What Is the Role of a General Practitioner in the UK?

In the U.K., there are over 33,500 general practitioners, or GPs. They are the largest sector of the National Health Service and offer patients free medical care at their local practice. Consequently, 90 percent of all contacts within the National Health Service take place in general practice. As GPs have designated office hours, they typically have shorter working weeks than other medical practitioners. However, to become a GP requires lengthy training.

History

• In the 19th century, general practitioner referred to the growing number of apothecaries who took the examination to become members of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. In 1911, the National Insurance Act gave all working men free medical care, institutionalizing the concept of referring patients from a general practitioner to a specialist.

Training

• It takes nine years training to become a GP. This includes a five-year university medicine course followed by 12 months as a Pre-Registration House Office course (PRHO) which involves either two, six-month or three, four-month supervised posts. Once completed, doctors can register with the General Medical Council, giving them the right to practice in the U.K. To become a GP, doctors must take three more years of vocational training, including two years in a hospital as a Senior House Officer as well as one year as a GP registrar in an approved general practice. They are then eligible to take an evaluation known as a Summative Assessment. This includes a knowledge test, an appraisal of consultation skills and a trainer's report; if passed, they can practice as a fully qualified general practitioner.

Role

• According to the Royal College of General Practitioners, GPs are the "frontline of healthcare, dealing with the prevention, clinical diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions." They are normally the first point of contract for patients and offer initial diagnosis as well as ongoing medical care for common illnesses. They take account of social, emotional and physical factor during their diagnosis and, if the case requires specialist knowledge, refer patients on to hospital clinics for further tests and assessment.

Typical Activities

• Commonly, GPs respond to patient health problems by taking a medical history, diagnosing and referring or treating the patient. They also work with other health professionals to promote health education and may work with patients on preventative medical care. To be successful, GPs need to meet government targets for specific treatments such as immunizations and to liaise with pharmaceutical representatives to discuss the development of new products.

GPs with Special Interests

• The GP's role is beginning to diversify with the growth of GPs with Special Interests. These individuals train in an area of interest to gain further expertise, allowing them to asses and treat patients who would traditionally have been referred to secondary care.