Trainer approval and re-approval

We will contact you at least 8 weeks before your visit is due to confirm date and time.  This will usually be a Wednesday or Thursday either morning (9.30/10.00am) or afternoon (1.30pm).  The visit should last 2 – 3 hours.

The most up to date approval/reapproval form needs to be filled in before the visit and returned at least four weeks before to Lisa Jordan via e-mail.

The Trainer and other members of the Practice including the Practice Manager, will need to sign a Practice Agreement in support of training.   Please have this in hard copy to give to the Lead Visitor on the day.

You need to confirm that you are QOF compliant under the heading ‘Organisational Indicators – Records and Information about Patients’.  The practice must achieve 95% of the maximum QOF target.

Please prepare a video of a recent tutorial or teaching exercise with a trainee, if available, or another person if not.  We will to view a short section (a maximum of 10 minutes) that you feel demonstrates the benefits and principles of one-to-one teaching.

Please ensure your equipment is working prior to the visit!

The visiting team will normally consist of an Associate Dean, another GP Trainer and a trainee (i.e. ST3, ST2, ST1 or F2)  wherever possible depending on Day Release Course commitments.  On occasions the team may include another Associate Dean, a lay visitor or another member of the educational team.

You will be informed of the visiting team prior to the visit.

It is helpful to meet other members of the practice.  If you have a Registrar please make sure they are available.  We would also like to meet the Practice Manager, GP Partners and other practice staff.

In addition to the above you will need to provide evidence of recent Equality & Diversity Training and your Mutually Agreed Statement of Learning (MASL) that would have been completed at the last GP Trainer course you attended.  You can complete Equality & Diversity training online and a popular resource is the BMJ Learning module or the e-Learning for Health module (free to all – you need to register using your GMC number though).

Before leaving, the lead visitor will inform you of the approval decision and give you some feedback.

A report will be prepared following the visit, which will be sent to the GP STC that meets biannually – usually August and December.

Following the GP STC meeting you will receive formal notification of their recommendations.  These may be any of the following:

1. Full Approval – Usually 4 years
2. Approval with recommendations: you may be given a limited approval, i.e. less than three years if certain issues are identified which the committee feel need addressing.
3. New Trainers: will normally be approved for 1 full GPR year.

If you have any queries or problems at any stage of the process, please contact Tracy Dickinson.