‘Targeted’ support for struggling trainee GPs
STRUGGLING GP trainees are to be offered “targeted” support under proposals confirmed by health officials.
GP trainees who previously failed to complete entry requirements to attain GP registration are to be given “targeted training and support”, Health Education England (HEE) confirmed.
Aspiring GPs must attend medical school, undertake foundation training and then have GP speciality training before taking a series of examinations – including a virtual role-play consultation and a multiple-choice questionnaire.
These tests, as well as a workplace-based assessment, are required for the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) qualification. In exceptional circumstances, those who have failed to pass the Clinical Skills Assessment or Applied Knowledge Test on four previous attempts are permitted a fifth go.
HEE proposals would see those who have failed one of these tests in the current time frame given “targeted GP training”.
The proposals would require a change in the current number of attempts currently permitted by the Royal College of GPs (RCGP), HEE said. The RCGP expressed concerns that allowing doctors to re-sit exams repeatedly, increases the chance of a “random pass”, which poses a risk to patient safety.
But HEE stressed that it is not proposing unlimited re-sits, but it is proposing increased support before a resit. It said that its proposals would enable re-entry to training for those who were progressing but were unable to pass one part out of three for the MRCGP qualification.