Out of Hours
You are required to do 12 out of hours sessions during the ST3 year, supervised by a GP Trainer (not necessarily your own trainer). For every additional month in General Practice you will need to do a further out of hours session. For ST1 and 2 trainees you will need to do one OOH session for every month you spend in general practice. Please remember that the deadline for completing your sessions is the the date of the final ARPC panel (usually the end of May for standard trainees) NOT the end of your training.
The majority of your sessions will be with WestCall, Reading's out of hours service provider. Before you can undertake these sessions you will need to have attended an induction session which we will arrange for you in the first few months of your hospital job- this will count as one of your 12 sessions. You should contact Dr Jeremy Lade in order to arrange your remaining sessions. Your sessions must be done under the supervision of a trained OOH educational supervisor- Dr Lade can advise you on this. We recommend you make contact early as with so many trainees it can be difficult to fit in all our your sessions if you arrange them late.
COGPED has issued the following guidance regarding your responsibilities when undertaking OOH shifts:
GP registrars must be aware at all times of their level of clinical competence, and has professional responsibility for seeking advice and clinical supervision when required. It is the responsibility of the GP Registrar to seek appropriate help with the management of any case which has caused concern, and the GP Registrar should only proceed to take clinical responsibility having received satisfactory advice to cover all areas of concern. Should the GP Registrar not feel competent to take clinical responsibility, it is the responsibility of the OOH organisation and the clinical supervisor to make alternative arrangements for management of that particular patient. GP Registrars must be insured with a Medical Defence Organisation (a condition of training as a GP Registrar), which will provide indemnity in the event of a clinical error during the management of a patient. The GP Registrar must liaise with the clinical supervisor at the start of each shift and is responsible for ascertaining how the working and supervisory arrangements of the shift will occur, and when and how the feedback will be arranged.
You should keep a record of your sessions in your eportfolio. Complete the form at the end of this OOH workbook for each shift you have undertaken and get it signed by your supervisor for the session. This will allow your educational supervisor to validate the session you have entered.
Further information, including EWTD and OOHS, is available via the following links:
- http://www.oxforddeanery.nhs.uk/specialty_schools/school_general_practice/gp_training/out_of_hours.aspx
- OOH guidance
- Deanery guidance on sessions/shifts for out of hours 2012 definition-of-an-out-of-hours-shift-from-Deanery-2012.doc