing the survey is a mandatory requirement for you as documented in the Gold Guide.

Thanks for doing this - I really do appreciate it.

Best wishes

Prof Bill Irish, Director of GP Education and Head of School

For all GP ST3/4 Trainees, Educational Supervisors, Clinical Supervisors, Training Programme Directors, and Programme Administrators

Dear all 

Severn Deanery has many accomplished GP trainees involved in a wide range of activities. The annual GP Trainee Awards aim to encourage and reward outstanding achievement. This culminates in the celebratory MDU GP Trainee Excellence Awards and Michael Lennard Reception on the afternoon of Wednesday 24th July 2013, organised by the Severn Deanery and Severn Faculty RCGP.

We are delighted to have secured a significant sponsorship arrangement with the MDU to support both excellence and talent management. 

GP Trainee Excellence Awards available in 2013:

• Academic/ Research Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Avon LMC
• Clinical Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Wesleyan
• Learning & Development Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by the Medical Defence Union (replaces the Education Award)
• Green Practice Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Dr Tim Ballard
• Leadership Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Frome Medical Practice
• Excellence Award for Medical Work outside the GP training programme, £200, sponsored by Severn Faculty RCGP
• Excellence Award for Personal Achievement outside medicine, £200, sponsored by Swindon Trainers' Group

Complete the  nomination form to propose any ST3/4 trainee who will finish/has finished GP training between August 2012 and August 2013 (September 2012 to September 2013 for Scholars). Nominations are warmly welcomed from trainees, Educational and Clinical Supervisors, TPDs, APDs, Deanery and Lay, Clinical and Academic colleagues. The closing date for nominations is Wednesday 19th June 2013.

The GPST Programme (Patch) Awards 2013

One GPST Programme (Patch) Award for £100 is available in each of the five GPST Programmes (Patches), and all are sponsored by BrisDoc. The winning ST3/4s are selected entirely by ballot of the trainees in each Patch.

The Robin While Prize 2013

The Robin While Prize will be award to the Severn Deanery GP Trainee of the Year. This may be awarded to a winner of an Excellence Award, or to a trainee attaining a single remarkable achievement or excellence across a breadth of activities.

Full information about the nomination, shortlisting and final selection for all the Awards is now available here

Severn Deanery and Severn Faculty RCGP, MDU GP Trainee Excellence Awards and Michael Lennard Reception - Wednesday 24th July 2013, 2pm - 7pm at Engineers' House, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3NB

Save the Date, and book your place now!

This joint Severn Deanery and Severn Faculty RCGP event, sponsored by the MDU, celebrates all ST3/4s' completion of GP training. Full details of the programme and guest speaker will follow shortly, and the event promises to be both inspiring and celebratory. It will incorporate presentations from shortlisted Excellence Award candidates, final selection and announcement of Award winners, and the Michael Lennard Reception where all GPST 3/4s completing training this year are formally presented with a certificate to mark successful completion of MRCGP and welcome them as Members of the Severn Faculty RCGP. The evening barbecue will follow this. 

All are warmly invited. It forms the last day of the GPST Programme so all ST3/4 GP trainees are expected to attend.

Could everyone planning to attend (including ST3/4s) please complete this short Survey Monkey to book your place. 

Please contact Pauline Harper if you have any queries, or to submit your nominations.

The RCGP has now released the latest editions of the Essential Knowledge Update Programme; Essential Knowledge Update (EKU) 11 and Essential Knowledge Challenge (EKC) 10 to improve patient care and to help you realise your CPD and Revalidation needs. 

Update 11 provides a summary of important new and changing knowledge on a wide variety of primary care topics encountered by general practitioners. 

Challenge 10, an applied online knowledge test, enables GPs to test their learning on the 10th edition of the Essential Knowledge

Access to the Essential Knowledge Update Programme The Essential Knowledge Updates are FREE to all RCGP members, Associates and AiTs as part of the College membership benefit package. Non RCGP members can purchase an annual Essential Knowledge Update Programme  subscription for £99 alternatively you can purchase an individual Update or Challenge for £50. To subscribe to the EKU Programme or purchase an Update or Challenge, please follow the steps below:

 Please register with the College here

 Please subscribe to the programme/purchase an Update or Challenge here

* Please note that by accessing and using the RCGP Online Learning Websites you will be agreeing to the RCGP Online Learning Terms and Conditions. 

For all Local Associate Postgraduate Deans, Training Programme Directors (GPEs), Educational Supervisors and ST1 Trainees:

Applications are now invited from ST1 trainees who would like to take an OOPE from August 2014 between their ST2 and ST3 years.

Click here for further information about the OOPE scheme and to see what past trainees have done during their OOPEs

In particular please ensure that you read Taking Time Out of Programme which outlines the application process and further GP specific criteria.

Application process:

• Submission of the OOPE application form which is available from the Gold Guide in appendix 3
• Written support from your educational supervisor, your training programme director (GPE) and your local Associate Postgraduate Dean
• A clear statement as to how this proposed OOPE will:
  • benefit the candidate’s career progression in General Practice
  • benefit General Practice in the NHS
  • benefit the health of the country of the placement
  • need to be taken at this particular time – a window of opportunity
• Current CV

Note that successful OOPE candidates will be eligible after their OOPE year for nomination for the Excellence Award for Medical Work outside the GP training programme during their ST3 year.

Please send your completed application by email to: Severn.gpschool@southwestwest.nhs.uk

Closing date for applications is Monday 21st May 2013

Attention all AiTs, First5 GPs, Foundation Trainees and Medical Students!!

“Severn Faculty RCGP are pleased to announce that in collaboration with the Severn Deanery we are able to fund several bursaries to attend the RCGP annual conference”

The RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference is the must attend event of the year for GPs and practice team colleagues, showcasing the latest clinical and policy developments across the UK and brings together an impressive range of national and international speakers. This year’s theme is Progressive Primary Care, and the programme is packed with relevant seminars and workshops several of which are specifically for AiTs, First5 GPs and will be extremely informative to Foundation Trainees and Medical Students. The conference is also an invaluable opportunity to meet trainees and other GPs from across the UK, and good fun!

Full details   Conference details are available at the RCGP website

Register for the conference before 24 June to secure your place at the discounted earlybird rates

Bursary recipients will be prioritised to those submitting a poster or presentation, and the quality of the written submission. Applications should be received before 14 May 2013 (to take account of the earlybird discounts). The bursary will support Conference fees, travel and accommodation (but not incidental expenses) up to a maximum of £500 per individual

Please submit your application (or any queries) via email

For the attention of: GP ST3/4 Trainees/ Educational Supervisors/Clinical Supervisors/Training Programme Directors/Programme Administrators

Dear all, 

Severn Deanery has many accomplished GP trainees involved in a wide range of activities. The annual GP Trainee Awards aim to encourage and reward outstanding achievement. This culminates in the celebratory MDU GP Trainee Excellence Awards and Michael Lennard Reception on the afternoon of Wednesday 24th July 2013, organised by the Severn Deanery and Severn Faculty RCGP.  We are delighted to have secured a significant sponsorship arrangement with the MDU to support both excellence and talent management.

