Training to Be a General Practitioner

Education South West Severn Deanery Training to be a General Practitioner

The School of Primary Care Severn Deanery Welcome

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 1 Welcome

Severn Deanery’s School of Primary care has a remit to All of our trainees are encouraged to register for the oversee and develop high quality GP speciality training MSc in Primary Care from Bath University, in addition in Avon, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset. We to their work towards the MRCGP. The University gives A career in GP have an enviable national reputation: Pass rates in the accreditation for the 3 years of speciality training. MRCGP licensing exams are extraordinarily high, and What will you face? enabling you to provide high levels of personal care whilst satisfaction scores in the national annual trainee survey There are optional Masters’ level courses in clinical and General Practice is never boring… maintaining an appropriate work-life balance. have been and remain amongst the very best in the UK. non-clinical topics as well as a chance to engage in a Faculty members publish widely on postgraduate medical supervised research project. Over the years the General Practitioners’ role has Nonetheless, the range of options for working in primary education and are at the cutting edge of their field. developed from simply providing medical care to care will continue to expand. In the current competitive The school is proud of its dynamic GPSTR committee, becoming a central pillar of our society, supplying a market you can: GP speciality trainees are based in one of five separate who ensure representation on all the key groups within crucial element of health care delivery. l choose when you join a practice - it won’t harm your programmes; Bath, Bristol & Weston, Gloucestershire, the Deanery, BMA and RCGP. This has strengthened the career if you spend a year travelling around the world Somerset and Swindon. Each is led by a highly support and teaching we have been able to provide to This challenging yet exciting environment offers you or keep your options open; experienced Associate Postgraduate Dean supported by Severn trainees. There is also a flourishing social scene the opportunity to broaden and deepen your clinical l decide where you want to practice - there are more a local team of Programme Directors and Trainers. Our around each programme and the school – please do get experience in a team-based, patient-centred discipline. It vacancies than applicants (though some areas are more trainees are treated as people, not numbers and each involved when you come to us. will give you the chance to not only treat minor, major, sought-after than others); has their own personalised training plan, e-portfolio and chronic and acute illnesses but to provide preventive l get plenty of work and earn a lot as a locum; educational supervisor, based within general practice. As you will see from this booklet, there is simply no better care and health education to a wide and diverse pool of l have a strong hand when you negotiate your salary or place to live in the UK than in Severn and the Southwest. patients. partnership package. In line with our philosophy of personalised education, the The cities are vibrant and beautiful, the countryside and school offers a flexible & bespoke approach to training coastline simply stunning, and our proximity to London The profession is constantly evolving with service delivery GPs have the opportunity to develop specialised skillsand with opportunities to develop additional expertise in means you never feel cut off from the rest of the world. being influenced by local and national policy to meet the areas of expertise which can be clinical, educational, leadership and education, through our own scholarship needs of a changing society. Keeping up-to-date through political or related to health service management. Your programme, as well as in a number of clinical areas. We Do have a look through this booklet. Our website at a well-maintained programme of Continuing Professional training at Severn Deanery will reflect the importance of encourage trainees to gain additional experience out of http://primarycare.severndeanery.org/ has much more Development is vital. each of them and the assessment process will monitor your programme (OOPE); particularly through clinical work in information. If you would like to meet up with one of our development through the work place based assessment the developing world. team please do get in touch and we will be delighted to Currently there are opportunities for newly qualified GPs (WPBA). Our committed team of trainers will guide and arrange this for you. to work part-time, flexibly, salaried or in partnership, support you not only in achieving your CCT at the end of training but also in acquiring the skills needed to be a successful GP.

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 1 2 What can we offer you?

Severn deanery offers the highest standards of education practice, we provide a diversity of opportunity to those in General Practice, with superb success rates in the who want something different. MRCGP. All of our five educational teams are highly motivated and committed to providing the very best We hope not just to turn out good GPs but leaders for experience for each our GP specialist trainees (GPSTs). tomorrow.

Severn GPSTs have representation on all of our key groups within the GP school; to ensure that not only do we continue to deliver high standards but also that our programmes fully reflect the needs of our learners. Each year one of our senior trainees joins our senior management team, charged with driving forward change on behalf of all Severn GPSTs

Our programmes are not “one size fits all”. Whilst it is entirely possible to progress through one of our three year integrated training programmes into a career in general

