Welcome to the Harlow GP Speciality Training Programme
The West Essex Scheme is run by 3 programme Directors Dr Andrew Ashford, Dr Zia Yaqub and Dr Nazmul Mohsin.
We have twenty two registrars appointed each year to the West Essex Scheme.
Eighteen months is spent in Hospital placements at The Princess Alexandra Hospital and 18 months in General Practice.
All the departments in the hospital have a teaching plan tailored to the needs of the registrars and regular two way assessment takes place in all the posts.
The General Practice period is spent in one of our 15 West Essex General Practices. All these practices have a high commitment to the training scheme and to post-graduate education.
The GPST half day release takes place on a Tuesday afternoon at Parndon Hall Education Centre with breaks for Easter, Summer and Christmas. It is attended by all registrars working in this locality whether in their hospital or general practice placement. The educational programme is run on a three year cycle and aims to help your build your knowledge and skills for both the clinical and managerial aspects of general practice. We invite some great internal and external speakers to teach the sessions.
We hope that registrars will give their maximum enthusiasm to the programme and their training.
By the end of their three years, all registrars will have had a chance to develop their skills, knowledge and attitudes to enter general practice with confidence. We pride ourselves on running a happy scheme and often have social events to enhance the cohesiveness of the group.
Harlow GPST is a friendly and welcoming scheme. All trainees get to attend the Away Day which take place once a year. There is a good team spirit among all the GP trainees
Why Choose Harlow and West Essex?
- A favourable situation lying between Cambridge and London
- Good motorway and railway links
- A major international airport
- Excellent release courses focussed on today's and future General Practice
West Essex has Harlow in the centre, which has lots of greenery and cycle paths with surrounding leafy suburbs such as Elsenham, Bishops Stortford, Sawbridgeworth, Roydon, and Epping.
We are strategically positioned between Cambridge and London; with easy access by motorways M11 and M25, and by air from Stansted Airport. Harlow Town station is about 30 minutes by train from Liverpool Street station.
The Local Area
The main local authority is Essex County Council. It provides school education in the area, along with other services: www.essex.gov.uk
More local services are provided by Harlow District Council: www.harlow.gov.uk
Princess Alexandra Hospital’s own website has a lot of useful stuff: www.pah.nhs.uk
Essex Outdoors Activity Centre offers archery and climbing through to power boating and sailing, Essex Outdoors delivers a full range of activities to excite and inspire. https://www.essexoutdoors.com
Things to do in Harlow visit: https://www.harlow.gov.uk/visit-do
To get to us, use the Greater Anglia Railway train information system at: https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/travel-information/station-information/hwn
Or Epping Underground Service: https://tfl.gov.uk/tube/stop/940GZZLUEPG/epping-underground-station?lineId=central buses run regular from Epping to Harlow.
All Study Leave:
Discuss early with your Clinical/Educational Supervisor on suitability and pre-authorisation of course/leave etc and provide enough notice, recommended minimum = 6 weeks but this depends on whether department can accommodate you
Make PDP entry (SMART) on why this leave/course benefits you etc
Full guidance: https://heeoe.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/gp_study_leave_application_claim_process_flowchart_eoe_1819.pdf
Curriculum Requirements (Under £600) eg, :
Certificate of competence in CPR and AED
Communication Skills
Safeguarding Children
Out of hours training
Part A of the Study Leave Application & Claim Form and get it signed by Educational Supervisor.
Curriculum Requirements (Over £600)
If a trainee wishes to undertake an activity linked to one of the curriculum requirements and it is over £600, then they will need to complete Part B of the Study Leave Application & Claim Form and get it signed by their TPD.
Courses will not usually be considered for funding if there are local/regional provisions in place to cover a similar course
Aspirational Activities (includes everything else)
Exam prep courses will need special discussion and pre-authorisation with TPD
Trainees will still use the Study Leave Application & Claim Form but complete the Aspirational Activity section
in Part B, these activities will require TPD sign off.
Courses will not usually be considered for funding if there are local/regional provisions in place to cover a similar course
Dr Andrew Ashford - Training Programme Director
Dr Ashford has been a GP Trainer for around 20 years (he forgets how long exactly!), and joined Zia as a Course Organiser (now Programme Director) around seven years ago. He has been a partner at The Limes Medical Centre since 1985 having completed his GP training with the scheme (known then as the West Essex VTS).
He has a longstanding interest in communication skills, and also diabetes in primary care, the latter leading him to undertake a Masters in Health Sciences (Diabetes Care) at Warwick University.
Address: The Plain, Epping, Essex, CM16 6TL
Email: andrew.ashford@nhs.net
Dr Zia Yaqub - Training Programme Director
Dr Yaqub completed his General Practice training with the West Essex VTS in Year 2001. He went on to join the Ongar Health Surgery as a full time partner. He has a keen interest in Education and was appointed as Associate Course Organiser for the WEVTS in September 2002. Zia has completed his Trainers course with Eastern Deanery in Cambridge.
Address: The Ongar Health Surgery, Great Bansons, Bansons Lane, Ongar, Essex CM5 9AR Email: Zia.Yaqub@hee.nhs.uk
Dr Nazmul Mohsin - Training Programme Director
Dr Mohsin qualified from University College London Medical School (2002). Having worked in hospital medicine for 2 years after qualifying, he trained as a GP locally in the West Essex GP training scheme. He has been a partner at the Hamilton Practice in Harlow since 2008. He is a GP tutor for Barts Medical School & GP Trainer. He joined as one of the TPDs in the Harlow scheme in 2014. He is also a CSA examiner for the RCGP and is Education Lead for the NEL RCGP faculty.
Address: The Hamilton Practice, Keats House, bush Fair, Harlow Essex CM18 6LY
Email: Nazmul.Mohsin@hee.nhs.uk
Mrs Dawn Marlow- GPSTP Administrator
Phone: 01279 827387
Email: Dawn.Marlow2@nhs.net
Mrs. Margaret Short - PG Education Centre Manager
Phone: 01279 827020
Email: margaret.short@nhs.net