OBJECTIVE To design and validate a new competency based selection system to recruit general practice registrars, comprising a competency based application form, referees' reports, and an assessment centre. DESIGN Longitudinal predictive validity study and a matched case comparison. SETTING South Yorkshire and East Midlands region, United Kingdom, comprising three deaneries. PARTICIPANTS 4...

A survey of general practice in the London borough of Lambeth was analysed to discover how the distance from a patient's home to a medical facility affects the utilisation of that facility. It was shown that distance has a negative effect on utilisation for all population groups except men aged 15 to 64. The effect was especially marked for women, for the elderly, and for Social Classes III, IV...

BACKGROUND Managers in general practice perform a variety of roles, from purely administrative to higher-level strategic planning. There has been little research investigating in detail how they perform these roles and the problems that they encounter. The new General Medical Services (GMS) contract contains new management challenges and it is not clear how practices will meet these. AIM To i...

INTRODUCTION The aim of the present study was to explore the current use of supervision groups and the value of such groups for today's Danish general practitioners (GPs). MATERIAL AND METHODS A questionnaire was sent to a representative sample comprising 10% of GPs registered with the Organisation of General Practitioners in Denmark. RESULTS More than 60% of Danish GPs have participated in...

Radiologists today practice in diverse environments in addition to the traditional private practice model. Practice environments are evolving at a rapid rate, and the ACR Commission on Human Resources previously detailed the distribution of radiologists in practice in its workforce survey. Here, the commission describes the key practice options available and illustrates important differences in...

OBJECTIVE To report the process of introduction, development and sustenance of a curriculum for a department of general practice in the context of changing curricula required by the General Medical Council. SETTING AND CONTEXT Tayside Centre for General Practice, the Department of General Practice within Dundee University Medical School. METHODS Use of action research methodology common in ...

General practice-based research activity is increasing rapidly, particularly for large, collaborative, multi-centre studies. We conducted semi-structured interviews with general practitioners and other professionals at practices in the East London and the City Health Authority area, to investigate the difficulties presented by becoming involved in these studies. Interviewees' main concerns were...

The Royal College of General Practitioners is the largest membership organisation in the United Kingdom solely for GPs. Founded in 1952, it has over 46,000 members who are committed to improving patient care, developing their own skills and promoting general practice as a discipline. We are an independent professional body with enormous expertise in patient–centred generalist clinical care. Thr...

BACKGROUND Increasing demands on general practice to manage chronic disease may warrant organisational change at the practice level. Staff's readiness for organisational change can act as a facilitator or barrier to implementing interventions aimed at organisational change. OBJECTIVES To explore general practice staff readiness for organisational change and its association with staff and prac...