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 3 Something Different… Scholarships: These are constantly evolving, but at the time of writing Each year 10 interested GPSTs are selected to extend their include: 3rd year by a full calendar month. This enables them to develop additional expertise in areas such as medical Four-Year Schemes: education and in PCT based commissioning. Many recent l Academic training – through NCCRCD academic scholars have moved into permanent educational and clinical fellowships, based at Bristol University. Able leadership posts, as part of their future work portfolio. doctors are accepted on to a 4-year academic programme, with years 3 and 4 split equally between Fellowships: clinical and academic training. These are seen as a It isn’t a coincidence that most of our recent graduates take springboard into a high-flying academic career. up clinical and other work in the Southwest. The deanery l Leadership training. Modelled on the academic clinical is keen to support and develop young doctors during their fellowship these 4-year programmes include special early years post CCT, and each of our programmes has an training in leadership, commissioning and health needs active educational programme for newly qualified GP. analysis through a joint training with Severn’s School of Public Health and secondment to PCT commissioning In particular we currently offer five one-year educational teams. fellowships in medical education. Fellows develop expertise by working on curriculum development, small group facilitation, educational delivery and mentoring of trainees. Most also enrol in a masters level degree course to support their interest.

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 4 Out of Programme Experience

Severn Deanery is very keen for trainees to develop a For GPSTs already in a Severn programme richness and diversity of experience. We feel that the We can accommodate up to a further five, one skills and perspectives gained from spending time gaining year, OOPE placements for trainees already on our “Out of Programme experience” (OOPE) will benefit both programmes. We encourage early applications in order our trainees, but in time also our local health community in to provide adequate time to set up placements. Again the Southwest. we prioritise applicants wishing to spend time working in a developing country, and those whose plans have The detailed regulations on this are complex and can be a tangible benefit, not only to the trainee, but also to found both in the current Gold Guide, and on the School’s Southwest and the NHS as a whole. Applications for “in- website. You will also need to carefully consider the programme” OOPE are competitive, and considered by employment issues relating to leaving the NHS. Logistically an independent panel with lay and trainee representatives. we find these are best taken as a full 12-month break between the 2nd and 3rd years of your training with us.

We encourage OOPE in two contexts: As part of a pre-planned 4-year programme Five of these are recruited to, one in each of our programmes, every year. These are aimed at those who wish to plan a year working abroad, and know it when they apply! Most GPSTs spend this outside the UK, and in line with the recent Crisp report we encourage GPSTs to spend at least half of this time working in a developing country. The school has a number of contacts in Africa, South and South East Asia, and will work with you to identify a suitable placement.

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 5 “Taking time OOP is a great opportunity to gain additional and different experience before completion of GP training. Be this clinical or non-clinical experience in the developing or developed world, the potential is huge. I was able to apply for a one year education post at the University of Bristol and North Bristol NHS Trust. I then went through the Severn Deanery’s OOP application process for trainees already on rotation and had my year out approved.

“The main focus of my post is to review and re-structure the University’s clinical examinations/assessments for medical students. In addition, the job incorporates funding and time to complete the University’s Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education, and one day per week of clinical Anne Whitehouse, commitment. I have chosen to use this to gain further GP trainee, currently OOP between ST2 and ST3 sexual health and family planning experience in advance of ST3. ‘Our trainees go all over the

“The new and different challenges that my post brings world and our patients come are ensuring that I have several projects keeping me busy from all corners of the globe.’ and am learning a huge amount – it is also a pleasure to no longer have to negotiate on-call rotas and persistent bleeping! I have no doubt that I will continue to build on this during my year OOP, and I envisage that this will not only benefit my own career interests but also my patients, colleagues and students in the future.”

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 6 Something for everyone -

Gloucestershire

All GPST programmes within Severn consist of 18 months Gloucester displays a variety of diverse and multi-cultural of training based in primary care, matched with a further tourists’ destinations, above all the beautiful Norman 18 months of carefully chosen and quality assured posts in Cathedral, one of the 3 Choirs Festival Cathedrals, final our local secondary care trusts. resting place of William the Conqueror’s brother Robert. The city hosts an all year round covered market which has Your choice? Here’s a taste of our dynamic stalls selling traditional local produce such as the locally schemes: renowned Gloucestershire sausage. The VTS hospital posts are based on Cheltenham & Gloucester Hospitals with training practices throughout Gloucester is complemented by Cheltenham, a city the Cotswolds, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud Valleys renowned for the National Hunt festival in the Spring and and the Forest of Dean. There are opportunities to work the summer cricket festival on the College playing fields. with colleagues locally as well as some time when larger groups of trainees can meet and work together across the Essentially, Gloucestershire is a rural county. From the wider GP School. The programme is mapped to the new capital of the Cotswolds in the east, the old Roman town GP Curriculum and nMRCGP as well as being tailored to of Cirencester to the beautiful Stroud valley, known as the the learning needs of the GPST locally. The scheme has an Golden Valley - one visit in autumn will tell you why. extremely high success rate in the MRCGP examination The ancient and Royal Forest of Dean is next-door to the – tuition is led by local RCGP Examiners. Severn plain, where the great naturalist Sir Peter Scott decided to locate the internationally famous bird sanctuary at Slimbridge, and where Edward Jenner, perhaps the greatest under-sung GP of all, developed the principles of vaccination through his experiments with cowpox virus on himself and the local cowgirls.

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 7 Something for everyone -

Swindon - Cirencester

The Swindon GPST scheme is based across Cirencester, Lying midway between London and Bristol, in the county Swindon, Kennet and North West Wiltshire. It is run by of Wiltshire, Swindon’s location is superb, situated a team of enthusiastic and experienced GP educators perfectly for exploring Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds, available for teaching, advice and support throughout Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley, and the beautiful the course, helping to create newly qualified GPs with county of Wiltshire. The city has excellent road and rail the skills to make a success of their chosen specialty. links to London and Bristol, as well as to the south coast The area includes a new hospital with state-of-the-art and the north. Our training practices are varied, from educational facilities and modern buildings offering a first town centres to very rural and include the historic towns of class environment for patients, visitors and staff. This is Cirencester, Malmesbury and Devizes. complemented by a range of excellent training practices with high-quality GP trainers in a mixture of urban & rural There are many places to explore, including the stately practices. home Lydiard House and parkland. The ancient Ridgeway crosses our area, an 85 mile ancient trackway claimed by some to be the oldest road in Europe: fantastic for walking or cycling along and discovering the most impressive and well-preserved Neolithic sites in the country. Wiltshire’s rolling chalk hills harbour the famous Wiltshire White Horses, the ancient stone circle of Avebury, West Kennet Long Barrow and many other gems.

If you are into watersports the lakes of the Cotswold water parks between Swindon and Cirencester are the place for you: or if you prefer there is the Wilts and Berks canal. North of Swindon are Cotswold Hills, a designated area of natural beauty sometimes called ‘the heart of England’.

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 7 8 Something for everyone -

Bristol

The Bristol vocational training scheme is the largest in Bristol is a large commercial centre and the largest city in the Severn deanery and covers five NHS trusts including the South, voted one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit Weston-Super-Mare, a coastal town close to the Mendip by DK Eyewitness Travel. The arrival of a chief engineer hills. The Scheme provides a large, friendly and Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 19th century shaped the enthusiastic GP Education team including an experienced face of modern Bristol today. His legacy includes: the MRCGP examiner and GPs with a range of special interests Clifton Suspension Bridge and the “SS Great Britain” - the based in well established and diverse training practices world’s first ocean-going, propeller driven, iron ship. from inner city to rural. In addition to that, the program Bristol, a leading UK green capital, is home to attractions includes monthly day release programme for ST1&2s to suit all tastes including Bristol’s City Museum and Art and a weekly day for GP registrars focussed on personal Gallery, home to an outstanding collection and host of learning needs and following the new MRCGP curriculum. various art exhibitions, Bristol Hippodrome, one of the Moreover, the scheme offers academic opportunities, country’s top provincial theatres, Bristol’s harbour-side and extended support for flexible training and emphasis on Bristol Zoo and gardens, ever so popular for a great family personal and professional development within a vibrant day out. and diverse community. Shopping in Bristol is varied, with hundreds of shops in the city centre as well as award-winning shopping centre Cabot Circus which, together with The Mall and Cribbs Causeway, has contributed to making the city a top retail destination.

As Britain’s ballooning capital and the home of “Cameron Balloons”, Bristol is the perfect place to enjoy a champagne hot-air balloon flight across the city or join the annual balloon festival.

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 9 Something for everyone -

Bath

The General Practice Training Scheme in Bath is Bath is a Spa city and World Heritage site, surrounded by consistently highly rated by both trainees and trainers, and the Cotswold and Mendip hills containing the only thermal achieves a phenomenally high success rate in the nMRCGP. springs in Britain. To the Romans, the hot springs were a There are 18 months of specialist posts in the ST 1 and 2 great attraction and they built a magnificent temple and years based at either the Royal United Hospital or Royal bathing complex to Sulis Minerva, throwing offerings and National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath, or with curses into the steaming waters. Today, the Roman Baths community based departments. Opportunities include A&E, and Pump Rooms are open to the public and they still flow O&G, Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Rheumatology, Care of the with natural, hot spring water. Elderly, ENT, palliative care, dermatology, and innovative posts combining time in general practice with time in a The centre contains Bath Abbey, the shop-lined Pulteney community hospital or public health department. Bridge and the magnificent ‘Circus’ but the most celebrated architectural achievement is the elegant, curving, Royal Crescent. Bath is also regularly used as a period film location due to its beautiful classical buildings, which have been maintained to the present day.

Bath has a range of museums including the Museum of Costume, Bath Abbey Heritage Vaults Museum and Bath’s Original Theatre Royal and Masonic Museum to quote a few aside the Bath Aqua Theatre of Glass, which gives the opportunity to watch hand made glass making all year- round.

