§ Lord Clement-Jonesasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether any regular national assessment of general practitioner competency is made to inform national priorities for further training. [HL4026]
§ Lord WarnerWhile in training, assessment of a general practitioner's (GP) registrar's competence is carried out through a series of assessments managed by the GP director in the relevant postgraduate deanery. The assessment tools are quality assured to United Kingdom wide standards by the independent competent authority, the Joint Committee on150WA Postgraduate Training for General Practice, who also determine the curriculum and ensure that priority areas are reflected in it.
For qualified GPs, assessment of continuing competence is done on an individual basis through clinical governance and clinical audit by local primary care trusts (PCTs). Any areas for development identified during the annual appraisal process, which is a requirement for all GPs, will be included in the doctor's yearly personal development plan agreed between the doctor and the appraiser appointed by the PCT. The outcomes of the appraisal process will be fed up into PCT business plans where training and development needs will be addressed.