Dr Chris Paton

General practice in the UK is a three-year run-through specialty training programme following the Foundation Programme. GP trainees rotate through a mix of hospital posts (typically six months in each of two or three specialties such as paediatrics, psychiatry, geriatrics, or A&E) and at least one full year as a registrar (ST3) in a training GP practice. The programme leads to entry on the GMC's GP Register and licensing to work as an independent NHS GP.

The Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) is the qualifying examination. It has three components: the Applied Knowledge Test (AKT, a multiple-choice exam covering clinical, evidence and administrative knowledge); the Simulated Consultation Assessment (SCA, replacing the former CSA, in which the trainee consults with simulated patients); and the Workplace-Based Assessment (a portfolio of evidence built across training).

General practice has historically been one of the most accessible specialties at the point of entry but has been under significant workforce pressure for over a decade, with implications for working patterns, partnership structures, and the balance of partner versus salaried roles.