Professional Development: A Guide for General Practice

The introduction of primary care groups and clinical governance are just some of the changes occurring in general practice today. These changes offer new opportunities that influence the way GPs keep their clinical skills up-to-date. Originally published as 'The Wessex Way, this workbook will help GPs meet the requirements of continuing professional development (CPD).

The emphasis of CPD is as much about the development of the practice as it is about the individual GP. Part 1 of the book offers an introductory section about getting started. Part 2 focuses on the formulation of a practice professional development plan (PPDP), which represents the future goals of the practice based on a health needs assessment of the practice population and an analysis of the skill mix of the team. Part 3 concentrates on the professional development plan (PDP) for the individual GP. This will partly be guided by the PPDP but will also take into account personal aspirations of the GP, his or her learning style and educational needs.

This workbook takes the mystery out of professional development by explaining how to use existing information to analyze strengths, weaknesses, priorities and needs, and develop a plan that will improve working life on all levels.

In this time of change all GPs will find this user-friendly guide an essential part of their learning.

The introduction of primary care groups and clinical governance are just some of the changes occurring in general practice today. These changes offer new opportunities, not least in the way that GPs keep their clinical skills up-to-date. Originally published as 'The Wessex Way, this workbook will help GPs to meet the requirements of continuing professional development (CPD).

The emphasis of CPD is as much on the development of the practice as it is about the individual GP. After an introductory section about getting started in Part 1, teh book is then divided into two main sections. Part 2 focuses on the formulation of a practice professional development plan (PPDP) which represents the future goals of the practice based on health needs assessment of the practice population and an analysis of the skill mix of the team. Par 3 concentrates on the professional development plan (PDP) for the individual GP. This will partly be guided by the PPDP but will also take into account personal aspirations of the GP, his or her learning style and educational needs.

This workbook takes the mystery out of professional development by explaining how to use existing information to analyse strengths and weaknesses, priorities and needs, and develop a plan that will improve working life on all levels.

In this time of change all GPs will find this user-friendly guide an essential part of their life-long learning.