Support & Counselling for GP Specialist Trainees

 

Pennine and the Deanery have a policy for identifying and supporting GPSTs who may be in difficulty for a variety of reasons.

 

We aim to provide appropriate and timely support with a holistic approach which includes all the relevant parties but allows trainees confidentiality when appropriate.

 

Who might be the best person to talk to?

 

Pennine

• Personal/health issues = Roger, Matt, Arif, your Educational Supervisor, Trainer or your own GP
• E-portfolio and Work Based Assessment Issues = Matt, your Educational Supervisor or your Trainer 
• Hospital post issues = Roger or your Clinical Supervisor
• Practice/Trainer issues = Arif and/or your Trainer

 

Deanery surveillance and support

 

The Yorkshire and Humber Deanery tracks the progress of all General Practice Specialty Training Registrars (GPSTs). About 25% are monitored more closely after something has taken place which is a possible indicator of potential difficulties ahead. This enables the Deanery and your GPST programme to provide appropriate and timely support with a holistic approach which includes all the relevant parties but allows trainees confidentiality when appropriate.

 

The extent of Deanery monitoring may include:

• providing supernumerary funding for less than full time training
• providing supernumerary funding for an extension to training
• providing targeted training to support the development of particular skills
• meeting with the GPST and their educators for a more focussed discussion about the support required.

 

When meetings do take place the purpose is usually:

• To discuss the issues and obtain the GPST’s and their educators’ views
• To provide helpful constructive feedback and to form the basis of an educational plan
• To determine whether the GPSTs will need a period of extended training
• To identify the GPSTs needs in order to support them in the successful completion of their training programme.
• To provide careers advice

 

Trainees in Special Measures (click) - This explains the Deanery's policy of surveillance and support for GPSTs who are experiencing difficulties.

 

 

 

 

Helpful Local Organisations

 

Workplace Wellbeing

574 Barnsley Road

Sheffield  S5 6UA

Tel:  0114 226 1810

Email:  workplace.wellbeing@sct.nhs.uk

 

A professional counselling and consultancy service to help doctors in difficulty deal with personal or work-related stress and psychological trauma relating to work roles. One-to-one counselling is provided on a confidential self-referral basis. Funded directly by the Deanery.

 

Take Time

19 Clarendon Place
Leeds LS2 9JY

Tel: 0113 343 4642
Email: taketime@leeds.ac.uk

 

A confidential counselling service specifically for junior doctors and dentists. Funded directly by the Deanery and is provided by a collaboration between the University of Leeds Student Counselling Centre and the Specialist Psychotherapy Service, Leeds Partnerships Foundation NHS Trust. Medical work is inherently stressful and you may find you need help with work-related and/or personal difficulties which can often cause anxiety, stress, depression and unhappiness.

 

University of Leeds Careers Centre

www.careerweb.leeds.ac.uk/

Careers advice and information for current students, including specific pages for International students and Postgraduates. This includes GP trainees in Yorkshire.

 

Leeds University Counselling Services

Leeds University Counselling Services, 19 Clarendon Place, Leeds, LS2 9JY, Telephone: +44 (0)113 343 4107, www.leeds.ac.uk/uscs/

 

Interfaith Centre

Interfaith Centre, Listerhills Rd, Bradford, BD7 1HT, Bradford, +44 (0) 1274 731674, email: interfaith@educationbradford.com http://www.ngfl.ac.uk/re/index.html

 

Some trainees find their religious values can conflict with their training.  The Interfaith Centre in Bradford houses ministers from a variety of faiths who may help you with guidance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Helpful National Organisations

 

BMA Counselling Service
Provides 24/7 telephone counselling by qualified counsellors.
Tel: 0645 200169

 

BMA Doctors for Doctors Service
Provides help for doctors in employment difficulties especially in relation to mental health problems and abuse of alcohol and drugs. The unit provides a signposting service to the area of help that is of most pertinence to the individual doctor’s case. Tel: 020 7383 6739
http://www.bma.org.uk/doctors_health/index.jsp  

 

British Doctors’ and Dentists’ Group
A network of support groups of recovering medical and dental drug and alcohol users. Students are also welcomed. The groups are accessed via the Medical Council on Alcohol.
Tel: 020 7487 4445
website: www.medicouncilalcol.demon.co.uk

 

Doctors’ Support Network and Doctors’ SupportLine
Self-help organisations for doctors with or who have recovered from mental illness.
Tel: 0870 765 0001
email: lizzie@dsn.org.uk
websites: www.dsn.org.uk and www.doctorssupportline.org

 

Sick Doctors’ Trust
A pro-active service, self-help organisation for addicted physicians.
Tel: 0870 444 5163
website: www.sick-doctors-trust.co.uk

 

National Counselling Service for Sick Doctors

A doctor concerned about the effect of illness or the fitness to practise of a sick colleague may telephone the national contact point on 0171 935 5982. He will be given the name of a national adviser who will be a senior doctor in the same branch of medicine as the doctor-patient. He may contact the national adviser, and it is not until this stage that he need disclose the name of his sick colleague. The adviser may personally approach the sick doctor, or may arrange for another specialist to do so. No permanent records incorporating names will be kept of these transactions. The sick doctor is perfectly entitled to refuse the offer, in which case the original referring colleague is informed and the matter closed so far as the National Counselling Service.