Maggie Eisner
November 2012
Introduction
Organising group asked me to talk about
‘How the VTS works’
 This was a suggestion on someone’s
Peer Appraisal feedback
 I asked everyone to send me a question
 3 people replied, one of them with 2
questions
 The slides re their questions have lilac
titles
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Recruitment process
National system via GP recruitment
website
 Stage 2: 2 machine marked papers:
knowledge and Situational Judgement
test (Professional Dilemmas)
 Stage 3: 3 simulations (patient, relative,
colleague) + written paper (prioritisation)
 Individual component marks fed into
computer -> Trainable or Not Trainable
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Allocation of posts
Trainees put rotations in order of
preference on application forms
 Allocated according to their recruitment
scores – but bottom 10% are given their
higher preferences, in order not to make
their chances worse
 In Bradford, rotations of successful
candidates adjusted according to trainee
preference
 References not scrutinised before trainee
accepted at recruitment – we look at them
when trainees are allocated to the scheme
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Today’s Bradford trainees
85 on scheme in August 2012
 59 female (approx 70%)
 19 IMGs (22%)
 Almost 50% Muslim
 Many less than full time
 Several on maternity leave
 Several with significant health problems
 Several with complex family
responsibilities
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What should trainees cover in each of the 3
years (so I can tailor my tutorials
appropriately)?
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Too much variation between trainees to
give an answer
Broad 1st GP post (ST1 and 2) aims are on
website
ST2s should possibly be thinking about
AKT
ST3s will be working towards CSA
Consider using CSA ‘generic indicators for
targeted assessment domains’, as well as
COT criteria, when looking at videos
Pathway to becoming a trainer
Submit consultation video to COT
standard
 Pass PG cert in Primary Care Education
(4 modules)
 Learn about MRCGP (no ‘n’)
 Sessions with trainer-mentor – anyone
interested in being one?
 Interview at Deanery
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Ensuring trainers get feedback
from trainees
Free-text form which trainees fill in at 1st
HDR of each 6 months, about the last 6
months – we send to trainers and to
consultants
 Survey Monkey – nearly all trainers
have agreed to share results; you’ll
soon have access to them all
 Even then we probably won’t get 100%
response rate
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Our educational programmes
Half day release – mostly about
attitudes and competencies
 Modular courses – mostly related to
assessments
 Wednesday tutorials – mostly related to
knowledge/curriculum
 IMG days
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Half Day Release –
how has it changed recently?
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Some sessions still in 4 mixed-year groups
3 tier sessions (5 in 6 months):
 ST3s: CSA practice, then ‘preparation for life after GP
training’
 ST1/2s in 1st GP post: consultation models & consultation
skills practice
 ST1/2s in hosp : trainees present key topics from their
specialty
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Mix of discussion sessions, trainee presentations
(4 competencies and other topics), topic based
sessions, sessions covering broad aspects of GP
(ethics, person-centred care), Arts based sessions
Also mock CSA sessions and consultation skills
sessions using simulators
Modular courses
Developed partly because hospital trainees
found it hard to get to HDR
 Full days, most at Utopia near Skipton
 Programme:
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Induction – on starting scheme
2 Intro to WPBA days – on starting scheme
2 AKT preparation days – ST2
Safeguarding – any ST year
ARCP prep – any year (could be done every
year)
 Introduction to CSA – ST1 or 2
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Attendance at educational
sessions
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We expect
 Equivalent of 70% HDR attendance in hosp
posts
 80% HDR attendance in GP posts
New electronic system for recording HDR
attendance and feedback
 Hospital trainees can make up 16 sessions
of educational attendance from a mixture of
HDR sessions and modular courses
 Spelling this out for hospital consultants
and rota co-ordinators has helped
attendance
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IMG courses
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2 days in Spring every year
For IMGs in all years
Aims
 General support, (recognising everything’s harder for
them)
 Increase chances of their passing CSA?
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Content
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Address and discuss their own concerns
Discussion of English language/culture issues
Presentation on CSA by successful IMG ex trainee
Consultation skills practice (mostly sex and death)
Peer support
TPDs’ areas of responsibility
Each of us – TPD advisor to group of trainees
 Each of us – TPD liaison with one or more hospital
specialties
 Maggie – HDR (with Lucy), IMG days, trainer
support and development, Practice Managers,
lead for admin liaison
 Nick – trainee allocations, finance (incl Study
Leave), modular courses (with Hasna), OOH
 Ram – website, Wednesday tutorials, educational
supervision, ARCP
 Lucy – HDR (with Maggie)
 Hasna – Modular courses (with Nick), IMG days
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What about the Deanery?
We are in W Yorks Locality, 1 of 3
localities in Y&H Deanery
 GP and hospital education less separate
than before
 Increasing financial constraints
 Fewer support staff, more overworked
 Fewer clinical staff
 We have to do more locally
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The future (national)– 4 year training?
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RCGP proposals accepted in principle by some bodies,
but more will have to accept it before it goes ahead
No additional money
At least 24 months in primary care
AKT and CSA by end of 3rd year
4th year may concentrate on
leadership/community/society aspects of GP rather than
just the consulting room and the practice
Some ‘innovative training placements’ w relevant
experience in GP and ‘integrated community placements’
(e g drugs and alc)
Quality Improvement Project in Year 4, and CCT at end of
year 4
No implementation date so far
The future (local)
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Sofya’s maternity leave
 Dec 2012 – Dec 2013
 Challenging negotiations with BHT Education
dept about cover
 Leanne Priestley (from BHT Library) covering
most of Sofya’s work
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Nick’s sabbatical
 Jan, Feb and Mar 2012
 Hasna and Lucy doing extra sessions to cover
 Possible slight rejig of responsibilities within
team (e g Ram setting up online OOH, Lucy
main lead for HDR, Maggie and Hasna sharing
other duties of Nick’s)
What I’ve covered
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Recruitment process
Allocation of trainees
Trainee numbers and characteristics
Pathway to becoming a trainer
Feedback from trainees
Our educational programmes
Roles and responsibilities of TPDs
What the Deanery does
4 year training
Local changes in team
Now you’ve heard all this
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Please let us know if you have any
 Thoughts
 Suggestions
 Ideas