Medical Protection is committed to providing professional support, advice and protection to GP trainees. This helps you to start your career in general practice with confidence, knowing that we can be here to help you when you need us and we aim to be an active partner in your career.
Each year we offer a three-hour educational workshop to all GP trainees across the 14 GP training schemes in Ireland. These workshops are all delivered by expert clinicians who have worked in Irish general practice and have a wide range of experience and training in education and risk management.
The topics covered are designed to enhance your skills in communication and risk management – they target the areas that are most likely to expose you to complaints and claims.
This year we covered the following topics:
- • Infection control in general practice.
- • Learning from events in general practice.
- • Managing conflict and aggression in general practice.
- • Safer management of test results.
- • Medication errors and safer prescribing in primary care.
- • Your repeat prescribing journey.
- • Medical records in general practice.
- • Consent in general practice.
The workshops were exceptionally well received and we had very positive feedback from trainees and GP training programme directors.
“As the medicolegal environment grows ever more hostile, the need for risk management becomes more compelling.
“Educational sessions provided by Medical Protection help address some of the challenges of clinical practice by underlining the importance of good communications skills, and the need for implementation of risk management strategies to enhance safe practice. Incorporation of these sessions into the day-release programme of GP training helps to increase awareness of best practice in these areas and re-enforce similar messages already delivered from other sources.
“As anyone who has attended an educational session run by Medical Protection will know, the material presented at these sessions is well researched, relevant, compelling and informative. Practical advice for dealing with scenarios presented is clear and elaborates on specific skills to enable more effective and safer management.
“Discussion of this material at day-release enhances a culture that enables GP trainees to acknowledge the challenges of clinical practice in a safe environment so that a more effective response to these challenges can become part of professional identity formation. A culture of patient safety is paramount in medical care. A resilient workforce is equally essential to deliver on this aspiration. Educational sessions delivered by Medical Protection help address this dual challenge.”
MB, BSc (hons), DCh, DObst, MICGP, MMedEd, FAcadMEd, FRCGP
Assistant Programme Director
Cork GP Training Programme for General Practice
“I had the pleasure of attending a Medical Protection workshop in my final year of GP training. This workshop dealt with practical everyday difficulties encountered in GP practice. The vast experience of the Medical Protection team became apparent as the pitfalls in repeat prescribing were outlined.
“This was an interactive session, allowing us all to evaluate our current practice with a firm plan of a repeat prescribing policy on leaving. A second topic of managing test results was chosen by our cohort. Medical Protection experience was combined with our own everyday situations in order to personalise the learning and improve our current practice. Through its interactive nature with accompanying information, the workshop is a must for any GP trainee!”
Dr Siobhan Coyle, GP Trainee
“I am fortunate to have attended two Medical Protection workshops during my training as a fourth year GP registrar. One on repeat prescribing in general practice and one on the management of test results.
“The workshops were invaluable from both an educational and staff safety perspective. GP Registrars in attendance took their learnings back to their own practices and implemented a range of positive changes to the benefit of both patients and staff.
“The depth of knowledge and delivery of content was of an exceptionally high standard. The workshop was enjoyable and informative and catered for the needs of all practice members, both clinical and non-clinical.
“Feedback from staff who attended the workshop was overwhelmingly positive and the practice has arranged to have additional Medical protection workshops in the future at the request of the practice staff.
“The continued educational support provided by Medical Protection has proven invaluable. We look forward to continuing to benefit from the educational opportunities that our Medical Protection membership gives us access to.”
Dr Maitiu O Tuathail, GP at Safetynet Primary