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Scotland's GP paediatric scholarship: an evaluation.
Ronald MacVicar1, Lyndsey Borland2, Sharon McHale3
1a Centre for Health Science , NHS Education for Scotland , Inverness , Scotland.
Summary
Nearly half of General Practitioners (GPs) in Scotland developed specialized pediatric roles after a scholarship. This investment shows promise for enhancing child health services in primary care.
Area of Science:
- Primary Care Pediatrics
- Continuing Professional Development
- Health Workforce Development
Background:
- General Practice (GP) training reforms aim to meet child health needs.
- Paediatric and GP trainees learning together positively impacts outcomes.
- Limited focus exists on upskilling trained GPs in child health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of the Scottish Paediatric Scholarship for General Practitioners.
- To assess the development of specialized pediatric roles and interests among scholarship recipients.
Main Methods:
- Survey of 119 General Practitioners from the first six cohorts of the scholarship.
- Response rate of 76% (90 respondents).
- Qualitative analysis of free-text responses.
Main Results:
- Almost half of respondents (44/90) developed new roles or special pediatric interests.
- 43% of practicing GPs reported developing beneficial special interests within their practice.
- Scholars reported increased confidence, improved links with secondary care, and role development.
Conclusions:
- The Scottish Paediatric Scholarship demonstrates a positive impact on developing specialized pediatric expertise within general practice.
- The scholarship contributes to enhancing child health services by fostering advanced roles for GPs.
- Further long-term evaluation is recommended to fully assess the scholarship's impact and value for money.