GP Trainee Excellence Awards available in 2013:

• Academic/ Research Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Avon LMC
• Clinical Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Wesleyan
• Learning & Development Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by the Medical Defence Union (replaces the Education Award)
• Green Practice Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Dr Tim Ballard
• Leadership Excellence Award, £200, sponsored by Frome Medical Practice
• Excellence Award for Medical Work outside the GP training programme, £200, sponsored by Severn Faculty RCGP
• Excellence Award for Personal Achievement outside medicine, £200, sponsored by Swindon Trainers' Group
• Full details and selection process

The GPST Programme (Patch) Awards 2013

One GPST Programme (Patch) Award for £100 is available in each of the five GPST Programmes (Patches), and all are sponsored by BrisDoc. The winning ST3/4s are selected entirely by ballot of the trainees in each Patch.  Full details and selection process

The Robin While Prize 2013

The Robin While Prize will be award to the Severn Deanery GP Trainee of the Year. This may be awarded to a winner of an Excellence Award, or to a trainee attaining a single remarkable achievement or excellence across a breadth of activities.  Full details and selection process

June 20th 2013 at Hilton Hotel East Midlands Airport

Speakers will include

• Professor David Greenaway, Vice Chancellor, University of Nottingham
• Professor Davinder Sandhu, Postgraduate Dean/Head of Education, NHS Education South West - Severn Deanery
• Mr Sunil Kapur, Head of Policy and Planning, General Medical Council

Programme

The International Medical Graduate’s Journey

A programme of workshops for medical educators, international medical graduates and professionals supporting the training of international medical graduates, which will capture best practice for supporting international medical graduate training in primary and secondary care.  Workshops will include presentations and discussions on a broad range of subjects aimed at capturing issues appertaining to the successful completion of training by International Medical Graduates, including sessions on the evaluation of interventions in the East Midlands, a GMC perspective, experiences and assistance from the Training Support Service, and supporting International Medical Graduates through Royal College examinations.

Posters Invited

Poster Prize kindly sponsored by the Vale of Trent and Leicester Faculties of the Royal College of General Practitioners

For all APDs, TPDs, Educational and Clinical Supervisors and Trainees:

Dear Colleague, 

For several years there has been a consensus that climate change, in its direct and indirect effects, is likely to pose the primary threat to human health in the 21st century. Climate change is already damaging the health of disadvantaged groups in the UK and abroad. 

"Climate change is increasingly being recognised as a (social) determinant of health, and socially disadvantaged groups, who lack adequate environmental protection, resources and insurance, are more prone to its effects on health". 

The NHS is called upon to lead the way in carbon reduction and transformation to a resilient, health-promoting health service. The NHS has a large environmental impact and carbon footprint and the government has stipulated an ambitious target of 80% carbon emissions reduction by 2050. In order to achieve this everyone in the NHS needs to play a part. Sustainable Healthcare is using resources to deliver healthcare today without compromising the health of current or future generations. Working within stringent financial constraints we must provide a fair, effective and carbon-neutral Health Service. 

The NHS Sustainable Development Unit is conducting an important consultation process and they are keen should be as wide as possible.  

I do urge you to participate in this piece of work

Best wishes 

Dr Paul GN Main

Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, Universities of Bath and Bristol, Deputy Director and Associate Dean, School of Primary Care, Severn Deanery, NHS Education South West.

Dear all,

The Severn Deanery is now a part of Health Education England (HEE). This means some of our contact information has changed. We would be grateful if you could please update your records as follows:

Email addresses: if you have a “firstname.lastname@southwest.nhs.uk” email address for us, please now use “firstname.lastname@southwest.hee.nhs.uk”

Invoicing: if you have been asked to address an invoice to our shared business services in Wakefield, please use the following address:

XXSPAULO
Health Education England
South West LETB
T73 Payables F485
Phoenix House
Topcliffe Lane
Wakefield
WF3 1WE

Cheques: If we require a payment from you, please make cheques payable to “Health Education England” and post it to us at the address we have provided (either your local postgraduate centre, or here at the central Deanery office).

Our phone numbers, physical address, and web address all remain the same.

Kind regards,

Shara Paulo
GP Education Manager

For all trainees:

Revalidation is now with us and has been attached to the ARCP process. This is why you will be asked to complete a new Form R for your ARCP Panel.  

You will find the Form R here  This page and the 2 subpages give you full details and instructions for completing the form.  You should then scan the Form R and attach it in your Learning Log under Course/Certificate.

This new Form R is now required as part of your evidence and without it your ARCP outcome will not be awarded.

Best regards,
Alison Needler, SoPC Support Manager

For all trainees

Inspiring a Global Approach to General Practice

Saturday 20 April 2013 at RCGP 30 Euston Square, NW1 2FB

This conference for AiT® and First5® members is packed with opportunities for international activity, research and exchange.

With interactive workshops and inspirational speakers:

• Prof Scott Brown, Chair RCGP N. Ireland & Medical Director for Africa
• Monica Burns, International Health Development Consultant
• Dr Patrick Kiernan, OOPE Programme Director London Deanery
• AiTs and First5s with first-hand experiences of overseas projects

…this is the event for those interested in global healthcare!

Find out how you too can go global  Booking information

This is applicable for qualified GPs only

Dementia Harrogate 2013: a national priority - 24th April 2013, Harrogate International Centre

• Following the Prime Minister's challenge launched last year, there has never been a time of more public and political interest in dementia.
• Aiming to deliver major improvements in dementia care and research by 2015, there has been excellent progress, but there is still much to do.
• Would you like to learn how this momentum is being maintained and built upon?
• How will policies around personalisation, integration and funding of care and support improve the lives of those living with dementia and their families?

Register Your Place Today

Confirmed Speakers Include

• Hazel Blears, Vice Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia
• Trevor Jarvis, Ambassador, Alzheimer's Society
• Kathryn Smith, Director of Operations, Alzheimers Society
• Simon Ridley, Head of Research, Alzheimer's Research UK
• Philly Hare, Programme Manager, Joseph Rowntree Foundation

View Full Details of Programme and Speakers

Public Service Events is pleased to present Dementia: a national crisis. A sell-out in Manchester, this conference now moves to Harrogate, featuring an array of expert speakers who will outline the challenges faced in combating this spiralling condition and how better outcomes can be achieved. This is an event for anyone involved with or affected by dementia who wishes to hear all the latest developments. Delegates will have the opportunity to listen, digest, debate and then reflect on the information that can make a difference to their professional or personal situations.

Have You Also Seen ... Dementia Bristol May 2013 and Dementia London June 2013

Dear Colleague,

Every day in England around 100,000 musculoskeletal consultations take place in primary care. As you know, they can be challenging to manage and GPs have a crucial role to play in improving outcomes for these patients. 

Working with the Royal College of General Practitioners, Arthritis Research UK has funded and jointly developed a new training programme, starting with free e-learning modules, to improve GPs’ and GPSTs’ core skills in diagnosing and managing musculoskeletal conditions. It’s been developed by GPs for GPs and is based on the latest evidence in musculoskeletal care. You can learn more about the programme here. 

Thank you.

