Professional Education and Training

PEAT

@ Devon LMC

Newsletter Issue No 1 - June 2006 – PDF Copy

 

Dr Peter Jolliffe Devon LMC and Educational Optimist!

Welcome to this special Newsletter regarding Professional Education and Training in Devon. This will be brief and to the point with the main content coming from the GP Educationalists who have been working with you so effectively over the last few years. We have been fortunate in those who have been involved and I am delighted that their recent experience has not put them off!

 

I know that GP and other primary care staff can receive appropriate education and training from a source largely independent of central funding as shown by EQUIP in Essex. I know that Devon’s GPs and their teams need high quality support in meeting their educational and training needs – one cannot supply top quality care to patients without it. I believe that we can set up such a support organisation here. I ask that you give your views by filling in the attached brief questionnaire.

 

We have choices to make

·         Do we try to do this? If so

·         Do we accept sponsorship from commercial sources?

·         Do practices make a regular financial contribution?

·         Should those not making a contribution be allowed to attend events and if so at what comparative charges?

·         Do we seek charitable status or “not for profit” or what?

·         Should this be GP only or can we opt for a whole team approach?

 

I believe that a system that will not be threatened by changes in central funding or initiatives which are completely under the control of local professionals can only be good for GPs and the care they and their teams provide. Do you agree with me? Fill in the questionnaire and let me know.

 

A message from the Devon GP Educationalists:

 

We are still here! We still care!

We are concerned and disappointed that there is no longer any Continuing Professional Development (CPD) provision for GPs in Devon. We are all Educationalists who have provided, organised and co-ordinated GP education in the County over the past few years.

 

After your next Appraisal, how are you going to update your learning?

We are committed to continuing to provide a service to GPs and other members of the Primary Care team and we have the expertise to support you in meeting your learning needs.   We want to offer high quality, effective, interactive events where you can meet your colleagues.  We would also like to offer other learning opportunities informed by information gathered from many sources about what you would find valuable.

 

We are aware of the special needs of newly qualified GPs, those on the Retainer and Flexible Career Schemes and Sessional GPs, and want to provide appropriate support.

 

We would like to develop a new model for funding and providing GP education.  As a group, we have been involved in discussions with the LMC, and support what they are doing. We have considered a variety of options, but would welcome your suggestions. The kind of education you have enjoyed in the past may not be offered again unless we all act now. We hope you will continue to support us to support you!

 

One proposal is to establish a Devon-wide co-ordinated educational group to provide a service not just for GPs but for primary care as a whole. This will support courses that are appropriate for all practice staff and will necessitate everyone signing up to an agreed plan. Please do give the LMC your views by returning the questionnaire with this newsletter.

 

˜     Look out also for events organised by Southwest Socrates

(An independent organisation offering high quality educational events co-ordinated by Lynn Collins)

 

˜     We are also setting up a new organisation, Engage Now,  offering:

q       2-day training in personal development planning

q       co-mentoring skills

q       basic appraisal skills

q       group facilitation skills

q       other events tailor-made to suit local and individual needs

 

Your local Plymouth, Torbay and Exeter GP Educationalists…

Lisa Baxter, Mandy Beasley, Andy Craig, Lynn Collins, John Deacon, Hilary Neve, Liz Robbins

If you are interested in getting actively involved please contact Dr Peter Jolliffe or Sarah Hale
at Devon LMC 01392 834020 or via email peat@devonlmc.org

Southwest Socrates

www.sox.uk.com (website under reconstruction – live from Summer 06)

Southwest Socrates is the product of Dr Roger Crabtree, Lynn Collins and Jo Hennessy, and we are experienced educationalists specialising in the needs of Primary Care.  Adult education is our passion and we believe that Doctors find their work more satisfying, reduce the risks of burnout‚ and deliver better patient care when updating is relevant and truly democratic. This is achieved through creative and professional session design, and that is what we do.


Southwest Socrates, formerly Somerset Socrates with its roots in the Taunton area, is about focusing on the needs of the learner‚ and not the teacher. To us learning is an active process - a dialogue and a debate, and not simply a matter of standing an Expert in front of an audience, with questions at the end if you’re still awake and can remember what you wanted to ask. To us, the questions come first!


Lynn, Jo and Roger have re-launched Socrates with two types of events for 2006: Clinical Dialogues are 3-hour sessions devoted to answering GPs and Practice Nurses’ questions about everyday clinical practice. These will take place every 6-8 weeks in Somerset and Devon. Secondly, our day-long Workshops are themed around particularly challenging aspects of general practice, and here we will fearlessly explore new subject matter using to the full our joint experience of imaginative session design. “New Approaches to Chronic Pain” and “Tired All The Time” are two very successful examples from the past.


Southwest Socrates is a not-for-profit organisation, and we are grateful to the many Consultant contributors to our sessions, and to the Pharmaceutical Companies who support some of our events. As we deliver a quality product, you will find we are serious about asking for feedback about our activities and that comments result in changes and improvements. Finally, we also believe that the work we do is important so we are not afraid to ask for appropriate course fees! If you are a GP, a Practice Nurse or a Practice Manager, we look forward to seeing you at our events.


....Next Event - Thursday 21st September 06 – “Talking with Patients about Risk-Based Choices” – Buckfast ...

Contact Lynn Collins for booking and information -  01803 849364 - lynn.collins@talk21.com

Return to the Top Last Updated Friday, 23 June 2006 by John Baker  Email: john@devonlmc.org

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