Half Day Release

All schemes run a Half-Day Release programme (often shortened to HDR). This is a weekly programme of education usually held at the local Postgraduate Centre.

  • Venue: Education Centre Doncaster Royal Infirmary DN2 5LT
  • When: Tuesday afternoons
  • Time: 2pm – 5pm

Courses

Our Scheme runs a number of educational programmes other than Half-Day Release. These include ‘Mock’ CSA exams twice per year as well as a full ‘Mock’ AKT course. There are also away-days and deanery trainee conferences

The Current Programme

  • During current restrictions have we are having to run sessions via Zoom – there may be scope for one year at at a time to attend the education centre in the Lecture theatre sometime in the new year, vaccines and current deanery rules allowing, as that can hold up to 30 people appropriately distanced

Type of Session

Most session involve small group work, each facilitated by either a Programme Director, Trainer, outside expert, Intending Trainer, or a combination thereof. We hope the groups will create a safe space in which difficult or uncomfortable issues can be discussed in confidence. It is always okay for the group to decide to change the agenda and deal with an urgent problem raised by a member.

These are skills for your lifelong learning, and for life in general practice. Many will have relevance to the AKT and CSA exam.

There are three types of session frequently used in the Half Day Release course:

Knowledge and education based – small presentations or topics

Consultation based – theory and practice

Practice based – issues arising in practice usually using the ‘Virtual Practice’ model

Evaluation

The Training Programme Directors welcome feedback at any stage, in person or by e-mail. As well as contributing to the formal evaluation sessions, it is very helpful if, at the end of each small group session, you leave five minutes for evaluation. Please give this some genuine thought so that we can enhance the future development of the course. If you feel something was good or bad, please tell us specifically what made it that way. We want to adhere to models of good practice and change those that don’t.