Dr Tom Margham, Lead for Primary Care, Arthritis Research UK

PS We've put together a range of free resources to help you and your patients.

Arthritis Research UK receives no government funding, relying entirely on the generosity and commitment of supporters to continue funding world-class research, information, and programmes such as Core Skills in Musculoskeletal Care. To find out more about ways you can Get involved and for the Latest news please visit the Arthritis Research UK website.  

Severn Faculty requests the pleasure of your company at the Royal West of England Academy, Queens Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 1PX 

• Drinks Reception  and Private Viewing of the Galleries from 7.30pm Friday 10th May 2013
• Three Course Dinner by Papadeli at 8.00pm followed by the After Dinner Gale Lecture - Dr Margaret McCartney, GP, writer and broadcaster : “Screening – Politics & Evidence”

Tickets: RCGP Members £50, Non-Members & Guests £55, AiTs £35

Book your place at www.rcgp.org.uk/severn and click on ‘Events’. All enquiries to Jane Lohmann on 01454 252 728 or by email severn@rcgp.org.uk.

Tip: When giving feedback, use verbs rather than adjectives.

Reason this may be useful: Feedback is most effective when we describe what we have seen and heard, ie we describe the behaviours that we have witnessed.  If we use adjectives (e.g. good, bad, fantastic, lazy, etc) then we are making value judgements and the person will interpret this as criticising them as a person.  If we describe the behaviours we have seen and heard, and compare these to the expected behaviours, then we can have a conversation about whether the person should continue with the current behaviours or how they might wish to change their behaviour. They are much more likely to accept a discussion about behaviour, than a comment about character traits, personality, or their core identity.

With thanks to Damian Kenny FRCGP FHEA Cert Med Ed GMC No. 2702256 Community Education Advisor in General Practice for Gloucestershire, Severn Deanery Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

We had a 100% pass rate for the AKT exams taken in January.  Well done to all candidates and their education teams!

Applications are now open for this course. 

Date: March 25th 2013 until May 15th 2013 
Location: Postgraduate Centre, Royal United Hospital, Combe Park, Bath BA1 3NG

Full details and application form

Attention all AiTs, First5 GPs, Foundation Trainees and Medical Students!!

Severn Faculty RCGP are pleased to announce that in collaboration with the Severn Deanery we are able to fund several bursaries to attend the RCGP annual conference.  The RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference is the must attend event of the year for GPs and practice team colleagues, showcasing the latest clinical and policy developments across the UK and brings together an impressive range of national and international speakers. This year’s theme is Progressive Primary Care, and the programme is packed with relevant seminars and workshops several of which are specifically for AiTs, First5 GPs and will be extremely informative to Foundation Trainees and Medical Students. The conference is also an invaluable opportunity to meet trainees and other GPs from across the UK, and good fun!

Conference details are available here.  Register for the conference before 24 June to secure your place at the discounted earlybird rates. 

Bursary recipients will be prioritised to those submitting a poster or presentation, and the quality of the written submission. Applications should be received before 14 May 2013 (to take account of the earlybird discounts). The bursary will support Conference fees, travel and accommodation (but not incidental expenses) up to a maximum of £500 per individual.

There will be an expectation that successful applicants will feed back their experiences to the Severn Faculty Board and to the Severn Deanery by way of a brief report and give a short talk at the Severn Faculty AGM which is held in the Autumn.  The Faculty will notify applicants if their award was successful by 24 May 2013. 

Applications should include a written submission entitled “What role would you like both central College and the Severn Faculty RCGP to fulfil for you and your career?” (max 500 word summary), what grade of doctor/student/trainee you are (please include a brief CV- no longer than 1 page) and whether you intend to submit a poster or presentation. Written submissions will be judged on fluency, realism, practicality and innovation and conceptual thinking.

Please submit your application (or any queries) via email to severn@rcgp.org.uk

Open to doctors in training - National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme

Applications are now open for the National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme. The scheme is an exciting and unique opportunity for doctors in training to gain skills in leadership, management and health policy.

Participants spend a year full time, learning by doing, in an extensive range of host organisations, including NICE, NHS Commissioning Board, GMC, BUPA and Medical Royal Colleges. Based on the current fellows’ experiences, the broad portfolio of potential work ranges from organising ministerial seminars to coordinating the national viral outbreak response strategy. This work is complemented by extensive training opportunities and the peer support offered by being part of a cohort with other junior doctors.

Clinical Fellows have the chance to work alongside influential leaders and meet key players in healthcare from the NHS and beyond. The scheme has acted as a launch-pad for further careers in medical management, clinical leadership, public health and policy. Secondment ensures that existing terms and conditions are maintained and the posts are paid a clinical salary with banding.

This year there will be placements across England, including a number of opportunities in the north of the country. For more information please visit here. 

Applications close on 11th March 2013 and will be followed by a shortlisting process, with interviews on 15th and 16th April.

The prize is open to any General Practice Specialty Trainee on a UK Training Scheme. To enter, applicants should submit a piece of original work (up to 3,000 words) in the field of musculoskeletal medicine.

Deadline for submissions is Wednesday 19 June 2013.

For further details click here and search for ‘GP trainee prize.’

This looks like a great opportunity for any of you who are trainees and there is still plenty of time before the deadline. Do let us know if you choose to submit a piece of work.

Great news, you are now able to purchase your ticket for the Severn Faculty & Severn Deanery Conference & Careers Fair due to be held on Wednesday 10th April 2013.  This year’s event is to be held at Engineers’ House, Bristol, BS8 3NB

We can announce that we have secured two fantastic speakers - Professor Mike Pringle (President of RCGP), Professor Willie Hamilton (Professor of Primary Care Diagnostics, Peninsula Medical School) and you will have an opportunity to attend some very exciting workshops ranging from Setting up as a locum, Expedition Medicine, Research and learning about organising your finances. Lunch and refreshments are included - Please see the attached flyer for further information.

We believe we have arranged a relevant and high quality programme and we know that this event will book up fast.

Be sure to book your place NOW by clicking here:

We look forward to seeing you there.

Best wishes

Dr Emily Lake, Central Leadership Scholar Severn Deanery

email: severn@rcgp.org.uk  Website: www.rcgp.org.uk

 For all:

After each sitting of the exam, the AKT core group provides feedback via the College website and direct to educationalists via Deaneries. We also highlight items of general interest related to the exam.  We hope that this feedback is helpful to all those involved in education and training, particularly GP trainees themselves, and we welcome comments on the feedback, to the email address at the end of this report.

AKT 17 was held on 30 January 2013 and taken by 1248 candidates.

Statistics

Scores in AKT 17 ranged from 67 - 187 out of 200 questions with a mean overall score of 141.3 (70.7%).

