The RCGP “GP with Extended Role in Lifestyle Medicine” Framework (GPwER)
By BSLM
5th Apr, 2024
The RCGP “GP with extended role in Lifestyle Medicine” framework is launched this Friday 12th April 2024.
This collaborative project with the RCGP is a significant milestone in the practice of the discipline of Lifestyle Medicine and for the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine. The framework lays out the discipline, its skills, knowledge and application within primary care.
The BSLM Learning Academy is proud to be listed as one of the major sources of training and quality assurance for the practice of Lifestyle Medicine such that GPs can expertly support people with the 6 pillars of mental wellbeing, healthy relationships, physical activity, healthy eating, sleep and avoidance of harmful substances by using a person-centered approach with behaviour change techniques, social prescribing, health coaching and group consultations.
Many thanks to the working group of GPs with expertise in Lifestyle Medicine including Dr Karen Bollan, Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, Dr Rob Lawson, Dr Ellen Fallows, Dr Callum Leese and Dr Sarah Tamplin
Completing the BSLM Lifestyle Medicine Core Accreditation fully meets the RCGP defined requirements to practice as a GP with extended role in lifestyle medicine (GPwER Lifestyle medicine) and is recognised for CPD across other primary and secondary care physician and allied health professional roles (including dentists, anesthesiologists, Nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, etc)
Maintaining competence
The evidence that a GPwER is keeping their requisite knowledge and skills up to date and maintaining their competencies should be reviewed
through the GPwER’s annual whole scope of practice appraisal. This should form part of the discussion of all external roles and include
quality improvement activity such as case analysis and audit. This has replaced any need for periodic re-accreditation. Please see the
“Governance” section or the RCGP guide to GP Clinical Extended Roles (PDF file, 440 KB) for further information.
The RCGP would expect that, for a GP to describe themselves as a GPwER, at least some ‘core’ general practice should be maintained. This is
because as a GP they bring important additional skills in practising holistically and dealing with complexity and uncertainty to their GPwER
role. Where there is a need for a GPwER to demonstrate at their annual appraisal that they remain safe, competent and up to date in their
core general practice role, they may wish to utilise the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges’ factors for consideration template (external PDF).
Specifically:
1. Demonstrating continued competence
The evidence that a GPwERis keeping their requisite knowledge and skills up to date and maintaining their competencies should be reviewed through the GPwER’s annual whole scope of practice appraisal. Through reflection on appropriate supporting information in the appraisal portfolio, supplemented by additional evidence of reflection in the appraisal discussion, four key questions should be answered:
2. What do you do in this part of your scope of practice?
What exactly does your GPwER role entail?
3. How do you keep up to date for this part of your scope of practice?
What continuing professional development (CPD) relevant to your GPwER role have you done and what have you learned as a result? How have you implemented this new learning in your role?
4. What review have you done of this part of your scope of practice and what difference has it made?
How do you know that your performance in your GPwER role is effective and safe? What have you done to improve the quality of your work and how successful have those changes been? Have there been any significant events and, if so, what has been learned and changed as a result?
5. What feedback have you received on this part of your scope of practice and what difference has it made?
What feedback have you personally solicited about your performance in your GPwER role? (This includes colleague and patient feedback as required by the GMC.) What unsolicited feedback, in the form of complaints and compliments, have you received in your GPwER role? What other feedback about your work in your GPwER role have you received and reflected on? For all forms of feedback, what have you learned and changed as a result?
The GMC’s requirements for supporting information for appraisal and revalidation must be met for the GPwER scope of practice. This means that the annual appraisal portfolio should include the supporting information included below:
• CPD
• quality improvement activity (QIA)
• significant events
• patient feedback
• colleague feedback
• complaints and compliments.
Any clinical governance information collected by the organisation / employer should be provided to the doctor to reflect on. Where possible, an annual performance development review should be facilitated by a specialist working in the relevant extended role area, preferably your clinical guide (see Glossary). This information and review should be reflected on in the annual medical appraisal.