As part of the NHS Long Term Plan and a commitment to supporting retention in general practice, the Parnership established a fellowship programme aimed at newly qualified GPs and GPNs working in general practice and/or Primary Care Networks (PCNs). NHS England made this request of all Integrated Care Systems (ICSs).
In West Yorkshire the primary care workforce steering group worked with partners in the West Yorkshire Training Hub to develop a two-year fellowship scheme which is offered out to all eligible GPs and GPNs working in West Yorkshire. This fellowship programme has been running since February 2021.
The fellowship scheme provides a brilliant opportunity; providing learning and development sessions, mentorship and coaching and the chance to deliver a PCN portfolio project. Time is funded with flexibility offered for our GPs and GPNs working in part time positions. The progamme offers a mixture of development at WY and at place level, strengthening peer networks.
Our approach to learning and development is to enable time to focus on non-clinical development and provide a holistic overview of the wider system in West Yorkshire with sessions focusing on working with the VSCE, population health management, the benefit of group consultations, negotiation skills and practice finances.
We have worked with GPMplus to deliver mentorship and coaching sessions to fellows through the programme, fellows are able to work with their mentors on what is most helpful to them. Areas of support have included wellbeing, personal development, leadership and
support with making career-based decisions.
The fellows PCN portfolio project enables fellows to progress work at a PCN level. The projects have varied across our participating fellows and have included:
- Supervision to Paramedics employed by the PCN to help develop and reach First Contact Practitioner status
- Early cancer diagnosis DES work
- Setting up of a dementia review clinic.
- Frailty/Ageing well project across a PCN
- Development of a PCN based team of nurses focussing on hard-to-reach communities and housebound patients as well as care homes
- Development of a Care at Home MDT at practice level with sharing of learning and development of protocols within the PCN
- Improving access for long-acting contraception project
- Tackling and addressing health inequalities project
Our first fellows to graduate from the two-year programme were invited to a celebration event on 22 March where we were able to hear more about the fellow's experience of the programme and some great examples of projects progressed within PCNs.
The short video showcases the celebration event with fellows and educators describing more of their experience of being on the programme.
For more information on the programme, eligibility or how to get involved please contact wy.
