Norwich GP Vocational Training Scheme: 2008

Ludham Surgery is a very friendly small rural dispensing practice about 15 miles from Norwich, in the centre of the Broads area. It is paired with Stalham Green Surgery making a total practice list of 5,500 (but trainees only work in Ludham.) They have their own room and terminal on our EMIS LV system. They have two tutorials per week and Post surgery debriefs as well as a protected afternoon for personal study. We share one of our tutorials with Staithe Surgery, Stalham so that both trainees bring ideas along with a larger pool of educators. Day release takes place at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital all day on alternate Wednesdays. There is also a half-day off for “recreation”.

Ludham offers excellent training and relations with doctors and staff to learn effectively in a nurturing environment. Various people help with teaching including the Practice and Quality manager, nurses and other health care professionals. Trainees are actively encouraged to attend a variety of meetings in the practice and attend courses and clinics at the hospital. We offer opportunities to learn skills in the practice including minor surgery, cryotherapy, electrocautery, and use of various diagnostic tools eg spirometry. Time is available to complete audits. We are in the process of setting up a website, so look us up on the web, too.

On call commitment for trainees in the practice consists of one day a week on call between 8.30am and 6.30pm and out of hours training is under the wing of Anglian Medical Care.

We look after a range of old peoples homes, a mental health care home, and a rural population and a number of holiday makers including boaters.

James Savage: Trainer with 23 years experience of trainees and returners to practice. He was an audit assessor for Summative Assessment and has extensive experience of using videos and DVDs for training and COTs and CSA training.

Sheila Sudlow: Has been in practice since 1982 and is actively involved in training with regular tutorials and staff training and interviewing.

Colin Sale: He has done his educational course and hopes to apply for approval to be a Trainer from the Eastern Deanery. He is an appraiser for NHS Norfolk PCT.

Simon Morris: Has been in the practice for 6 years and has recent experience of the MRCGP exam. He has done the Associate Trainers course in Norwich. He is familiar with video analysis and also takes regular tutorials. He is on the Local Medical Committee.

As a learning organisation the Practice is actively involved in supervising a Practice Nurse on the UEA Nurse Practitioner degree course and developing other peoples learning in the organisation.