The European journal of general practice
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In 2009, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in the UK created the First5® initiative to support new GPs through the first years of independent practice. For new GPs, finishing training and taking the first steps into a career in family medicine is an exciting but also challenging time. The RCGP and fellow Wonca organizations are well placed to support young colleagues through this transition period. ⋯ Peer support, mentoring, career guidance, revalidation and tailored continuing professional development are just some aspects of the programme. This article describes the origins and key components of the concept then explores the progress which has been made to date. The challenges faced by new practitioners are not unique to the UK, or indeed to general practice, and we hope that the First5® initiative will inspire colleagues across Europe and around the world.
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In this background paper, we discuss the educational needs of family medicine teachers and trainers in the light of a EURACT (European Academy of Teachers in General Practice) project aimed at the development of a European framework for the professional development of general practice (GP) educators. ⋯ Based on the information gathered and experience gained from previous EURACT courses, a Leonardo da Vinci project has developed and launched a comprehensive programme with courses at three levels of participant expertise, to address the personal learning needs of GP educators.
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There has been much research into factors that can be modified to improve the response rates of general practitioners to surveys and to the demographic characteristics of those who do and do not respond. However, response is yet to be considered with respect to the quality of clinical care provided by GPs. In the UK, one measure of quality of care is the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) score achieved by a general practice. ⋯ There is no evidence of an association between QOF score and the response of GPs to postal surveys. This gives reassurance that samples for studies of GP attitudes and practices should not suffer from response bias in relation to this core characteristic that represents the clinical achievement of their practice.
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A delay in diagnosing aneurismal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) occurs in a substantial proportion of patients who present with headache as the only symptom. ⋯ In patients with SAH who presented with isolated headache to the GP, GP's unawareness of the acute onset of the headache, a history of headaches and late presentation by the patient increased the probability of delayed referral.