Family Planning as Part of General Practice

The Royal College of General Practitioners no longer thinks it should be necessary for fully qualified GPs to gain a further qualification in Family Planning. Trainers are expected to assess Registrars' ability to offer skilled family planning advice as part of their training in General Practice.

You are therefore expected to attend, as part of your training for General Practice, an approved theoretical training course in family planning and contraception. From January 2010 the new DFSRH online training package.

These courses are usually arranged in conjunction with the community doctors who work in Family Planning and Womens' Health, and are suitable both for General Practice Summative Assessment and also for the Diploma in Family Planning.

You need to ensure that you plan with your trainer to introduce some practical instruction in Family Planning.

We recommend that the following aspects of training are necessary:

Basic Gynaecological Examination

Some doctors have not had sufficient experience to acquire the necessary skills to carry out basic gynaecological examination, which is essential to all contraceptive practice. It is important that registrars in contraceptive practice should acquire this experience embarking on practical training. There are THREE alternative ways of certifying this:

  1. By holding or having held an obstetric or gynaecological post or a combined post, which is recognised for training for the DRCOG or for Membership of the RCOG or RCGP.
  2. By providing evidence of training under the direction of a consultant gynaecologist or GP trainer at which the following techniques have been practised:

    a) Breast examination
    b) Vulval, abdominal and pelvic examination
    c) Digital and speculum examination of the vagina
    d) Vaginal and cervical microbiological tests and cytology procedures

    OR
  3. By self-certification in which the registrar should provide evidence of up to date gynaecological experience of a standard at least equivalent to the above. There is no time available in family planning clinics to teach basic skills.

Theoretical Instruction

This involves attendance at a training course recognised by the GPSTP. Courses should consist of at least four half-day sessions (ten hours), during which the following subjects must be studied:

  1. Acceptability of contraception
  2. Choice of method and discussion of risks and benefits
  3. All available contraceptive methods. Advantages, disadvantages and reliability. Necessary technical skills and management of associated complications including resuscitation.
  4. Male and female sterilisation
  5. Abortion: counselling, legal aspects, techniques.
  6. Sexually transmitted diseases
  7. Family Planning Services - organisation and administration - (community, general practice and hospital).

The new DFSRH online training package

This is a new online clinical training package, which has been introduced by the Faculty of Secual and Reproductive Health care and acts as a forum for Family Planning doctors. Although it is not necessary to have the DFSRH in order to work in general practice, it is required if you want to work in Family Planning clinics. If you decide to take it, you will need to register for the DFSRH training package and undertake practical training sessions under the instruction of a family planning instructing doctor, and in Sheffield this means within the Family Planning service. You will of course need to attend the recognised theoretical training. There is a fee to take the DFSRH, and the practical clinical sessions and an annual fee to maintain.

Details of practical training sessions for Sheffield can be obtained from:

Debbie Liversidge
Central Health Clinic
1 Mulberry Street
SHEFFIELD
(0114) 271 8151

email : Debbie Liversidge

http://www.fsrh.org/Default2.asp?Section=ExamsTraining&SubSection=DffpDiploma


16 December 09