GP Speciality Trainees

We are an approved training practice and train doctors to be General Practitioners.

To become an independent general practitioner in the UK, Doctors must successfully complete GP Specialty Training (GPST). This is usually 3 years but may include contributing time from other training or experience. GP training normally includes at least 18 months in an approved training practice with the remaining time in approved hospital or integrated training posts.

GP Speciality Trainees come to us at different stages of their training throughout the 3 years and the stage of their training is indicated by ST1, ST2 & ST3.

The whole practice is involved in training, although Dr Jones, Dr Adam Zacks, Dr Conor Fee and Dr Grace Getty are the trainers responsible for the GPST's. We all benefit greatly from having these young doctors in the practice. Learning and teaching is a two way process and GPST's help to keep us all up to date.

GPST's provide extra appointments in the practice which helps us to cope with our workload and hopefully makes it easier for you to see a doctor when you need to.  They are supervised by a senior doctor for every surgery they hold, whom they can call on for advice when required.

Part of their training involves videoing some of their consultations. These videos are viewed afterwards by the GPST's themselves and often their trainer. Occasionally, they are viewed by other GPST's as part of the training process.  These videos are an important and valuable tool to learn and develop their consultation skills which we rely heavily upon.  We greatly appreciate patients’ cooperation with allowing their consultation to be recorded and generally have a high degree of positivity towards this activity by patients. However, should you not feel comfortable in the process, it is the patients absolute right to decline consent pre, during or after consultation.  We always ask you to sign your permission beforehand and then again afterwards. If you change your mind we won't view the video.

We feel that teaching helps to keep the practice up to the highest standards.

FY2 Doctors

In addition to GPSTs we also provide training placements for Foundation Year Doctors, the first two years after qualifying as doctors are now known as Foundation Year 1 (FY1) and Foundation Year 2 (FY2).  At this stage Doctors are required to experience a period of time in general practice regardless of their eventual chosen career in medicine.  We, in General Practice, support this wholeheartedly and are convinced that, regardless of the specialty they eventually choose, all doctors will benefit from an insight into the workings of general practice.

As with the GPST’s the FY2 Doctors are allocated a supervisor for every surgery they hold, whom they can call on for advice when required.

The whole practice is involved in training, although Dr Conor Fee is the trainer responsible for the FY2 doctors.