This page describes how the ongoing quality management of educators and learning environments works. Please view the following video which provides details on the Ongoing Quality Monitoring process:
The six local training hubs across the East of England undertake this function on behalf of HEE EoE. They are responsible for gathering the relevant evidence required to ensure that educators and learning environments are fulfilling their requirements for ongoing recognition and will work closely with the Primary Care School to ensure that the GMC register is accurately maintained.
More information regarding each of the training hubs can be found here, and for contact details please see below:
| Training Hub | Email Address |
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Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes |
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Cambridgeshire & Peterborough |
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Hertfordshire & West Essex |
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Mid and South Essex |
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Norfolk & Waveney |
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Suffolk & North East Essex |
Further information is available in the FAQs and documents below.
Please see the video below for further information on the Ongoing Quality Monitoring process:
The local training hubs collect and analyse information from various sources on a continuous basis. Educators and Learning Environments will need to complete a self-declaration, initially within 2 years upon recognition, and then 4-yearly. Where educators are approved out of sync with their learning environment the self-declaration requests will be aligned by the training hubs. It is the responsibility of the training hubs to send out the self-declaration forms to educators and learning environments.
A self-declaration is a form that enables educators and learning environments to indicate whether they are meeting the domains of the National Quality Framework. The forms require either a yes/no response or RAG rating for the different questions. Narrative is limited to where the self-declaration indicates that there is a potential developmental need. If the self-rating is below green, it is important to provide an action plan to avoid a quality concern alert being raised. You will not need to provide further documents but should be able to produce these, where relevant, if a quality concern alert is raised. Failure to self-declare honestly will be considered a probity issue and escalated.
If you self-declare that you or the learning environment is meeting all the requirements, then the form should be able to be completed in under 10 minutes.
Please see guidance documents for further information on how to self-declare:
Educators
New criteria for East of England GP Educator Approval and Re-approval from 1st August 2024
Tier 2A (OOH CS) 1st Assessment after 1 – 2 years:
- Attend the equivalent of at least one GP educator day online or in person. Evidence of viewing pre-recorded material is acceptable.
- Equality and diversity and active bystander training within the previous 3 years.
- It’s recognised that some educators will only be able to attend part of an online learning event, or watch part of a learning event later if an event is recorded. For online learning topics broadly 1 hour in length, we would suggest that 3 such topics make up a half-day and 6 such topics make up a full day of the equivalent of a GP Educator day or Spring/Autumn Symposium.
Tier 2A (OOH CS) Ongoing Quality Management after 4 years:
- Benchmarked COTs and audio-COTs
- Equality and diversity and cultural competence and bystander training within the previous 3 years.
- Attend the equivalent of at least one GP school educator day online or in person. Evidence of viewing pre-recorded material is acceptable.
- Attend the equivalent of at least one Autumn Seminar or Spring Symposium online or in person. Evidence of viewing pre-recorded material is acceptable.
- Feedback on the quality of your debrief from at least one learner whom you’ve supervised during OOH clinical work. This would usually be a GP Trainee but could be another health professional or F2 doctor.
- It’s recognised that some educators will only be able to attend part of an online learning event, or watch part of a learning event later if an event is recorded. For online learning topics broadly 1 hour in length, we would suggest that 3 such topics make up a half-day and 6 such topics make up a full day of the equivalent of a GP Educator day or Spring/Autumn Symposium.
Tier 2B (Clinical Supervisor) 1st Assessment after 1 – 2years:
- Attend 50% of trainer workshop meetings online or in person. Evidence of viewing pre-recorded material is acceptable.
- Attend at least one GP educator day online or in person. Evidence of viewing pre-recorded material is acceptable.
- Equality and diversity and active bystander training within the previous 3 years.
- It’s recognised that some educators will only be able to attend part of an online learning event, or watch part of a learning event later if an event is recorded. For online learning topics broadly 1 hour in length, we would suggest that 3 such topics make up a half-day and 6 such topics make up a full day of the equivalent of a GP Educator day or Spring/Autumn Symposium.
Tier 2B (Clinical Supervisor) Ongoing Quality Management after 4years:
- Attend one local ARCP panel as an observer
- Attend 50% of local trainer workshops online or in person. Evidence of viewing pre-recorded material is acceptable.
- Benchmarking a COT and CBD. Tier 4 and 5 educators may count sessions they run as well as sessions they attend.
- Attend the equivalent of at least one GP School Educator Day and one Autumn Seminar or Spring Symposium online or in person. Evidence of viewing pre-recorded material is acceptable.
- Equality and Diversity Training and cultural competence and bystander training within previous 3 years.
- Peer review of teaching or feedback from teaching. This would usually be a GP Trainee but could be another health professional or F2 doctor.
- Attend an Exam Masterclass.
