Overview
A General Medical Practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a consultant in general practice. GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk associated with the continuous care they provide. GPs work at the heart of their communities, striving to provide comprehensive and equitable care for everyone, taking into account their health care needs, stage of life and background.
GPs work in, connect with and lead multidisciplinary teams that care for people and their families, respecting the context in which they live, aiming to ensure all of their physical and mental health needs are met.
(Royal College of General Practitioners, 2023)
Scope of Practice
Role Responsibilities:
- GPs treat a wide range of patients, from new-born children to elderly patients, taking a holistic approach and looking after the physical, social and psychological aspects of wellbeing.
- A GPs role is to diagnose all common medical conditions, particularly cardiovascular, metabolic, and respiratory diseases and mental health problems.
- GPs are often the first point of medical contact for a patient and may refer patients to hospitals or specialist services if necessary.
- GPs have an important role in treating patients within their homes and communities, especially when caring for older patients, patients with chronic illnesses, long-term conditions or multiple health conditions
- GPs work in large multidisciplinary teams, which include practice nurses, midwives, health visitors, pharmacists, physiotherapists and other specialists.
- An important part of a GPs’ work is preventative medicine and health promotion.
(British Medical Journal, ‘Compete guide to becoming a GP’, 2021)
Entry Requirements
- Prior to starting your specialty training you need to have completed a university medical degree (generally a five-year programme, but this varies between universities), followed by a two-year foundation programme.
- To become an independent general practitioner in the UK, you must successfully complete GP Specialty Training (GPST). This is usually 3 years but may include contributing time from other training or experience.
- Name must be included in the list of medical practitioners maintained and published by NHS England
- Name must be included in the General Practitioner Register kept by the General Medical Council.
Training and development
Mandatory
See above entry requirements
Additional Training Opportunities
GP with Extended Roles
Many GP’s may pursue a specialist interest within their role. Some may undertake a clinical extended role (GPwER) for example supporting Frailty, Dermatology or Neurodiversity.
For information on Extended roles, please see RCGP – General Practitioners with extended Roles
Continued Professional Development
CPD is your way of keeping up to date with clinical developments and growing your management and leadership knowledge to get the most out of your career as an independent GP.
The GMC requires you to do enough CPD to keep up to date across your scope of work. Your supporting information should cover all aspects of your practice and be of high quality to facilitate your learning and development. It should also help you identify areas for improvement in your practice. Further information and guidance on CPD, please see:
General Medical Council: Continuing Professional Development
Supervision
General Medical Practitioner – Supervision
Supervision underpins good and safe patient care, enabling healthcare professionals to develop their knowledge, skills and abilities to practice safely and effectively. Supervision is also a regulatory requirement; the Care Quality Commission (CQC) expects primary care providers to assure the capability, scope of practice and competency of their staff.
General Medical Practitioners are responsible for those working in general practice including providing effective supervision for a variety of staff within their practice.
This NHS Supervison guidance supports primary care networks (PCNs) and GP practices to provide effective supervision for their growing multidisciplinary teams (MDTs).
Annual Appraisal
The General Medical Council has a set of ‘revalidation requirements’ for doctors who wish to hold registration with a license to practise in the UK. Revalidation assures patients and the public that medical professionals remain up to date and fit to practise in line with the standards of practice required in the UK (GMC, 2024).
Annual appraisal is an important part of the revalidation process, and it is clinician’s responsibility to engage with the processes that support revalidation and meet the requirements set out in the guidance. For further guidance see below resources:
Guidance for doctors’: requirements for revalidation
Royal College of General Practitioners: Guide to your appraisal
Guidance on supporting information for revalidation guide – GMC
Funding
If a GP is being employed via the ARRS, 100% of actual salary plus defined on costs covered via the ARRS Scheme.
A PCN will only be eligible for ARRS Scheme payment where all of the requirements have been met.
See further guidance and full requirements in the Network Contract DES 2025/26
Recruitment Information
Where a PCN employs or engages a General Medical Practitioner under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, the PCN must ensure that the General Medical Practitioner meets the ‘Minimum Role Requirements’ stipulated in Annex B of the Network Contract DES 2025/26
Please find resources in this section to assist in the recruitment and embedding of the General Medical Practitioner role in General Practice.
NHSE Example Induction Checklist
Your First Four Weeks in Primary care Workbook (East of England)
Induction Framework for GP Trainees and other Clinical Learners in primary care
Extra Resources
- General Practice (GP) | Medical Hub – NHSE GP Specialty Training (ST1) pages