From August 2024, there will be 15 Integrated Training Posts (ITP) available on the Exeter VTS. You will have a 6 month ITP placement in your ST2 year. Prior to your start as an ST1 you’ll be sent an email from the team asking you to indicate your top 5 preferences so where possible, we are able to allocate you an ITP that you have an interest in. Please bear in mind that as these posts are limited this cannot be guaranteed but we will do our best to accommodate. Please see brief descriptions of the posts we have to offer below:
Rheumatology
Two days a week are spent with the rheumatology team based out of The Nightingale hospital in Exeter. You will see you and follow up patients in the rheumatology clinic, supervised by a specialist with time for discussion. You will also have the opportunity to attend MDT meetings, teach medical students, experience the rheumatology advice line and enhance your skills with joint injections.
Virtual Ward and Hospital at home ITP
Two days a week is spent with the hospital at home team working on the virtual ward. The focus will be on Frailty, The virtual ward, Care coordination, Ambulatory care and include home visits as part of virtual ward. The role is integrated with the urgent community response (UCR) team, The community team and the Acute Medicine MDT. You will work alongside GPs, Consultants and registrars.
Research ITP
Half of the week will be spent in general practice with experienced GP educators. The other half of the week will be spent with GPs and Practice Nurse’s with an interest in Primary Care Research. This will involve completion of the Good Clinical Practice certificate, liaising with the Clinical Research Network, assisting with research projects that are underway and, if the trainee is able, leading on a project under the supervision of the clinical supervisor. Research project involvement will range from constructing and running searches through EMIS, contacting and recruiting patients, consenting patients and following up as indicated by the trial requirements. The research sessions will take place at the GP Surgery.
Paediatrics
Two days a week are spent working as part of the paediatric community team in an outpatient setting as well as having the opportunity to have exposure to the acute paediatric admission unit in Exeter. The other half of the week you will be based with a General Practice.
Sexual and reproductive Health
The ITP in GP and Sexual Health is split into 2 days a week with each team. The sexual health part is based at Sidwell Street and includes both GUM and contraception. These clinics run telephone triage (with the potential for postal testing) and face to face appointments. You can choose to focus on one area or be more of a generalist. There is also the opportunity to learn how to fit implants and coils, as well as organising a diploma in contraception.
Surgery and Dermatology
Half of the week will be spent in General Practice whilst the other half of the week will be spent with GPSIs in community surgery and dermatology. This will involve a mixture of community outpatient clinics with GPwERs and community operating lists. There will be opportunity to attend meetings to learn more about the organisational and logistical challenges of running a commissioned community service as well as the opportunities and appraisal process involved in becoming a GPwER.
Old Age Community Mental Health (2 posts available)
Two days are spent with the old age community mental health team based in Honiton or Exmouth. You have the opportunities to work alongside a community Psychiatrist and their team. You will gain exposure to community Psychiatry becoming involved in activities such as working in the memory clinic, working with community psychiatric nurses and the MDT meetings. The other half of the week will be spent in a General Practice.
System Leadership
This ITP aims to help inspire and develop the leaders of the future. Two days are spent working with the ICS (integrated care system) whilst the remaining time is base in a General Practice. You will have the opportunity to be involved with the design and organisation of healthcare at scale across the region, allowing you to develop your organisation, management and leadership skills. You will work in a varied team of many different professionals and have the opportunities to be involved in the design and delivery of a regional projects within the ICS.
Medical Politics
This ITP aims to help inspire and develop the leaders of the future. Two days are spent working with Devon local medical committee (LMC) whilst the remaining time is base in a General Practice. You will be involved with the representation of GP’s locally and nationally. This will give you the opportunity to experience areas such as negotiation and leadership to help promote, support, protect and develop general practice in Devon.
Education
Two days a week are spent working with GP educators to help with the panning and delivery of education. You may work with the education team within HEE, the Exeter VTS, the Devon training hub, and University of Exeter. The other half of the week you will be based within a General Practice.
Urgent Care SWAST
Two days a week spent working with the South West Ambulance Service, working alongside GP’s who work for SWAST. You will have the opportunity to go out in the 999 car and work in the work in the urgent care centre. The rest of the week you will be based in a General Practice.
HFOP (Healthcare for the elderly)
Half the week is spent based working on a ward in a community hospital in Tiverton. The other half of the week you will work in a General Practice
Inclusion medicine
This is a 3 month full time placement where you’ll spend your time working as part of the team working in Clocktower Surgery in Exeter who provide General Practice services to the homeless and vulnerable housed population. There is also the opportunity to gain experience working with the drug and alcohol services..
Hospice (2 posts available)
In most circumstances it is preferred that trainees undertake a 3-month placement with the Hospice team and 3 months in their GP Training Practice, rather than split their working weeks between two sites over this six-month training post. This is to help promote continuity of care for the Hospice patients and maximise learning from this placement opportunity.
General Psychiatry (2 posts available)
Two days are spent with the community mental health team based in Honiton or Exmouth. You have the opportunities to work alongside a community Psychiatrist in an outpatient psychiatric clinic; review Gp referrals; visit with the home treatment team and work with community psychiatric nurses. The other half of the week will be spent in a General Practice.