The mean scores by subject area were:

•  'Clinical medicine’ 70.6% (160 questions)
•  ‘Evidence interpretation’ 66.9% (20 questions)
• ‘Organisational’  75.2% (20 questions)

The pass mark for AKT 17 was set at 132 with pass rates as below:

For the sake of transparency we also report the other key statistics from this test:

• Reliability  (Cronbach a coefficient) = 0.92
• Standard error of measurement = 5.73

Learning resources including the new AKT Content Guide

In the last feedback, we referred to the AKT Content Guide, which is a learning resource to be used alongside the curriculum and is intended as an aid to preparation for the AKT exam. This is available at http://www.rcgp.org.uk/gp-training-and-exams/mrcgp-exam-overview/mrcgp-applied-knowledge-test-akt.aspx#content.  The document is quite long and may appear a little daunting at first glance.  We recommend that candidates and trainers use the lists of symptoms and topics to assess educational needs and obtain an overview of those areas which may need more attention. We also recommend that trainees and trainers pay particular attention to the introduction to the Content Guide which provides information on topic importance and the level of detail required.

The lists in Sections 2 (Research, statistics and epidemiology) & 3 (Administration, ethical and regulatory frameworks) are more detailed to help candidates know what topics may be tested.  However, candidates should remember that there are only 20 questions on each of these sections in the AKT.

We welcome feedback on the AKT in general and we would be especially pleased to receive comments on the Content Guide and how it could be improved, as this is a new resource.

In addition, candidates should consider looking at the Essential Knowledge Updates and Essential Knowledge Challenge sections of the RCGP website as part of their preparation for the AKT, as well as referring to the more familiar resources of NICE, SIGN and others.  In particular, we would highlight the use of the BNF for guidance on prescribing, including the more general information in the opening chapters. 

Performance in key clinical areas - AKT 17

Providing feedback which is educationally useful but which does not undermine the security of test items is never easy. However we have below highlighted general areas of good performance, as well as areas where there is room for improvement.  Both Curriculum and Content Guide references are given.

Improvements

We again noted improvement in items about contraception, but this did not extend to LARC (long-acting reversible contraception) (3.06 Women`s health, p.37 Content Guide, Sexual health which overlaps with Women’s health p. 39). Candidates also appeared more familiar with occupational health requirements (2.03 The GP in the wider professional environment, p. 48 Content Guide, Administration, ethical and regulatory frameworks).

Paediatric items were generally answered better but there are still difficulties with recognition of “normal” which has been flagged up a number of times before in this feedback (3.04 Care of children and young people, p. 43  Content Guide, Children and young people).  More generally, candidates are reminded that in addition to item scenarios sometimes describing  a “normal” presentation, there will also be some items relating, for example, to clinical   management where “ no action required”  may be the correct answer.

Areas causing difficulty for candidates

Curriculum Statement 3.04 Care of children and young people (p. 43  Content Guide, Children and young people)

We referred above to difficulties candidates appear to encounter in identification of what is normal in children.  We also noted a lack of familiarity with the management of childhood asthma, which is particularly concerning as this is such a common clinical problem. The British Thoracic Society Guideline on the Management of Asthma was last revised in January 2012  and sets out in detail the management of asthma in adults and children, which differs between the two in certain important areas.

Curriculum statement 2.02 Patient safety and quality of care,  (p.33 Content Guide, Pharmaco-therapeutics, as well as most of the clinical areas in both content guide and curriculum)

Candidates had some difficulty recognising adverse effects of common drugs. There were also problems in identifying the appropriate use of antibacterial agents. In addition, candidates were not familiar with requirements relating to use and administration of drugs by non-prescribers in the practice. Lack of knowledge in clinical areas can often be addressed in day-to-day practice but trainers may need to be more proactive in facilitating the learning of trainees around administrative topics.

Once again, questions about drug doses and calculations were included and although candidates are becoming familiar with these questions, there is still room for improvement in performance.

Curriculum statements 3.06 Women`s health, 3.13 Digestive health (p.39 Content Guide Women`s health and p.14 Digestive problems

The difficulties identified here relate to screening and diagnosis of common cancers such as breast and colorectal. Candidates should bear in mind that items in the AKT relate to usual and evidence-based practice which they will be encountering in their clinical work.

Curriculum statement 3.17 Care of people with metabolic problems  (p.27 Content Guide, Metabolic and endocrine problems)

We reproduce below our feedback from AKT 16 which sadly continues to apply in AKT 17.  Please re-read!

In the last feedback, we noted that diagnosis of diabetes appeared to have improved. However, in AKT 16 there were again difficulties in interpreting test results. It is very likely that similar items will appear in subsequent tests. We would suggest that candidates carefully review this aspect of diabetes care which will become even more significant in daily work as the prevalence of diabetes increases.  

Misconduct

Although misconduct in professional examinations is rare, we would warn candidates that it is taken very seriously and a full investigation of any allegation will be undertaken, including reviewing CCTV footage taken in the test centres.  The MRCGP examination regulations and the code of conduct for AKT and CSA assessments give detailed information about misconduct, including the possible penalties for misconduct, in the expectation that candidates will exercise an approach consistent with standards expected by the General Medical Council.

http://www.rcgp.org.uk/gp-training-and-exams/mrcgp-exam-overview/mrcgp-regulations-reviews-appeals-and-complaints.aspx

AKT Core group February 2013 - Comments or questions can be sent to: exams@rcgp.org.uk

I'm writing to ask whether one of the GP training leaders at the deanery might be available to write 300 words of advice for GP partners on a specific GP 'dilemma'.

The scenario is: You are the trainer for a GP trainee whose work is borderline passable. He is the first GP trainee you have been responsible for. You believe you should not pass him for the Workplace Based Assessment (WBPA) he has spent with you, but you have never had to fail a trainee before. You know this is a sensitive matter and anecdotally, you have heard that it can be very 'messy' for all parties. What should you do?

Would someone be able to write a short paragraph on their advice by 6th March? If so, we'd need your response and your photo emailed over. Please note, it is critical the author sends a photo of themself, as we cannot publish the article without it.

As part of the re-design we're launching a new online article, the Dilemma, to run once a week. One of the four weekly articles will be published in the monthly issue. Like the old Practice Dilemma, the new Dilemma will feature a tough scenario from a GP partner, but in the new format we will run three expert opinions on the scenario, rather than one. This gives each expert the chance to put his or her skills in context, and for the reader to enjoy a more rounded approach to the problem. Here's an example of one about palliative care and one about renting to a complementary therapist. 

Best wishes

Ellie, Assistant features editor, Pulse magazine. ellie.broughton@briefingmedia.com   t: 0207 33 22 912

Dear All,

Here is an invitation to attend one of the CfWI national road shows. I imagine the event in Bristol on Monday 8th April will be of most local interest.

• London Thursday 14 March 2013, 2pm – 5pm
• Leicester Tuesday 19 March 2013 , 2pm – 5pm
• Leeds Wednesday 20 March 2013, 2pm – 5pm
• Bristol Monday 8 April 2013, 2pm – 5pm

Details of the events and registration are available here  

CfWI are currently tasked with forecasting the NHS’s future need for trained general practitioners across England. They are interested both in numbers and in the skills that future GPs will need.

This is obviously a key chance for those involved in GP speciality training and those who will be shortly qualifying as GPs to have a say in the debate.

In 10 years time I am rather hoping to have retired - however those of you in your 20s, 30s and 40s will have a strong interest in the NHS getting this “right”!

As such I can confirm that the school is happy to consider attendance by GPSTRs for half a day as “professional leave” - subject of course to the agreement from your current clinical supervisor to be released.

