Hospital training for general practice: views of trainees in the North Western region

Vocational trainees in the North Western region who were in their general practice year completed a questionnaire concerning the hospital component of their training. Replies were received from 125 trainees, providing information about 451 hospital posts. In a total of 372 posts (85%) less than two hours of formal teaching a week was provided. Trainees stated that they received no informal teaching in nearly one third of posts. The orientation of teaching towards general practice was reported as greatest in the posts that were not part of a vocational training scheme. Study leave was applied for by doctors in only 163 (37%) posts, usually to prepare for or to sit an examination. There seem to be serious educational deficiencies in hospital posts that are used to train both general practitioners and other specialists. Improvements in both the quantity and quality of in service teaching are therefore needed urgently.