§ Mr. Moonmanasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether he is satisfied with the psychiatric component of the vocational training scheme for doctors entering general practice.
§ Mr. EnnalsSchemes of vocational training for general practice are organised locally and their content is the responsibility of the doctors who organise 445W them under the auspices of general practice sub-committees of regional postgraduate medical education committees. Psychiatry is recognised as a specialty relevant to training for general practice and schemes often include periods in training posts in psychiatry. However, as it is impossible to cover in this way all the many specialties in which training is desirable for general practitioners, a selection has to be made and sometimes psychiatry has to be covered by short attachments to consultants or in supportive educational programmes.
I am satisfied that generally these arrangements provide trainee general practitioners with useful experience of psychiatry.