- It’s recognised that some educators will only be able to attend part of an online learning event, or watch part of a learning event later if an event is recorded. For online learning topics broadly 1 hour in length, we would suggest that 3 such topics make up a half-day and 6 such topics make up a full day of the equivalent of a GP Educator day or Spring/Autumn Symposium.
Tier 3 (Educational Supervisor) 1st Assessment after 1 – 2 years:
- Attend 50% of trainer workshop meetings online or in person. Evidence of viewing pre-recorded material is acceptable.
- Attend at least one GP educator day online or in person. Evidence of viewing pre-recorded material is acceptable.
- Equality and diversity and active bystander training within the previous 3 years.
- It’s recognised that some educators will only be able to attend part of an online learning event, or watch part of a learning event later if an event is recorded. For online learning topics broadly 1 hour in length, we would suggest that 3 such topics make up a half-day and 6 such topics make up a full day of the equivalent of a GP Educator day or Spring/Autumn Symposium.
Tier 3 (Educational Supervisor) Ongoing Quality Management after 4 years:
- Participate as a panel member in a local ARCP panel
- Attend 50% of local trainer workshops online or in person. Evidence of viewing pre-recorded material is acceptable.
- Benchmarking a COT and CBD. Tier 4 and 5 educators may count sessions they run as well as sessions they attend.
- Attend the equivalent of at least two GP School Educator Days and one Autumn Seminar or Spring Symposium online or in person. Evidence of viewing pre-recorded material is acceptable.
- Equality and Diversity Training and cultural competence and bystander training within previous 3 years.
- Peer review of teaching or feedback on teaching. This would usually be a GP Trainee but could be another health professional or F2 doctor.
- Attend an Exam Masterclass.
- Reflection on ESR feedback (when available). We recognise that not all Tier 3 educators will have completed an ESR if they supervise other types of learners, for example, Foundation Doctors. This only needs completing for Tier 3 educators who have completed an ESR.
- It’s recognised that some educators will only be able to attend part of an online learning event, or watch part of a learning event later if an event is recorded. For online learning topics broadly 1 hour in length, we would suggest that 3 such topics make up a half-day and 6 such topics make up a full day of the equivalent of a GP Educator day or Spring/Autumn Symposium.
Learning Environments
All learning environments will need to provide a self-declaration when requested by the local training hub. In addition to this the following specific requirements must be met:
There must be a named placement manager.
There must be a named educational lead for each of the professional groups (this could be the same person for all).
There should be GDPR and Bullying and Harassment Policies.
The Placement manager must return the placement feedback forms for all learners to the training hub 2/3 of the way through any learner’s placement.
Where a Primary Care Network has been recognized and there are sites where there were originally no tiered educators it is required that someone within those sites be recognized within 2 years of the initial recognition as at least a tier 2b educator (clinical supervisor). The responsible supervisor in that organisation will need to complete the "Feedback" module available here and the "Effective Debriefing" module available here.
Where nursing learners are present within the organisation a nursing audit will need to be completed.
The training hubs triangulate information provided in the self-declarations with the following:
- NETS (National Education and Training Survey)
- GMC National Training Survey
- Placement feedback forms – Please note that failure to return these on a regular basis may lead to a quality concern alert
- Training Programme Director Reports
- CQC Reports
- Local intelligence e.g. from CCGs or Central Quality Team
Information suggesting that an educator or learning environment has made a false self-declaration is considered a probity issue and will lead to a quality concern alert being raised.
Once the local training hub has reviewed the evidence a decision will be made on the recognition status of the educator or learning environment which will be ratified by the Quality Oversight Panel centrally. The training hub will then inform the educator or learning environment regarding that decision. There are three potential outcomes:
- Recommended for ongoing recognition (To continue with ongoing quality monitoring)
- Recommended actions and review (An action plan and review should be provided by the training hub)
- Not recommended for ongoing recognition (This would only be in extreme circumstances and would necessitate escalation of quality concerns)
Please note that quality concerns may be raised at any time by the training hub depending upon information received from third parties.
The local training hubs will inform educators and learning environments that they continue to be recognised. This will initially be within 2 years and then 4-yearly.
The Primary Care School will keep the GMC website updated.
It is important that the local training hub is updated with any significant changes likely to affect your educator status or learning environment if this falls between the period of self-declaration.
To ensure consistency of application of the quality monitoring process 10% of all assessments will be reviewed centrally by HEE EoE.
Additionally, the training hubs meet on a regular basis to discuss quality monitoring processes.
In these circumstances, the educator or learning environment should raise a formal appeal in writing (via email will be sufficient) within one month of notification of outcome to their local TH providing the rationale for their appeal with any accompanying evidence as appropriate. The TH will collate the appeal communication and forward to the HEE Primary Care Quality Team who will convene an extraordinary Quality and Oversight Panel that will consist of AD’s not involved in the original decision.
