What is the New to Practice Fellowship?
This Fellowship is a programme of support, learning and development, designed to support newly qualified GPs and nurses to transition into Primary Care, with a focus on developing strong peer support networks and shared learning as a system.
What are the principles of the NTP fellowship?
The fellowship aims to provide opportunities for support, networking, learning and development and portfolio working through a number of different offers outlined below.
When can you start the NTP Fellowship?
You can apply at any time once you have a substantive role confirmed. We have four intakes per year, in January, April, July and October, so we will advise about the most appropriate time for you to start the fellowship.
If I have already accepted a post and been in it for the last few months – can I still apply?
Yes, provided you are within 12 months of qualification as a GP or a Nurse and your practice supports your participation in the programme.
I want to join the New to Practice Fellowship but I don’t currently have a post in primary care – can I still apply?
We are keen to support all interested GPs and Nurses who are within 12months of qualifying to secure a substantive role in General Practice and benefit from the support available through the fellowship. Our local GP/GPN leads can support you with applications and linking potential fellows to current vacancies – please get in touch with the team to ask about this.
Can I be a Locum and be part of the NTP Fellowship?
The NTP Fellowship funding (salary reimbursement) and funded education programme is currently only available to GPs and GPNs who hold a substantive clinical post in General Practice so unfortunately if working solely as a locum you would not be eligible for the fellowship.
Is the 12m post CCT/qualification limit flexible? What about a newly qualified GP coming back into a salaried role after locumming initially?
If you have taken time out of clinical practice for parental leave, ill health, or caring responsibilities, since qualifying, the eligibility window can be extended to 18 months. Otherwise you must be within 12 months of your qualification or CCT date to participate in the NTP Fellowship. Please contact the DTH team if you need further advice about this.
I moved into the area post-qualification and have been in a salaried post for a few months. Can I still apply?
You can still apply for the NTP Fellowship as long as you are working within Devon and are within 12 months of qualification.
How long is the Fellowship?
It is a 2-year programme regardless of how many clinical sessions you work.
What happens if I increase or drop sessions during the 2-year Fellowship?
Provided you are still employed substantively in your practice, this will not affect your place on the programme.
What happens if I need to go on maternity/parental leave during the Fellowship?
In the event of a Fellow taking Parental Leave, the Fellowship can effectively be paused and resumed on your return. Please contact the Programme Coordinator as soon as possible to advise of any plans to take time out of practice.
What happens if I leave my current practice during the NTP Fellowship?
You or your employing practice should let the Training Hub know as soon as possible if you are planning to leave your employing practice. Should you wish to continue on the Fellowship in another Devon practice we will work with you and your new employer to support you to do so. Your employing practice would be required to complete the necessary sign-up paperwork to support your application in order to access the funding that supports you.
Is there any form of assessment for entry to the programme?
Eligible Fellows are required to register and there is no assessment or selection process. Our aim is to support 100% of newly qualified in GPs in substantive posts in Devon.
Is there a closing date for registration?
We run a rolling programme with new starters every 3 months so would encourage you to complete your application forms as soon as you have your job offer confirmed so that we can organise paperwork and get you onto the next intake. Funding is currently confirmed for new starters up until the end of March 2024, although we obviously hope the programme will be continued.
What is the expectation for participation in the Fellowship programme?
The New to Practice Fellowship is a flexible offer which delivers a number of different educational opportunities.
Attendance is expected at Whole Fellowship Meets (whole days each quarter, rotates between midweek days) and Action Learning Sets (2 hours online every 2 months – run on a number of days for you to sign up to the best day for you).
In addition you will be offered a mentor in your first year and a coach in your second year. The team run online special interest groups, QI workshops and other ad-hoc education sessions – attendance is encouraged but not expected and you are able to choose subject areas which meet your learning needs and personal development (as well as working days).
The rest of your time is self-directed.
Does the CPD session have to be on the same day/ time each week?
The programme is semi-structured with some timetabled sessions as above and then self-directed learning around your own personal learning needs. This could involve delivering on a project or gaining shadowing experience within clinical roles or your PCN. The session definitely does not need to be on the same day each week and in fact a degree of flexibility is probably helpful to help you to attend the most useful sessions for you. However, if you are able to only participate on a set session per week then we will do our best to work with you on this.
Do I have to deliver a project by the end of the programme?
There is no expectation that all fellows will deliver a project by the end of the programme but using some of your fellowship time to develop QI projects is very much encouraged. This is supported by a QI education programme which runs throughout the year, as well as workshops at whole fellowship meetings.
Can I use Fellowship time to develop in a specialty area?
Yes, many fellows have used their time to develop their special interests in areas such as Dermatology, Minor Surgery, Women’s Health and Education. It is always beneficial to discuss your plans with your practice or PCN if you are hoping to use some of your newly-developed skills to support your own PCN.
Whilst your time is funded, there are unfortunately no additional funds available within the scheme for additional courses or qualifications.
How do I get a mentor and coach?
You will be matched with a GP mentor within the first 4-6 weeks of starting the programme. These are experienced GPs who have completed a EQA accredited mentoring programme via the South West Leadership Academy. We are now able to offer all fellows a mentor within Devon – we try to link you with someone who geographically you could potentially meet with face to face but doesn’t work within the same locality patch as you to give a degree of separation. Once you are linked together by email, it will be up to you and your mentor to arrange meetings directly and you are entitled to 12 x 1 hour sessions which are usually used during the first year of the fellowship (but there is flexibility to stretch these into the second year).
Once you go into your second year you will be offered six sessions of coaching via Joyful Doctor – Coaching for doctors – The Joyful Doctor. You will receive a matching form nearer the time.
What funding is available to support New to Practice Fellows?
Each New to Practice Fellow in Devon is entitled to receive a salary reimbursement of one session a week to support their full participation in the programme. The salary reimbursement is paid at the Fellow’s sessional rate at the start of the fellowship (plus a 30% contribution towards practice on costs).
The payment is passed to the practice each quarter, and exact payment arrangements for each Fellow is agreed between the Fellow and the Practice. Some fellows receive payments monthly whilst others get the quarterly payment directly after it has been received by the practice. All information on funding be found here – page 5. NHS England General Practice Fellowship Operational Guidance 2021-22
On completion of the relevant funding paperwork, we will set up an MOU directly with the practice.
If you have any questions about salary payment arrangements or the MOU, this is now handled by Devon Training Hub so please contact our Programme Coordinator on shs.dth.fellowshipadmin@nhs.net
I am leaving a post in another area and moving to Devon – can I transfer onto the Devon NTP Fellowship?
We are keen to support GPs who have already commenced the fellowship in another area to continue on this programme once you move to Devon. If you are moving to a substantive
post (or are hoping to find one) please get in touch with us directly so that we can support your transition to the area.
New to Practice Fellowship Programme for GPs
New to Practice Fellowship Special Interest Groups
