Norwich GP Vocational Training Scheme: 2008

Old Palace Medical Practice is set in the heart of an area of social deprivation, Mancroft Ward to the west of Norwich City Centre. We have 3000 patients and a high prevalence of all chronic disease. A high proportion of our patients suffer from mental health problems with four times the national average on our mental health register. A significant number of our patients are drug and alcohol dependant. We have gained maximum QOF points almost every year. We have looked after the majority of our patients for very many years and they are used to a high standard of holistic care. We know many of their extended families. The patients are very used to being seen by learners, having their consultations videoed and generally helping us to train GPs.

Our clinical team comprises one GP principal, two part time salaried GPs, two part time Practice Nurses and a Health Care Assistant. We work closely with our primary care colleagues, district nurses, health visitor and mental health care link worker. We are supported by our practice manager Donna Laws-Chapman and her team of receptionists. We are a small team, we are very friendly and all of us work well together. There is nowhere to hide at Old Palace as everyone knows everything that goes on. It is definitely the place to come and work to gain a fantastic amount of experience at the cutting edge of practice. Three of us are trainers and everyone else in the team is involved in helping to teach trainees. The deanery have commended us as an example of a learning organisation.

Our trainees get lots of support, daily debriefs after surgery and formalised weekly tutorials. We expect a lot of hard work and the trainee to be enthusiastic and bring themselves wholeheartedly to their training. We give a lot of ourselves and our many years of experience in return. Incidentally two of us are programme directors for the GPVTS, as we said, there is nowhere to hide!

The building is a building. It has four consulting rooms, that is not enough for the demand and so we all have to hot desk from time to time. We manage in the limited space without too much problem. When you come here you will need to be flexible. You will receive a very good grounding for your future in general practice.