I hope to see lots of you there.

Best Wishes,

Bill Irish, Director of GP Education and Head of School

For all ST3+ Trainees

We are now running a well-established “skills” based training programme for Educational Supervisors.  There are a small number of places available on the events listed below and therefore we would like to extend this opportunity to senior specialty trainees.   All enquiries and bookings for the events can be made by contacting: Tracy Baudains

For all Trainees:

Health Education England’s Better Training Better Care (BTBC) programme has £100,000 to fund innovative ideas and projects that impact nationally on the role of trainees in medical education and training, and in turn patient care.

The projects must be trainee-led in England, have a positive impact on trainee’s learning and development and meet one or more of the following recommendations:

• Training must be planned and focussed for the trainees’ needs.
• Training requires a change from traditional perceptions of learning which recognises the modern NHS.
•  Trainees must be involved in the decision making and implementation of training innovations that affect their present and future careers.

From apps or training, to databases or mentoring, we’re interested in hearing about your idea. For more information, please visit www.hee.nhs.uk/work-programmes/btbc/role-of-trainee or contact the BTBC team for an application form on hee.btbc@nhs.net  or 020 8433 6862.

Applications close 12 noon, Tues 2 April 2013.

The RCGP has been working actively at an international level for over 60 years and is currently engaged in some exciting overseas projects. We are delighted to be offering the following international opportunities. 

For more information about how to get involved in our international work, or if you are interested in becoming an international representative on your local faculty, please contact us.

The current projects are:

• Volunteer to help save lives in Sierra Leone
• International Travel Scholarships
• Call for nominations: 2013 WONCA Europe 5 Star Doctor Award
• Medecins Sans Frontieres

Click here for full details

Are there any ST1 or ST2 trainees who might be interested in blogging for Pulse? We are looking for around ~400 words fortnightly - not a big commitment but enough to be worth mentioning in end of year reviews, student politics and on CVs.

Unfortunately we don't offer a stipend but good bloggers are asked to stay on once they qualify, and can be commissioned for paid opinion articles if they show promise.  Please get in touch with me (by phone/email) if you're interested.

Best wishes

Ellie,
Assistant features editor, Pulse magazine | t: 0207 33 22 912 | Twitter: @___ellie   ellie.broughton@briefingmedia.com

With regards to the post about being a Pulse Blogger- I have been one of three Pulse Bloggers since April 2012 and would be happy to chat to anyone if they are interested in it.  Cheers, Dr A Chakrabarti GPST3 Swindon drachakrabarti@gmail.com

February 2013

Tip: When assessing a consultation using the COT (Consultation Observation Tool), ask your Registrar to self-assess each area of consulting, and then compare with your own assessments.

Reason this may be useful: Self-assessment is a good way of encouraging the Registrar to develop insight into their consulting style. If they have used a particular consulting technique which was effective, it can be useful for them to reflect on this, and say why and how it was effective. We can then point out additional areas where the Registrar demonstrated good consulting skills. If the Registrar notices areas that were not so effective, they can see why we might mark them as ‘needing further development’, and this may encourage them to discuss how they could develop their skills. By making independent assessments, then comparing and discussing, the Registrar is more involved in analysing their own consulting skills, and identifying areas they wish to develop.

With thanks to Damian Kenny FRCGP FHEA Cert Med Ed GMC No. 2702256 Community Education Advisor in General Practice for Gloucestershire, Severn Deanery Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

For all ST2 and ST3 Trainees:

If you have not yet booked your place on the AKT Preparation Course on 7th March 2013 – at Engineers House, Bristol, please do so now. This is the last opportunity to do this course before the next AKT Preparation Course planned for September 2013.

Please complete and return the booking form. with your deposit cheque (post dated 7th March 2013). Severn Deanery / Severn Faculty RCGP delegates have special arrangements regarding this course as detailed on the booking form. Other delegates should book this course via the online booking system on the RCGP Website.

If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us via the contact details below.
Best regards,

Karen Cheriton, Event Administrator, Severn Faculty RCGP
severn@rcgp.org.uk

For all Faculty Members:

We have now arranged the next few master classes, which are as follows:

For further details of each of the master classes please click here.  To book a place please email Tracy Baudains 

Sent on behalf of the University of Bristol, Primary Health Care Teaching Office - for all Educational and Clinical Supervisors and ST2 Trainees

We are pleased to offer GPs in training an opportunity to develop their teaching skills. 

This workshop is intended for GPs in Training who would like to teach medical students in their GP practice for 4 sessions in the academic year 2013-14. Teaching medical students is great for developing your teaching skills and revising your clinical skills for your CSA exam. Something else to add to your CV?

Further information and booking details

I’m a GP registrar currently on maternity leave. I’ve been trilling out nursery rhymes to my baby boy and, whilst I’ve enjoyed rediscovering the books I was read as a child, it’s also struck me that the image of the doctor in children’s writing is a far cry from the kind of doctor the NHS reforms risk creating. If the next generation are to have realistic patient expectations then we surely need to update our nursery rhymes. How about this for starters…

Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick,
So she called for the doctor to be quick, quick, quick,
The doctor said, “I’m sorry Miss Polly but you see
We’ve commissioned our home visits to a private company –
They’ll be with you in a jiffy, they’ll help you in a tick,
To access their service takes just one click
On wwwvirtualcare.org
They’ll turn your dolly’s room into a virtual ward.
Spot diagnoses are their real forte
(But only over Skype, else you’ll have to pay).

Miss Polly said, “But doctor, she seems very ill,
I’ve tried to give her Calpol but she won’t keep still.
The internet’s for shopping not for primary care,
Now please come out and visit or complaints I’ll prepare.”
“Complaints? Oh, Miss Polly, don’t go down that route,
Here, have the number of our conciliatory group;
It’s just been set up by the new LMC
To help maintain relations ‘tween the likes of you and me.”

Miss Polly hung up. And with dolly on her knee,
She joined the endless queues at her local A + E.

Dr Lizzie Corbett submitted her poem to the Hippocrate Poetry Competition and has also had it accepted by the BJGP.

For all ST3s

The purpose of this Technology Scholar post is to offer a high performing GPST3 the opportunity to develop understanding and skills in information technology for the enhancement of education within the context of the NHS. Such skills will help equip the Scholar for future appointments within deaneries, universities and the NHS as a whole.

Full information, person specification and applications details are here.

Closing date is Monday, 18th February, 2013.

Sarah Flynn has just returned from the first part of her OOPE year, volunteering as an expedition medic with Raleigh International. Read about her experiences during her four months in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Sent on behalf of Nick Jestico, Severn Rep - GPC GP Trainees' Subcommittee

The BMA was among the first of the professional bodies to award grants and prizes to encourage and further medical research. Today, around ten research grants are administered under the auspices of the Board of Science, all funded by legacies left to the BMA. Grants totalling approximately £500,000 are awarded annually. Applications are invited from medical practitioners and/or research scientists and are for either research in progress or prospective research.

The 2013 research grants are now available to apply for online on the BMA website - www.bma.org.uk. The application deadline is 15 March 2013 at 5pm.

