The General Practice Department of NIMDTA is responsible for the education and training and management of Appraisal of General Practitioners in a variety of stages or situations.

Foundation Programme

In Foundation Year 2, 60 Doctors will have the opportunity to take up a 4-month post in General Practice.  The aspiration is that all Foundation doctors will have this opportunity in the not too distant future.  GP placements will provide doctors in training with an enhanced understanding and the ability to operate across a remodelled primary-secondary care interface.  The posts will offer doctors the opportunity to care for patients in a very different setting.  Patients present with illness at an earlier and often undifferentiated stage in General Practice.  Foundation doctors will learn about triage and problem solving, the management of uncertainty in diagnostic decision making, the importance of communication skills and team work and develop a high regard for patient safety.

GP Specialty Training Programme

Following successful completion of the Foundation Programme, doctors may apply for a place on the GP Specialty Training Programme for General Practice via the National Recruitment Process.  This is a three year programme and includes at least twelve months at ST3 level with an approved trainer, at least 12 months in a post (or posts) in a specialty or specialties, prescribed by the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board and at least one year in General Practice. For all entrants to a 3 year programme from August 2007 18 months of training will be spent in the Primary Care setting. Training will follow a curriculum provided by the Royal College of General Practitioners. There will be three components to the assessment of competence during and at the end of training. Workplace based assessment is a test of applied knowledge and a test of consultation and clinical skills to be taken in the final year. Satisfactory completion will confer fitness to practice in General Practice and the ability to apply for membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners.

Continuing Professional Development for GPs

The Agency has the responsibility to lead and co-ordinate the Continuing Professional Development of GP Performers (principals and sessional doctors) in Northern Ireland. It does this through a Consortium of stakeholders, which includes representation from the Health Boards, the Royal College of General Practitioners, the General Practice Committee of the BMA, the Clinical and Social Care Governance Team, the Northern Ireland Sessional Doctors Association, the Pharmaceutical Industry and a patient representative from the Health and Social Services Councils. The Agency is developing a major role in the provision of education. Courses to address needs identified through Appraisal and generated by the new GMS Contract are provided on a regular basis, the details of these are available here. 

GP Appraisal - Northern Ireland

GP Appraisal was introduced in 2003 and has been managed and co-ordinated by NIMDTA since April 2006.  Appraisal is intended to be a formative process, giving GPs the opportunity to review their performance, chart continuing progress and identify any developmental needs.  These developmental needs are collated in a systematic way through the electronic Form 6A and fed into the Continuing Professional Development process.

In managing the appraisal process in Northern Ireland, NIMDTA works in partnership with the DHSSPSNI and the Health & Social Care Board under the guidance of a Central Board of Management, which has representation from the General Practice Committee of the BMA and the Royal College of General Practitioners.

GP Appraisal has the potential to develop the individual doctor and interface with the clinical governance agenda at a practice level to improve the overall quality of GP care across the region.

GP Retainer Scheme

There are 45 places on this scheme. A doctor must have significant domestic or other responsibilities to be eligible to join the scheme, membership of which can last for up to 5 years.

GP Returner Scheme

This is a scheme for General Practitioners who have not worked in General Practice for two or more years. It provides them with a personal re-training programme under the supervision of a General Practice Trainer, for up to six months followed by an assessment (presently the multiple choice paper and consultation skills test of National Summative Assessment). This scheme is normally funded by the Health Boards on an individual basis.