Training Practice

If a doctor wishes to become a GP, they need to complete a three year training scheme, eighteen months of which is spent working in general practice (the remainder is spent working in a variety of hospital posts). This is in addition to five years at medical school and two years as a junior hospital doctor.

Doctors who are training to become GPs are called General Practice Specialty Trainees (GPSTs). We regularly have GPSTs attached to the practice for six or twelve month periods.

During their time at the practice, GPSTs see patients in exactly the same way as qualified GPs. They are always supervised by a GP, and their Trainer has overall responsibility for their education.

As part of their training and assessment they occasionally record videos of consultations which are then viewed with their Trainer. Any such videos are only filmed with the express consent of the patient and remain strictly confidential. They are only used for educational purposes and are deleted when the GPST finishes their attachment at the practice. In addition to this, the GPST will also sometimes perform joint surgeries where they will see patients at the same time as their Trainer.

The practice would very much appreciate your co-operation in meeting the educational needs of GPSTs, and fully understands that there can be situations where video recordings or joint consultations may not be appropriate.