Training

We are now a training Practice. Which means that we train fully-qualified doctors, who have completed their 4 years of training in hospital medicine, to develop their skills in general practice.  We usually have at least one GP Registrar and you may be offered an appointment with him/her at the surgery.

Being a Teaching Practice

What does this mean?

It means we are officially approved to teach and train GPs, Nurses and Medical Students.

The practice is examined to ensure that it provides an appropriate learning environment. It must provide a good example both of clinical care and of management. The infrastructure must be sound, the records of high quality and the team committed to learning. 

The Trainer

The trainer is examined independently to ensure that they have sufficient knowledge of practice and of education, skills appropriate to one-to-one teaching and educational management, and attitudes supportive of learning. Dr Nall is the trainer in the surgery. Every 2-3  years the practice is visited and inspected by a team of representatives from the Deanery who review the practice and interview the staff to ensure standards are being maintained. There is also feedback from the GPs who have been trained at the practice. Dr Nall is also formally assessed during this visit. 

What is a GP Registrar?

This is a qualified doctor who has decided to embark on a career in general practice, much like a surgeon or physician in the hospital. Like these doctors part of their training involves them spending a total of 18 months working at a teaching practice. This is usually divided into a 6 month and 12 month attachment. 

By the time you see a GP registrar they will have spent at least 5 years at medical school to qualify as a doctor. Then they will have done 2 years working in hospitals (previously known as “house jobs”. They will then start a 3 year training program to become a GP, during which they will spend 18 months in a training practice.  So by the time you see this doctor they may well have been working as a doctor for 4 years. 

Why do they have to ask other GPs in the practice for advice?

There is a vast difference in the range and types of clinical cases and patients seen in general practice compared to hospital medicine. In a surgical job at the hospital a doctor will only see surgical cases every day, in general practice an average surgery may consist of a general medical case, then an ill child, then patient with a skin rash then a patient with depression etc. So there is a wide variety which can be quite challenging when you start in general practice. The GP registrars are encouraged to ask for help whenever they want for your safety and benefit so please be patient.

Foundation Year2 Doctors (FY2)

We are very pleased to welcome our very first FY2 Doctor to the practice starting December 2019.

These Doctors have had at least 12 months of experience in hospital medicine after qualifying before they come to the practice. FY2 Doctors are placed with a Practice for 4 months and will have their own surgery when they see patients. They are supervised by one of our GP Trainers during their experience of working in the practice.

FY2 doctors are fully qualified and GMC registered. They can see patients independently but they are under the supervision of the Clinical Supervisor GP. The Clinical Supervisor GP has to undertake further accredited training. The Foundation programme exposes all doctors of the future to general practice: it is a unique opportunity to show what work we do: how much we do and what primary care has to offer patients and the workforce.

University Students

We are a teaching practice for Sunderland University medical students and are proud to be involved in training tomorrows doctors. As a result students will be present within the surgery as part of their training.