MRCGP: information for deaneries, supervisors and trainers
Promoting Excellence for General Practice
The RCGP and COGPED are very pleased to announce the launch of the latest version of “Promoting Excellence for General Practice: Application of GMC Standards to GP Specialty Training”.
In January 2016 the GMC published ‘Promoting excellence: standards for medical education and training’, which sets out the standards all UK organisations responsible for training medical students, foundation and trainees, in all specialties must meet.
This document, jointly produced by COGPED and the RCGP, focuses on the specifics of GP specialty training, providing clarification and amplification of the requirements of the GMC’s “Promoting excellence: standards for medical education and training’ in a GP context. In this document COGPED and the RCGP have focused on areas where there are significant differences between GP specialty training and training in other specialties, as well as on areas of risk in the delivery of high quality GP specialty training. This document covers all years of the GP training programme and all the environments in which GP specialty training takes place, NHS and non NHS, including OOH providers, in all parts of the UK.
This document will be reviewed on an annual basis. The current version was released in July 2022.
- The definition of "Assessments" has been amended to include the RCA.
- The guidance for R1.18 has been amended to provide greater clarity.
- The supplementary guidance for R2.19 has been removed to reflect the changing legislative landscape.
We produce a range of resources for use by deaneries, supervisors and trainers involved in delivering GP training.
GMC requirements for Assessors
The following table sets out how Local Education Providers (LEPs) can meet the requirements set out in the GMC’s “Excellence by Design”.
| GMC Requirement | Details of requirement | Details of how the requirement can be met |
|---|---|---|
| CR 4.9 | As part of the programme of assessment, guidance must be provided about the nature, role and responsibilities of assessors and examiners. | LEPs must provide training in conducting workplace-based assessment and the roles and responsibilities of assessors. Extensive resources are available to support the delivery of such training on the RCGP website, in the WPBA section. |
| CR 4.10 | Organisations must set out appropriate requirements and guidance to enable assessors and examiners to make professional judgements about learners’ performance and behaviour to an agreed standard. | GP trainee assessors must be trained in how to use the WPBA tools and be familiar with the GP curriculum. The WPBA section of the RCGP website contains all information required to support this training. GP trainee assessors should demonstrate familiarity with the capability descriptors and should also have opportunities to undertake calibration exercises with other GP trainee assessors. |
| CR 4.12 | Organisations must make sure assessors and examiners are able to distinguish consistently between different levels of performance and behaviour. | Participation in benchmarking and calibration sessions at educational events should enable GP trainee assessors to demonstrate consistency in their assessments of capability across the breadth of workplace-based assessments. The LEP should highlight the capability descriptors included in the RCGP workplace-based assessments as part of initial and ongoing training. |
| CR 4.13 | Organisations must indicate where professional development is required including on the equality and diversity issues that are relevant to their role as assessors and fair decision-making. | All GP Educational Supervisors should evidence Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training at the point of becoming a recognised GP trainer and Educational Supervisor. Regular updates should be undertaken whilst acting as a GP trainer, usually supported by LEP delivered educational events. |
Differential Attainment Seminar
- Differential Attainment Seminar: Summary (PDF file, 287 KB)
- Download Differential Attainment Seminar Report
Hospital / Non-Primary Care Clinical Supervisors
Standards for GP training
- GP Specialty Trainee (GPST) ePortfolio: Guidance for Satisfactory Progression at ARCP Panels (PDF file, 291 KB)
- Guidance for ARCP panels - Progress descriptors for the end of each training year (PDF file, 326 KB)
- WPBA core group statement to deaneries 2015 (PDF file, 8 KB)
- Guidance for Deaneries on the Standards for GP Training 2020 (PDF file, 266 KB)
GP curriculum resources
Trainee Portfolio resources
FishBase guidance
FishBase is the trainee and deanery management portal for the Trainee Portfolio.
Video guidance
Programme directors and ARCP members and chairs
The recorded webinars for these groups of users are available in FishBase. To access the videos, simply log in to FishBase and click one of the links on the home page (under "FishBase videos and guides").
Educational supervisors
Useful links