NELG
North-East Employed and Locum GPs
ACCESS TO EDUCATION IN THE DEANERY
It can be difficult to access educational opportunities when working as a sessional GP however there is plenty going in both in practices and organised by PCTs. Many of these events are added to the events pages of our website. If you hear of good events please feel free to add them to the site by visiting the events page.
Please visit the Northern Deanery website to find out who your patch tutor is and request they include you in any mailings about events.
Event Alerts
As an NELG member you will also receive automatic emails about events whenever these are added to this website.
Dr Paula Wright is currently the only northern deanery GP tutor with a special remit for sessional GPs. To receive educational newsletters please email her dierctly to be added to an email mailing lists. Newsletter and events are sent out focusing mainly on Tyne and Wear and Northumberland. Dr Wright is also the deanery lead on the retainer and FCS schemes.
THE MONTHLY EDUCATION PROGRAMME FOR SESSIONAL GPS- FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH
The opportunity to attend educational events with other sessional GPs is provided through the monthly educational lectures programme which is on the FIRST WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH (except January) at 8pm at
Venue: Freeman Road Hospital Education Centre, Freeman Road. Lecture Theatre 2. The Education centre is at the back of the Freeman.
PARKING AT BACK (NEAREST)
The best way to access it is to drive round the back of the hospital to the unmissable multi-storey car park, where you will easily find space on the ground or 1st floor (remember to bring change for parking charges). The entrance to the education centre is 2 minutes walks ( yes really) from this car park, and clearly sign posted. Enter the Education Centre and go through the double doors immediately in front of you the lecture theatres are on the right.
PARKING AT FRONT (MUCH FURTHER)
(If you choose to park at the front of the hospital, enter the hospital building through the main hospital entrance then head straight up the main corridor, past the shop until you get to the T-Junction, and turn left. Use either the stairs on the right, or the lift on the left, and go down to Level 1. Once you’re at Level 1; If you have used the stairs turn right. If you have used the lift turn left. Walk a short way along the corridor following signs for education centre –enter through double door and lecture theatres are on the right.)
http://www.newcastle-hospitals.org.uk/hospitals/freeman-hospital_how-to-find-us.aspx
THIS IS OPEN TO ALL SESSIONAL GPS- NOT JUST NELG MEMBERS.
(This USUALLY follows the NELG meeting at 7pm which is for group members or intending applicants-WATCH OUT FOR EMAILS each month)
Access to training on CPR and safeguarding children training
Please read this document for further guidance and contacts.
Durham and Darlington Sessional GPs- Education and Support group
Funded and organised by GP Choices; Meets for education and meal, every 2-3 months at Appleton House Lanchester Road in the evening.
CONTACT: carol.hartman-andersen@nhs.net and Facilitator: Christine Laidler.
[GP Choices weblink]
Tees Sessional GP group
Dr Iain Lawther, Tutor for Tees and Dr Jane Roberts, are setting up a Sessional GP group for Tees, aimed at providing education and peer support.
Contact iain.lawther@nhs.net for more details.
Sunderland Salaried GP group and newly qualified Gp group
07798 667324 (supportline)
email Sunderland GP Choices Administrator
Cumbria Sessional Gps
email Cumbria sessional Gps
Self Directed Learning Groups
What are they and why might I want to join one ?
1) Education and Support. They are groups of practitioners who meet regularly to address their shared professional development needs. Broadly this means meeting for educational purposes and also for peer support. For example:
a) the group may agree a set of priority topics which all are interested in receiving an update on. These are shared out amongst individual group members who bring the prepared topics to help others get up to speed.
b) each member to volunteer to keep track of a certain publication for a few months and report back with important articles.
2) Benefiting from the work of others not just your own. Everyone benefits from the collective efforts of the group rather than each practitioner having to be totally self reliant to keep up to date and feeling overwhelmed by the volume of new publication guidelines and directives published.
3) Tricky subjects are better dealt with by talking: There are particular topics which are difficult to get to grips with without discussion and exploration e.g. policy changes in the NHS such as practice based commissioning, ethical problems, professional development decisions, significant events, and complaints. We all look up different Puns and Dens and learn about new resources.
4) Motivation Because groups set topics and share them out tasks may feel more achievable which helps motivation. Peer expectations also have a beneficial effect on personal habits.
5) Isolation. Practitioners may feel isolated at work either because there are infrequent opportunities for meeting with others during working time, because they are a locum, or they are not at work when practice meetings occur, or they are the only salaried doctor in their practice. Maslow said that according to a “hierarchy of needs” individual performance is improved when people have a sense of “belonging” to a social network.
6) Revalidation is likely to impact differently on different doctors. Locums may be under special scrutiny unless they are seen to work in a managed environment. Forming a SDLG may be an important first step in this process.
SUPPORT FOR SESSIONAL GPS- A PROJECT/REPORT FUNDED BY THE ROYAL MEDICAL BENEVOLENT FUND
This project was carried out in the northeast and focused on exisiting sources of support for sessional GPs and also looked into depth to successful models of local sessional GP groups and Self directed learning groups. It can be access at the link below.
RMBF research into self directed learning groups
Additional research carried out in 2010 2011 on SDLgs.
Self directed learning group- a Guide
If you want to know more and are ready to go with your group download this guide.
LEARNING GROUPS guide BY P WRIGHT june 2011
Balint Groups
Balint groups provide a model for reflecting on our work to explore and understand our relationships with patients in all their complexity and ambiguity. Michael Balint described the doctor as the most potent drug and the aim of Balint work is to increase therapeutic effectiveness and develop self-awareness. It is a useful method in teaching and training.
http://www.balint.co.uk/
Informing Sessional GPs about developments
Following national efforts to raise awarness regarding the exclusion of sessional GPs from information cascades the Dame Barbara Hakin
National Managing Director of Commissioning Development, has written to all chief executives of of Primary Care Trust Clusters in England raising this issue. Read the letter below.