The GP Training Advisory Council has made a set of recommendations to improve the proposed shift in GP training.
Earlier this week, on 17th May, the WA GP Training Advisory Council issued an open letter, raising their concern and making recommendations about the government plans to change to a college-led training of general practitioners. The letter was sent to WA’s Department of Health, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine and RACGP.
In WA, training of medical doctors who want to become general practitioners is done through the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program, implemented by the Western Australian General Practice Education and Training (WAGPET) and overseen by RACGP, which ensures adherence to standards and manages the GP examination process.
Now, plans are in motion to change this process, and switch back to a college-led GP training program, meaning that RACGP will implement and take charge all aspects of GP training.
“This announcement reflects the professionalism of the RACGP,’ said RACGP President Dr Bastian Seidel in a RACGP release. “The RACGP has proven itself and is trusted to lead training of Australian GPs,” he added.
However, not everyone seems on board with the proposed changes and worry that the transition process needs to be improved.
The concerns identified by the GP Training Advisory Council include:
- The dearth of details of the training programs, with less than a year until applications open;
- The lack of consultation with registrars, supervisors and practices (the core of GP training);
- That centralisation will result in a loss of capacity for local context and support, especially in WA;
- That there will be an increase in administrative burden for practices and supervisors;
- That there will be a reduction in flexibility of training for registrars and practices;
- That there will be a reduction in already stretched funding for GP training;
- That the uncertainty regarding the transition will prompt some doctors to leave or delay entering the training program or becoming supervisors
Furthermore, the council identified the following issues as critical needs and strategies that need to be addressed for a smooth transition into the proposed college-led program:
- The Department of Health and Colleges seek feedback and collaborate with WAGPET, its practices, supervisors, and registrars to identify both the strengths of the current system to be preserved and built upon, as well as the weaknesses which can be used to drive change;
- WA’s special needs due to population distribution and isolation, at the level of both the state and individual communities, continue to be considered and accommodated;
- High quality GP registrars and supervisors continue to be attracted and enrolled in GP training;
- Practices, supervisors and registrars continue to receive quality education, training and support uninterrupted, with a particular focus on maintaining local staff and existing experience;
- The details of the new education and training program and a clear plan for the actual transition be developed in a timely manner;
- Information about the plan be communicated clearly and well in advance of the actual transition;
- GP training continue to be a financially viable option for the registrars, supervisors, and practices;
- Assessment, administrative and placements processes be available to road-test and kept simple.
The full content of the letter is available here: