In the Northern Deanery it is usual to have 18 months training in General Practice as part of the 3-year vocational training scheme. This is usually planned as 4-6 months at the beginning of training, and 6-8 months at the end. The "extra" six months in General Practice replaces one hospital post - thus 18 months in General Practice and 18 months in hospital. The "extra" 6 months based in General Practice is either

• a further full 6 months in a different teaching practice 

or

•  an  “Integrated Training Post" (ITP). The ITP is based in general practice with a secondment to another specialty or branch of medicine.

The aim of the integrated training post is to allow the GP registrar, although based in General Practice, to have a variety of other educational attachments outside General Practice. The integrated training post would thus enable the GP registrar to have a broader experience than may have been possible under a standard 3-year scheme.

Normally a minimum of 2 days per week will be spent in General Practice, with the rest of the week made up of the ½ day at the vocational training scheme seminar, and 2 days spent between some of the following or all.

Each of these attachments will have specific educational objectives agreed between the GP registrar and the consultant or educator concerned. These objectives may include a specific project or research. The attachments may vary during the duration of the integrated training post. The GP Trainer retains overall educational supervision for the GP registrar and provides a base for further GP experience.

We continue to develop our integrated training posts. We are able to offer one of these posts to all GP Registrars and we are also looking at extending the type of integrated training posts that we provide, and additional specialties may be involved. We will discuss the options of integrated training posts individually with each newly appointed GPR, although the final decision on which post a GPR will undertake is usually made during the 6 months before that post is due to start and is subject to availability.

More information on integrated training posts including content and scope of the posts.

Updated by TS on 24/08/11