Home

General Practitioner(specialism of Doctor)

Do you want to become a General Practitioner(specialism of Doctor)? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

Job Description - Print Page

General practitioners (GPs) diagnose and treat a wide range of health conditions that can have physical, emotional or social causes. They talk to and examine patients. After diagnosing the condition, GPs can give patients advice on health issues, prescribe medicine or treatment, perform minor surgery or, where appropriate, refer patients to other healthcare professionals. They also educate patients about healthy lifestyles and have responsibility for preventative programmes, such as health screening and flu vaccinations. For most people, GPs are the first point of contact with the National Health Service (NHS).

On average GPs work 50 to 60 hours a week. Saturday morning surgeries and emergency on-call work are often required. They work indoors in local GP surgeries, but also visit patients at home.

GPs' earnings are based on the number of patients on their list and the number of treatments they carry out each year. The average GP earns £66,280 a year, although many earn much more.

A GP should:

• have excellent communication skills
• be able to work under pressure and make quick clear decisions
• be interested in science and healthcare.

There are about 40,000 GPs working in the UK, but there are shortages in some areas. Most GPs work under contract to the NHS. There are some opportunities with the armed forces and voluntary organisations.

To become a GP, it is first necessary to study for a degree in medicine and qualify as a doctor. Medical degree courses last five or six years. For more general information about becoming a doctor, see Doctor.

After successfully completing the degree, training to become a GP is as follows:

• Pre-registration as a house officer (one year).
• Vocational Training Scheme (three years). This includes spending one year in a training general practice as a GP registrar, and two years in hospital training posts as a senior house officer (SHO). The hospital posts must cover at least two specialities relevant to general practice. These include paediatrics, general medicine, geriatrics, obstetrics, psychiatry and accident and emergency.

When they have completed the training, doctors apply for a certificate from the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice. This is necessary to be able to work as a GP in the NHS.

Many GPs work towards becoming a GP with a Special Interest (GPwSI). This involves extending their skills to include areas such as drug misuse, women's health and family planning or endoscopy.