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 10 Something for everyone -

Somerset

Somerset GP vocational training scheme offers a distinctive Along with its beautiful and varied coastline, Somerset and exciting opportunity to combine GP training with is host to some amazing areas of countryside, including a great place to live. The first two years of the scheme three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Exmoor are well balanced, offering one general practice post, National Park. complemented by three or four secondary care posts, based in Taunton or Yeovil (occasionally both). Monthly Starting from Wells and moving along the Mendips to teaching sessions based at your local postgraduate centre Cheddar you can pass through fantastic walking country give an early overview of the whole curriculum and a and enjoy the world famous local cheeses. We proudly primary care perspective on your hospital experience as host one of the biggest contemporary musical festivals it develops. Regular visits to the practice you will join in in the world (Glastonbury) - an experience to seriously the third year also enhance the relevance of secondary consider during your time in the county. care posts. In the final year, a general practice post at a different practice ensures exposure to two practices The small town of Bridgwater is close to exciting sites such in depth, and a number of others in the form of monthly as the Coleridge Cottage, a National Trust property where tutorials by trainers in other local practices. A twice the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge who wrote the poem yearly residential course covers personal and professional The Ancient Mariner lived as well as the ancient romantic development in more depth, in a relaxed and nurturing Dunster Castle with fine turrets, towers and subtropical environment. gardens.

Within an easy distance is Montacute House, one of the finest Elizabethan country houses in the United Kingdom, Tintinhull gardens and Yeovil Country Park which is 127 acres and includes rivers, lakes, waterfalls, open grassland, woodland and a children’s play area.

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 11 We believe that the Severn area is a fantastic place to live and work, and our aim is for the educational and training opportunities here to complement this.

Make yourself at home

Practicalities? This section will help you in cosmopolitan and unforgettable cities, the Severn area with some basic information on living in the is the place for you. Severn area. There is plenty of choice when it comes to choosing a The Severn Deanery covers a large geographic area in place to live, including the stunning Georgian houses of the South West of England and includes a wide variety Clifton, local towns of Somerset, seaside apartments in of locations which are so diverse yet they fit beautifully Weston super Mare, rural cottages near to Bath or modern together. accommodations in one of our vibrant cities.

It combines an extensive range of historical sites with a modern and vibrant mix of cultural activities never too far from the London area, ever so close to the stunning hills of Wales and to the spectacular Jurassic Coast of Devon and Dorset.

The area features attractive suburbs and satellite towns as well as large commercial centres, so whether you are looking for countryside sceneries or you would like to dive

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 11 12 The gateway to the Southwest

The Severn area is perfectly located with easy access to motorways and regional rail and air travel yet secluded in the countryside with all the benefits that this offers to quality of life both at work and at home.

By Rail The rail network around the city of Bristol includes two intercity railway stations serving destinations throughout the country. Main stations can also be found in Bath, By Road Bristol’s key location at the junction of the M4 and M5 Swindon, Gloucester, Bridgewater and Taunton securing motorways guarantees easy access to every part of the links with the South West and Wales. country. All major cities are within easy reach and coach companies regularly service the area. Rail travel times from Bristol to: Cardiff 47 mins

London 1 hr 30 mins Distances from central Bristol by road

Birmingham 1 hr 30 mins miles km Birmingham 88 142 Southampton 1 hr 54 mins Bristol International Airport 7 11 Plymouth 2 hrs 10 mins Cardiff 43 69 Nottingham 2 hrs 50 mins Gatwick Airport 145 233 Heathrow Airport 102 164 Here at Severn Leicester 118 189 Deanery we London 119 191 encourage Manchester 167 267 trainees and staff Nottingham 140 224 Oxford 72 115 to walk, cycle Plymouth 113 181 and use public Reading 79 126 transport where Southampton 74 118 possible, as part Swansea 81 130 of a healthy lifestyle. By Air Bristol International Airport is situated just eight miles south of the city and provides flights to UK, the USA and many European destinations. The major international airports of Heathrow or Gatwick are easily reached by road or rail.

Training to be a General Practitioner - the School of Primary Care 13

Training to be a General Practitioner The School of Primary Care Severn Deanery

Our schemes: Gloucestershire www.gpvts.org Swindon - Cirencester www.swindongpeducation.co.uk Bath www.bathgptraining.co.uk Bristol www.bristolgpsolutions.org.uk Somerset www.somersetvts.co.uk

Other useful websites: NHS Education South West - Severn Deanery www.severndeanery.nhs.uk Severn Deanery School of Primary Care primarycare.severndeanery.org Royal College of General Practitioners rcgp.org.uk National Recruitment Office for General Practice Training gprecruitment.org.uk