Half Day Release Programme

There is a weekly half day meeting of all trainees held in a centrally located GP practice (Hilly Fields Medical Centre). There are about 30 half days a year and this is part of study leave. In addition there are four away-days a year and in ST3 a two day residential.

Features of half day release:

  • Trainees in all three years meet together. This allows new trainees entering the scheme to feel part of the scheme early on, to make friends and relate their learning in the non GP posts to the GP curriculum and their overall goal of becoming GPs.
  • Trainee led: trainees choose the topics based on their learning needs (within the GP curriculum).
  • Wide range of teaching methods including trainee led teaching sessions; Programme Director led teaching sessions and outside speaker led sessions.
  • Teaching methods are interactive, participatory, problem based and experiential.
  • Wide range of topics relevant to general practice: clinical topics; broader socio-medical themes; skills training (e.g. consultation skills training with actors).
  • Opportunity to gain advice, support and guidance from the Programme Directors - all three are experienced GPs and trainers.
  • It provides an opportunity to network, get ideas, keep up to date with training issues and technicalities; find out about courses; form learning sets for exam preparation.
  • Good size – not too big, not too small.
  • Cover topics not so easily covered in practice or individual study.
  • Lunch provided giving an opportunity for informal discussions before the session.
  • Social benefits: making friends, getting support, feeling part of GP training, a programme of social events is run by elected “social secretary”.

Awaydays:
There are four away-days a year. One at the beginning of the year which helps intergrate new registrars to the scheme, the others at the end of each term.
They are held away from the practice or hospital environment in pleasant venues.The purpose of awaydays is to focus on themes that need longer to explore in depth such as medical ethics, Evidence Based Medicine, consultation skills practice with actors, negotiations skills. They are very popular with the registrars and a highlight of each term.

Half-Day Release Timetables:

    Autumn 2009
Spring 2010 Summer 2010 Autumn 2010
Spring 2011 Summer 2011 Autumn Term

Residential:
We have a two day residential in the Spring for all ST3 registrars, during which we look at issues relating to the transition from being a trainee to a GP.

Half Day release venue:
The VTS afternoons are on Tuesdays from 2-5pm, with trainees arriving from 1.30 to socialise before the session starts at 2pm.. All trainees in ST3 and those in GP and community posts in ST1 and 2 are expected to attend, those in hospital posts attend when rota’s allow.

Hilly Fields Medical centre
172 Adelaide Avenue, Brockley, London SE4 1JN

Click here to view map

Apologies for absence from VTS sessions to Nikki.ford@nhs.net