GP training to be overhauled to meet ‘ever-shifting’ needs of patients

Health Education England (HEE) has outlined a new vision for general practice training which it says will better prepare GPs for future models of care.

The programme will have greater focus on areas such as addressing health inequalities and managing the growing proportion of patients with mental health care needs seen in general practice, HEE said.

Innovative placements, perhaps with charities, third sector organisations and services such as CAHMS will be explored, the Training the Future GP report said.

And it should include educational opportunities around improving cancer detection and referral, the report said, as well as training in the harms of overdiagnosis.

Overall the goal is to move to a flexible model of training that meets the needs, skills and experiences of the trainee as well as the area they are working in.

HEE said it would also continue to work to address issues of discrimination, prejudice, bias and specifically racism at individual, institutional and systemic levels, and to reduce differential attainment.

It will include plans to ensure patients in deprived areas are able to access care, with the development of specific training offers on these issues and prioritising expansion of training capacity to areas in need.

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Source: Pulse, 17 March 2023