Subject specifications for each grant vary. For example, in 2013, research areas range from rheumatism and arthritis, cardiovascular disease and cancer to neurological disorders and terminal care. For more information on the grants on offer in 2013 and details of how to apply, please see: www.bma.org.uk/researchgrants

If you have any questions about the BMA research grants, or would like to receive alerts about them, please contact Hugh Garnett at info.sciencegrants@bma.org.uk  or telephone 020 7383 6755.

And here's the GP Trainees Subcommittee Newsletter

GP Enterprise Awards - Deadline 4 February 2013

Organised by RCGP and GP Newspaper, these awards publicise ideas from general practice that can be easily replicated around the UK. 
Details and entry form for GP Enterprise are available here.

Paul Freeling Award Deadline: end of February each year

Award or awards of up to £1,000 for innovative or meritorious work in the field of vocational training for general practice.
Paul Freeling Award entry form

RCGP-SAPC Annual Elective Prize - Deadline in two stages

Deadline end of February each year - Stage One: Local Adjudication: applications to be sent to the appropriate University Department of General Practice or Primary Care.

Deadline: end of March each year - Stage Two: National Adjudication: University Departments of General Practice or Primary Care to submit the best overall application by a medical student to the Royal College of General Practitioners’.

An award of £500 towards an elective in general practice. Open to all undergraduate medical students in the UK. Each department of general practice or primary care can submit the name of one student. 
Details and entry form

Adolescent Healthcare Award Deadline 31 May 2013

In memory of Dr Kathy Phipps. Award of £2,500 and a commemorative plaque for a GP or practice who has demonstrated a significant innovation or improvement in the standard of care provided for young people over the previous two years. The award presented at the RCGP’s AGM 
Details and entry form  

Application details of all College Awards are also available on the website

Welcome to the new and improved RCGP Severn Faculty bulletin (formerly known as newsletter). We really hope you like the new improved format.

Dear GP Trainees,

8th February, 2013 at the Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London. W1G 0AE

The British Society for Sexual Medicine (BSSM) has held day congresses on an annual basis for many years. This year we wanted to make an effort in attracting Doctors who are starting out on their career pathway. Sexual medicine is relevant to all Doctors whatever their specialism however some juniors have commented that they are not confident in coping with such patients when they present. To this end we have managed to acquire financial support so that we could offer a limited number of free places to GP trainees that are available on a first come first served basis. If you would like to apply for a place please contact Sally Hackett.

Full details and an application form are here

Yours sincerely,

Dr David Edwards, President BSSM

Dear Examiner, 

Please be advised that the AKT presentation for trainers has been updated and can be found here under "Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) resources"

Before Christmas we sent round the following link to the new AKT Content Guide.  If there is any feedback that you would like to give on the new guide, please do send this on to exams@rcgp.org.uk.

Many thanks,

Amanda West | Knowledge Test Manager | Exams and Assessment | Tel: 020 3188 7621

For all Trainees : Book your place now!

Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) One-Day Preparation Course for the MRCGP Exam on 7th March 2013 at Engineers House, Bristol. BS8 3NB

Please email the Severn Faculty Administrators at Severn@rcgp.org.uk  to obtain a registration form.

Sent on behalf of the Severn Faculty

For all APDs,TPDs and Educational Supervisors

Applications are invited for up to two Eric Gambrill Travelling Fellowships, to be awarded in Spring 2013. The value of each Award is £3,000.

Those eligible for the Award will be fully trained and practising UK general medical practitioners.

In recognition of Dr. Eric Gambrill’s interest in general practice, education and travel, the successful applicants will be expected to undertake a study or project as part of his/her professional career development.

The closing date for the receipt of applications is 07 April 2013.

Application forms and further information may be obtained on Eric Gambrill Memorial Fund website, or from:

The Honorary Secretary to the Trustees, Eric Gambrill Memorial Fund, Altyre House, Church Lane, Grayshott, Hindhead, Surrey GU26 6LY

The next 2 day Experienced Educational Supervisors Course on 25th and 26th April is now fully booked. Please contact Jackie Pullin to discuss further or to be included on a reserve list. 

Following the completion of Professor Stephen Trumble’s 4 year term as Editor, ASME and Wiley-Blackwell are seeking a new Editor for the journal The Clinical Teacher to take up the position in July 2013.

The main role of the Editor is to develop the journal to make it ever more useful to clinicians and practitioners involved in the education of doctors and medical students. The potential readership is high and we wish to see the journal reach teaching practitioners not currently aware of the current trends in academic research in medical education.

The Editor has full editorial freedom within ASME’s Constitution and as set out in the WAME guidelines on editorial independence. Wiley-Blackwell and ASME are co-owners of the journal.

The closing date for applications is 5pm (GMT) Thursday 28th February 2013. Interviews will be held on Wednesday 20th March 2013 in London, UK. Successful applicants will be informed of their invitation to interview by Wednesday 6th March 2013.

Applications should be emailed to ASME’s Chief Executive Officer by the deadline and should include:

• a brief CV
• a covering letter outlining what relevant experience and expertise you think you can bring to the role
• presentational material in the form of PowerPoint slides, handouts or other media which you should use to highlight and add to your written application in conveying a vision for the journal and how you would like to see it develop over the next three years.

Further details can be obtained by clicking here, or alternatively, contacting ASME’s Chief Executive Officer as follows:

Miss Nicky Pender | Chief Executive Officer | ASME, 12 Queen Street | Edinburgh | EH2 1JE, UK

Telephone: +44 (0)131 225 9133
Mobile: 07968 862 755

The RCGP Kuenssberg Award is given for high quality full cycle audit projects which demonstrate a change in clinical practice or service improvement as a direct result of the audit.

Applications are welcomed from Associates in Training (AiT) or RCGP members within their first five years of general practice. Five awards are given each year for outstanding audit projects completed by early stage general practitioners.

Each award winner is encouraged to present their audit findings at conferences, to work with CIRC and/or shadow the CIRC Chair, Head or Medical Director and receives £1000 covering related travel costs and conference fees.

Deadline for nomination: 12 April 2013

For more information visit the RCGP website and scroll down to the relevant section.

The Centre of sustainable Healthcare has highlighted our Sustainable Healthcare GP Registrar Scholarship Programme

Read full Centre for Sustainable Healthcare article here

Tip: Open more than one view when doing the ESR (Educational Supervisor’s Review)

Reason this may be useful: When writing the review, it is often helpful to look at several areas in order to collate evidence when assessing each competence. Although it is possible to click back and forth using the navigation arrows, this can become confusing and tedious. We can open up several views of the e-portfolio by right-clicking one of the sections in the list on the left hand side of the screen. For example, right-click on ‘Learning Log’ and then select ‘Open link in new tab’. Then it is easy to click on the tabs to move back and forth between the particular competence that we are reviewing and the learning log. Similarly, we could right click on ‘Evidence’ to have a third tab available. By opening up several views, each with their own tab, it is easy to move back and forth throughout the e-portfolio, whilst maintaining our focus on the one specific competence that we are writing about at the time.

