GP Training

The practice is very committed to training the next generation of General Practitioners.

We have a long tradition of GP training and were one of the first practices in Lincolnshire to be a training practice.

We work under the umbrella of the Lincolnshire GP Training Programme which is affiliated to the East Midlands Education & Training Board in providing GP training. Prospective GPs join the Lincoln General Practice Specialty Training Programme combining hospital experience of various specialties with a specific focus on general practice.

Dr Robinson and Dr Towsey are approved as GP Trainers, and Dr Farmilo as a Clinical Supervisor. All of the other doctors in the practice are involved with the supervision of our GP Specialist Trainees (often referred to as GP registrars).

GP Specialist Trainees are fully qualified and registered with the General Medical Council. They work under the direct supervision of an experienced doctor while gaining further experience in General Practice. They are deliberately given more time than usual, i.e. > 10 minutes, to consult with patients so that they can develop their consultation skills. At the end of each surgery they are debriefed by an experienced doctor who will not only check that safe practice has been followed, but also mentor and teach them the principles of good general practice.

To become an independent General Practitioner in the UK, a doctor must undertake at least three years of GP Specialty Training (GPST), locally this involves spending 24  months in an approved training practice with a further 12 months in approved hospital posts, have achieved a Certificate of Completion of Training and passed the qualifying examinations to become a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP).

Our GP Specialist Trainees will have completed two foundation years of core medical training in a hospital setting before being selected as suitable for GP training. They then spend four months in the practice before going back to selected hospital posts so that they can widen their exposure to key medical specialities. They then return to the practice for a more extended period to complete their GP training.

As part of their training, GP Specialist Trainees are required to video record a number of consultations. The reason for doing so is so that they can develop their communication / consultation skills. If a GP Specialist Trainee is intending to video record a consultation your written consent will always be sought both before the consultation to ensure that you agree to the recording, and also afterwards to ensure that you are willing to allow it to be viewed for teaching purposes. You are quite entitled to decline to have your consultation video recorded either before your consultation or to withdraw your consent afterwards. All recordings are destroyed after being used for teaching purposes.

If you have any concerns or feedback regarding any of our GP Specialist Trainees then please discuss this with our GP trainer.