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Supporting newly qualified health professionals


A New to Practice Professional Development Programme (NTPP), was designed to help newly qualified GPs, Practice Nurses and allied healthcare professionals in their first years of practice. The aim was to create a platform for multi-professional education and provide sessions focused on essential nonclinical skills required for work in general practice. It also looked to help improve net-working and reduce the feeling of isolation. 

The programme has received positive feedback and has been accepted for poster presentation at the Royal College of General Practitioners annual conference to be held in October 2021 in Liverpool.  


Why change was needed

Starting out in independent practice can be daunting. In September 2020, a programme was launched to help newly qualified GPs, Practice Nurses and allied healthcare professionals in their first years of practice. The New to Practice Professional Development Programme (NTPP), was designed in collaboration with Warwick Medical School, Coventry University and First5 GP Programme in Coventry & Warwickshire. 

The motivation was to improve net-working and reduce the feeling of isolation for the newly qualified health professional after their training period had finished and independent working had commenced. 

The programme ended in June 2021.
 

What we did

The programme was offered as a free learning tool, covering a series of topics, including:

  • practice management
  • population health
  • quality improvement
  • insights into the practicalities of working in and running a GP practice.

The plan was to deliver the programme as a series of face-to-face sessions, however due to the global pandemic, it was adapted into a virtual programme. 

It was led by: 

Professor Simon Brake:
Chief Innovation & Engagement Officer, Warwick Medical School, Professor of Clinical Leadership & Management, Warwick Medical School and Industrial Professor, Warwick Manufacturing Group

Professor Adam Layland: 
Head of Commissioning for Health Education England and Consultant Paramedic at Coventry and Rugby GP Alliance - Strategic and Transformational Leader with Board.

Dr Cat Roberts: 
First5 Clinical Lead & GP Workforce Lead for Coventry & Warwickshire 

There was also regular input from a steering group.  

Warwick University Ethics Committee:
Consent was obtained from Warwick University Ethics Committee for this project


182 people registered for the program and they ranged from GPs, nurses and other allied healthcare workers. 

The programme has been generally well received across the system. It has been accepted for poster presentation at the Royal College of General Practitioners annual conference to be held in October 2021 in Liverpool.  

The initial analysis of the pre-course and post course evaluation surveys appears to be encouraging and participant feedback has been positive. 


What’s next?

There are plans to run this programme again this year and hope to improve upon our outcomes from this year.