With thanks to Damian Kenny FRCGP FHEA Cert Med Ed GMC No. 2702256 Community Education Advisor in General Practice for Gloucestershire, Severn Deanery Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

The next 2 day Experienced Educational Supervisors Course on 28th Feb and 1st March is now fully booked. Please contact Jackie Pullin to discuss further or to be included on a reserve list.

Sent on behalf of Deepak Gupta MS, DLO, FRCS (OTO), Consultant ENT Surgeon & Director of Medical Education, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Dear all

I am writing to solicit your support for the ‘ International Medical Graduate Induction Programme’ being organised jointly by the Severn Deanery, General Medical Council and the Great Western Hospital, Swindon. As you know IMGs form a disproportionate number of Doctors in Difficulty. Part of the problem is lack of understanding of a new workplace and culture, and not infrequently language, accent etc. Ideally we feel that all IMGs should have an induction before starting their first job in UK; perhaps it should be mandatory for GMC Registration. This is something the GMC is looking into but to begin with we are starting this course which would emphasize not only on GMCs Good Medical Practice as the foundation, but also on cultural differences , specially at the workplace, towards colleagues and patients. Clearly such an induction at the outset would pay the NHS and individual Trusts massive dividends in terms of a well informed and inspired workforce, with less friction and complaints.

We propose all IMGs who are within 2 years of practicing in UK should participate and would benefit from the course. There is no charge for the course but I would request you to facilitate the participation and travel of the IMGs.

Thanks for your support in anticipation.

Date:  27th February – 1st March 2013

Venue:  Marsh Farm Hotel, Royal Wootton Bassett Swindon Wiltshire SN4 8ER

This comprehensive 3-day programme includes:

• Focus on GMC Good Medical Practice
• Cultural integration of non-UK doctors into the NHS
• Communications skills workshops
• Helping IMGs adapt to UK working practices and way of life

Price: £Free (lunch included)

For further information and to book a place on the course please contact:  luke.newman@gwh.nhs.uk or phone01793 604432

For all trainees doing/have recently done rheumatology and their clinical supervisors

Dear colleagues,

Once again we are pleased to announce the Arthritis Research UK GP Trainee Prize in Musculoskeletal Medicine.

The purpose of this prize is to encourage study and interest in musculoskeletal medicine. The prize is open to any General Practice Specialty Trainee on a UK Training Programme. To enter, applicants should submit a piece of original work (up to 3,000 words) in the field of musculoskeletal medicine. This could be an:

• Audit
• Critical appraisal
• Case-based discussion
• Significant event analysis
• Service development

Each regional winner will receive a year’s membership of the Primary Care Rheumatology Society (PCRS) plus entry and up to £250 towards expenses to attend the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) annual conference. In addition, all regional winners will be entered into a national competition for a chance to win a prize of £500.

The closing date for submissions is Wednesday 19 June 2013. To read more about the prize, including our suggestions for audits and case-based discussions, please visit our website or email d.lakin@arthritisresearchuk.org.

You may also be interested in...

• GP training bursaries
• Educational research fellowships
• Hands On, Synovium, Topical Reviews

 For all trainees

The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare (CSH) is looking for an intern to help us organise a major conference in sustainable healthcare next year.

CSH and Health Care Without Harm Europe are holding the fourth European CleanMed Conference in Oxford, UK on September 17th, 18th & 19th 2013. CleanMed Europe is the leading conference focusing on sustainable health care, and is the only event where about 450 health care sustainability professionals come together from Europe and beyond to share problems and solutions, ideas and innovations.

The intern will work closely with the CSH team, gaining experience in administration, as well as event management, and will be responsible for liaising directly with external contacts in the UK and internationally. They will gain knowledge in new developments within sustainable healthcare and are offered the chance to meet leading experts in the field.

For more information please click here or contact Ingeborg Steinbach

For all Faculty members

Start the New Year with a personal development resolution!!

There are a few Deanery bursaries remaining for SoPC faculty to take the University of Bath programme towards a Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma or MSc in Primary Care.

Fees are paid in full by the School and you can also claim credit for previous postgraduate study, such as medical education or professional clinical qualifications, thus fast-tracking to a Bath degree.

The new module Common Musculoskeletal Conditions in Primary Care, starts on 14 January and is also free to faculty staff. The module includes clinical examination and joint injection techniques and provides online access to three key e-books in musculoskeletal medicine, sports injuries and joint injections, and to Anatomy.tv the online 3-D Anatomy resource.

If you are interested please contact the Director of Studies, Tim Bilham, as soon as possible.

The RCGP has published a new condensed curriculum guide.

Date: 14th March 2013

Venue: Royal College of General Practitioners, Euston Road, London. NW1 2FB

The aims of this Education and Research Workshop will be to:

• Introduce participants to the idea of medical humanities
• Outline ways in which ideas from this field can influence key issues for contemporary general practice
• Discuss how best to integrate these ideas into current educational programmes for the benefit of current and future practitioners
• Indicate ways in which practitioners may get involved in medical humanities research
• Develop specific proposals by which medical humanities ideas would take forward research in general practice.

Places are limited so please register soon!  Full details and booking instructions here

2014 ARCP Dates for GP Trainees

This is the confirmed list of dates for the 2014 GP ARCP Panels.

The majority of ARCP Panels are held in June and July, however for LTFT trainees, and those who have become 'out of sync' because of maternity leave or OOPE, we hold mini panels throughout the year.

You will receive an email approximately 6 weeks before your ARCP Panel outlining the training period to be reviewed and the date of submission for your evidence. This email will be copied to your educational supervisor.

You are not required to attend the ARCP Panel.  

However, if you are unfortunate enough to receive an unfavourable ARCP Outcome, you and your educational supervisor will be invited to attend a face to face interview at the Deanery on the second Wednesday following the ARCP Panel. 

You'll find full information here

For all qualified GPs.

Severn Deanery is pleased to launch the Electronic Resource Locator.  This is a single web-based resource for all medical CPD activities in Severn.

If you’re a member of a local Education Provider Organisation (EPO), reciprocal arrangements exist for you to attend any EPO meeting in Severn. Now, as the site is being populated, you can access events on a single site.

Not only that, using the Electronic Resource Locator facility, you can search for appropriate educational events based on any learning needs identified, including those from your appraisal.

The ERL has been developed as an offshoot of the Severn Appraisal Toolkit, but is freely accessible to everyone.

A more detailed user guide is downloadable here. 

December 2012

Tip: Take your Registrar with you on a visit to a local place of interest, for example local museum, heritage centre, library, Art Centre, etc.

Reason this may be useful: Registrars are often living and working in an area which is new to them; they are frequently working hard, and studying in their spare time. Visiting a local place of interest can give them an insight into the local area, its history and culture, and they can see some of the local factors which affect the lives of their patients. It can also help Registrars to maintain or develop an interest outside of medicine. As well as helping them to demonstrate their ‘Community Orientation’ competency, this can also help Registrars to maintain a healthy work-life balance by thinking about aspects of life away from their work.

