GGPET

Any Gloucestershire GP is invited to join the Gloucestershire GP Education Trust (GGPET).

It is a new direction for GP education in the County and is designed to add quality, availability and value for money, together with aiding cross boundary education between Postgraduate Centres in neighbouring parts of the Severn Institue Deanery area.

Trust membership is £100 per year, (April to March) with concessionary rates (£50) for doctors on lower incomes

Members of the Trust are entitled to attend as many Gloucestershire GP Education Trust arranged courses as they wish, without charge (except for occasional high profile/expensive speakers for whom we may need to retain the ability to charge an occasional supplementary fee).

It is proposed to provide a minimum of 30 sessions per year in Gloucestershire, with cross boundary reciprocal arrangements with GP Trusts in other Severn Institute GP School patches.

Education Trusts have existed in many other areas for 10-15 years and have been well received by local GPs. It is hoped that easier access to educational study days and courses will help GPs build on their Personal Learning Plans and provide a comprehensive method for updating the "Maintaining Good Medical Practice" section of GP Appraisal.

Frequently asked questions

How do I join?

Follow this link to the application form Application Form.

What is an Education Trust? Link to Governing Document

An Education Trust is a charitable, non-profit making organisation, registered with the Charities Commission, aiming to provide high quality education which will result in benefits for the public good.

Why does it have to cost anything?

Speakers, lecturers and facilitators involved in delivering education programmes cost money! Finding premises costs money! Providing education material costs money! Administrative support costs money!

Why £100?

This figure is based on other experiences locally. As the Trust has to be non-profit making, any surpluses will be ploughed back into providing greater variety of educational opportunities. It is thought this compares favourably with "pay as you go" schemes which charge around £40+ per session

[If you already pay £50 per year to the Stroud GP association, you will be eligible to join the Gloucestershire GP Education Trust for an additional £50]

Why are there concessionary rates?

Reduced subscriptions are payable by doctors who are not higher rate tax payers. It was felt this also encouraged doctors who were only working part time.

The GP Vocational Training Scheme supports Registrar ST3 membership.

Will all the sessions be based in Cheltenham and Gloucester?

No! By their central position within the County, it seems sensible to arrange many of the sessions in Redwood House (Gloucester) and Sandford Education Centre (Cheltenham). However, the Postgraduate Department is aware of its responsibilities to GPs working peripherally in the County, and we will be seeking to organise regular sessions away from the Centres. In addition, developing reciprocal arrangements with other Regional Centres will help GPs working peripherally to access educational opportunities.

Will there be pharmaceutical sponsorship?

The pharmaceutical industry has been generous in supporting GP Education over the years, in addition to arranging their own education sessions. The quality approval system ("Kitemarking") will allow pharmaceutical arranged sessions to receive a bona fide education seal of approval. There is a long term goal for education to exist totally independently from the pharmaceutical industry.

Supposing I can't find an appropriate course or study session?

Reciprocal arrangements between each of the Severn Deanery patches - Avon, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset - provides a huge variety of education sessions. In addition, feedback of Learning Needs through anonymised Appraisal Development Plans, should ensure that the vast majority of Learning Needs are catered for (with the unusual exception of the occasional esoteric request!). Please go to the Links page to access the other Severn GP Education Trust websites.

I don't come to courses. Why should I join?

The scheme is voluntary and you can choose whether or not you join! However, learning with your peers and specialist colleagues, adds another dimension to the learning experience of General Practice which compliments our learning from books or journals.

For further information about anything on this site you can contact Kate Bartlett, Medical Education Manager, kate.bartlett@glos.nhs.uk or Dr Jim Morison, GP Tutor, jmorrison@cix.co.uk