Background
Specialty training programmes/posts, including those in general practice, must conform to the training standards set by the GMC for specialty training approval to be granted. Postgraduate Deans are responsible for the quality management of their specialty training programmes. Please see links below:
MRCGP: information for deaneries, supervisors and trainers
GMC criteria for trainer recognition
Quality Assurance (QA) of GP Training takes place in different ways in the South West GP School. External scrutiny is via the GMC and School Board. Internal assurance occurs via the Quality Panel, and approval and reapproval of GP Clinical and Educational Supervisors. Information about the quality assurance process of training locations, practices and Learning Organisations, including approval and reapproval, can be found here. This is managed by NHSE SW’s Quality Team in conjunction with the region’s Training Hubs.
Definitions & criteria for Educational and Clinical Supervisors
All GP registrars (GPRs) must be overseen on a daily basis by a named Clinical or Educational Supervisor, who are required to meet certain criteria in order to fulfil the role.
Named Clinical Supervisor (CS)
A named clinical supervisor is a trainer who is responsible for overseeing a specific GPR’s clinical work throughout a placement in a clinical or medical environment and is appropriately trained to do so. The named clinical supervisor leads on providing a review of the GPR’s clinical or medical practice throughout a placement and contributes to the educational supervisor’s report on whether the GPR should progress to the next stage of their training.
| Supervise | GPST1 & 2 Doctors in Training (GPRs)Foundation GPRsRetained Doctors |
| Duties | Clinical supervisionWorkplace-based Assessments (WPBA)Clinical Supervisor Report (CSR) |
| Criteria | On local Performer’s ListAt least 1-year post-CCT6-12 months in current organisation (to be agreed with Patch AD)Supervisors need to be available in their practices for at least four of a supervised doctor’s sessions per week (i.e. 4 sessions of overlap). This can be reduced pro-rata if the supervised doctor is LTFT, but should then be a minimum of 2 sessions of overlap. These need to be actual availability, i.e. after outside commitments have been taken into account |
Named Educational Supervisor (ES)
A named Educational Supervisor is a trainer who is selected and appropriately trained to be responsible for the overall supervision and management of a specific doctor’s educational progress during a placement or a series of placements. The ES regularly meets with the GPR to help plan their training, review progress and achieve agreed learning outcomes. The ES is responsible for the educational agreement, and for bringing together all relevant evidence to form a summative judgement about the doctor’s progression at the end of a placement or a series of placements.
| Supervise | GPST1, 2 & 3 Doctors in Training (GPRs) Foundation GPRs Retained Doctors |
| Duties | Clinical supervision Workplace-based Assessments (WPBA) Overview of educational progress to CCT Interim and annual Educational Supervisor Report (ESR) |
| Criteria | On local performer’s list At least 3-years post-CCT6-12 months in current organisation (to be agreed with Patch AD) When the GPR is in the same practice as their ES, the supervisor needs to be available for at least four of a supervised doctor’s sessions per week (i.e. 4 sessions of overlap). This can be reduced pro-rata if the supervised doctor is LTFT, but should then be a minimum of 2 sessions of overlap. These need to be actual availability, i.e. after outside commitments have been taken into account. |
Where a trainer is acting as both ES and CS, the requirements regarding availability apply as above for CS. NB. GP Retainers are not eligible to supervise whilst they are still part of the Retainer scheme.