With thanks to Damian Kenny FRCGP FHEA Cert Med Ed GMC No. 2702256 Community Education Advisor in General Practice for Gloucestershire, Severn Deanery Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

I have just come back from leg one of my OOPE. I spent the last month in the provinces of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarkhand in northern India in remote villages in the Himalayas to the east of Shimla. I was part of a group of 24 healthcare professionals, including doctors, medical students, a dentist and a pharmacist, all volunteering with “Himalayan Health Exchange” (HHE), an American NGO set up by an Indian expat from Shimla.  Read the full story

For all supervisors and trainees:

The new Curriculum was introduced in August 2012. The RCGP has prepared a new learning resource to complement the curriculum which essentially lists the topics that could be tested in the AKT.

It is not an exhaustive list and inevitably it will need to be updated, but hopefully it will be helpful in defining the topics that candidates should be aware of, particularly in the areas of Evidence Interpretation including research, statistics and epidemiology, and Organisational questions which include administrative, statutory, ethical and regulatory frameworks.

It is designed to be used in conjunction with the curriculum and is not a substitute for it.

It may look daunting and is best to read the Introduction to understand its use. There are examples to show how topics relate to the curriculum.

• Follow this link:  http://www.primarycare.severndeanery.nhs.uk/training/curriculum/csa-and-akt/
• For the most recent feedback report on the October AKT: http://www.rcgp.org.uk/gp-training-and-exams/mrcgp-exam-and-assessment-statistics/mrcgp-applied-knowledge-test-akt-summary-reports-and-statistics.aspx
• The curriculum link is http://www.rcgp.org.uk/gp-training-and-exams/gp-curriculum-overview.aspx 
• The AKT Content Guide can be found at http://www.rcgp.org.uk/gp-training-and-exams/mrcgp-exam-overview/mrcgp-applied-knowledge-test-akt.aspx

As this is a new resource, we welcome feedback about its content and use to mailto:exams@rcgp.org.uk

Kind Regards,

Sarah Atkinson | Quality Assurance Coordinator | Quality Assurance | Tel: 02031887641

The Lesbian & Gay Foundation, as part of its Pride in Practice project invites General Practitioners, Foundation Doctors and Trainee GPs to its FREE workshop on the health needs and inequalities of your lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) patients.

Date: Wednesday, 6th February, 2.00pm - 4.30pm

Venue: The Lesbian & Gay Foundation Community Resource Centre, Number 5, Richmond Street, Manchester M1 3HF.

The workshop will cover:

• LGB Patient Health Inequalities
• Coming Out as LGB
• Sexual Orientation Monitoring
• LGB Mental Health & Wellbeing
• Cervical Screening for Lesbian & Bisexual Women
• Drugs and Alcohol Misuse
• LGB Support Services.

Places are limited, to guarantee you place on this workshop RSVP by emailing dennis.baldwin@lgf.org.uk  or call 0845 3 30 30 30.

Refreshments will be provided. Please let us know if you have any special dietary or access requirements.

Pride in Practice is a benchmarking tool that identifies GP surgeries that are fully committed to assuring that their lesbian, gay and bisexual patients are treated fairly and able to discuss their issues openly with their GP or healthcare provider.

Click here for more information and to register

Dear Colleagues, 

28 November - 6 December 2012   AKT (30 January exam)  information and application link:
http://www.rcgp.org.uk/gp-training-and-exams/mrcgp-exam-overview/mrcgp-applied-knowledge-test-akt.aspx

6 - 14 December 2012  CSA (30 Jan - 9 Mar 2013)  information and application link:
http://www.rcgp.org.uk/gp-training-and-exams/mrcgp-exam-overview/mrcgp-clinical-skills-assessment-csa.aspx

Online bookings are through the new RCGP website and please note the following change:

Candidates will only be able to apply for the exam if eligibility parameters are met; We have imbedded an automated check to verify eligibility, otherwise they cannot continue. There will be instances where we have to issue an override code for candidates sitting outside these parameters, i.e. out of programme attempts and GP Returners. We have a process in place to handle these calls/email and deal with them accordingly.

The MRCGP regulations for 2012-2013, along with updated cancellation and eligibility policies are available online:

• MRCGP Regulations and Cancellation Policy are available on this page
  http://www.rcgp-curriculum.org.uk/nmrcgp/regulations_and_documents.aspx  -
• a separate document regarding eligibility for MRCGP examinations, number of attempts permitted, and consideration of mitigating circumstance can be found on this page 
  http://www.rcgp-curriculum.org.uk/nmrcgp.aspx  

Regards,

Cindy Junge, Candidate Admissions and Database Officer | Exams and Assessment   Tel: 020 3188 7620

For all Practice Managers and Supervisors:

Dear All,

Financial grants to support the development of additional training capacity in Severn Deanery

The Severn Deanery is inviting applications for small-scale grants of up to £10,000 per project in order to increase training capacity in the Severn footprint. This invite is extended to current training practices as well as non-training practices.

Each bid must increase the number of training placements available by at least 0.6 of a full time placement (i.e. for a less than full time trainee), or to allow one or more additional full time trainees. Bids might be spent on:

• Minor changes to rooms
• Equipment
• Contributions towards alterations that would result in additional training places.

The following link takes you to information on the bid process including a link to the application form

We ask for applications to be completed by midnight on 14th December 2012.

We anticipate making grants in several waves – with the first arriving in practices in time for Christmas! These will be sent electronically.

You may well have questions about how to proceed. As such, the following is the key contact in your local area, who will be pleased to advise you further:

We all look forward to hearing from you.

With all good wishes,

Yours sincerely,

Professor Bill Irish,

Chairman, GP National Recruitment Office - Director of GP Education, Severn Deanery

For all trainees:

GPSOC presents Clare Gerada, Chair of the RCGP: 

The future of general practice and what ‘the new’ NHS means for medical students. 

Although their will be some focus on medical students, we believe the talk will be interesting to all GPs and trainees.  Free drinks reception to follow!

Date: December 4th 2012 8:00pm

Location: E29, Medical Sciences Building, Bristol University BS8 1TD

For further information and to confirm you would like to come please contact please email Sarah Norris, GPSOC president.

For all Severn Faculty GP Speciality Trainees and members within 5 years of completing training

Just a quick reminder that the deadline for the Leonardo Bursary is approaching soon.

The Leonardo Bursary Scheme is a fantastic educational opportunity for a First5/AIT to take part in a european exchange during 2013/14 which will be fully funded.

We are committed to making sure that colleagues representing every faculty from across the country have a chance to benefit from this. So far we have had a great show of interest concentrated in certain parts of the UK. We want wider coverage!

Therefore we have extended the deadline. To keep it fair, this deadline is extended for everyone. If you are interested click on the link http://tiny.cc/ukleonardo  and go to the bottom of the webpage for an application form and FAQs.

Full details and conditions of the Hippokrates Exchange Programme

THE NEW DEADLINE IS 30TH NOVEMBER 2012 MIDNIGHT

Completed application forms/Queries to be emailed to Kim Chase      

Best Wishes & Good Luck!

The RCGP Junior International Committee Team

For APDs/TPDs/Scholars/Fellows

Please see invite below. If you would like to attend this workshop, please contact Anne Elliott , Medical Education Development Manager, Severn Deanery

Dear All

“Ways to Assess Insight” with Dr Megan Joffe.