This volume helps all healthcare professionals to prepare for annual appraisals, which are expected for all staff in the NHS and mandatory for doctors. It enables those appraising others and those being appraised and will help to improve the quality of patient care and clinical standards through encouraging individual development.

This book examines how nurses will provide a first-point-of-contact consultation service as an alternative to going to see the doctor. It analyses the different nurse practitioner models around the world and presents a proposal for the UK, using research material to describe the impact of this kind of nurse practitioner on patients, doctors and other nurses. The book proposes practical steps through which this model can be implemented within Primary Care Groups, and considers the professional implications for doctors and nurses. Among the conclusions reached in the book are: * nurse practitioners are acceptable to both colleagues and patients * they will have an increasing impact on the nature of the work of doctors * the role of general practitioners may develop to complement the emerging role for nurses. The book is relevant and important reading for everyone who will be affected by these developments, including nurses, doctors, health service managers and policy makers.

This book contains a foreword by Maurice Conlon, Associate Director, Appraisal and Revalidation Lead, NHS Clinical Governance Support Team. This is an invaluable, detailed guide offering practical resources for medical professionals in the challenging role of appraiser. It assists with confidence, professionalism and competency and contains a comprehensive, up-to-date summary of the 'state of play' for appraising doctors. It also includes sample forms, contracts for guidance and links to web resources. "The Appraiser's Handbook" provides vital information for all those involved in continuing professional development in primary and secondary care. Appraisal leads and managers in primary and secondary care trusts will find it of great interest, as will clinical tutors, GP tutors and deanery educational teams. "This book aims to support appraisers in developing their skills in order to ensure that the doctor whom they appraise, gains the maximum possible benefit from the time spent in, and preparing for, the appraisal. The appraiser will find appraisees who enthusiastically embrace appraisal and those who doubt its use and place in their professional development. Different approaches may be needed to support and understand different individuals." - Nick Lyons, Susanne Caesar and Abayomi McEwen. "This book, written by a trio steeped in appraisal, is a valuable resource for appraisers. It will help doctors learning to be appraisers, and experienced appraisers. It will also help those organising appraisal, to remind them of the aims of the process. Teachers of appraisal will be able to use it to supplement and support their curricula. I believe revalidation, when it arrives, will be the single biggest step towards improvement taken by the profession, since the introduction of the medical register. I also believe this depends upon the inclusion of appraisal within the revalidation package. Putting high-quality, developmental appraisal 'in the water' for the medical profession will bring about a whole-profession shift in terms of lifelong professional development. This book will support that aim." - Maurice Conlon, in the Foreword.

This indispensable toolkit is full of practical hints and tips to enhance and develop the role of nursing in general practice. The user-friendly, straight-forward style makes it great for quick reference, bringing together all the basic information required to find a clear career path. This toolkit, along with the linked on-line material, prepares readers for adjusting their roles in accordance with patient needs, personal and professional aims and career aspirations. It is ideal for all nurses and health care assistants in general practice, including healthcare students wanting a career in general practice. Practice managers, PCT managers, health care educators and general practitioners will also find it of great interest.

Focusing on measuring competence in statutory and mandatory training areas, this text emphasises the need to strengthen policy and practice in these areas, helping organisations reduce the risk of being subject to litigation.

"Doctors reading this book will not only be convinced of the need for medical supervison (for all doctors - even pathologists and coroners); they will also be given a handy smorgasbord of different types of medical supervision from which to choose ... There may not be many ways of rekindling the spark of compassion and loving kindness that made us want to become health professionals at the start of our careers, but Owen and Shohet have demonstrated that empathic supervision, whether this is from fellow professionals or from peers, is certainly one way of achieving this." Brian Kaplan, MD With a foreword by Iona Heath, President of the Royal College of General Practitioners. This book helps trainee and practicing doctors to develop a broader understanding of supervision. Written by doctors and other medical specialists experienced in clinical supervision it gives the reader the means to enable, structure and develop their reflective practice. It provides practical tools to engage positively with regulatory challenges, increase satisfaction at work and improve quality of care. Clinical Supervision in the Medical Profession considers the reasons for clinical supervision and how it can support doctors and even transform how they engage with challenging issues. The authors outline a range of ways that they have put clinical supervision into practice and how it has benefitted their work. Contributors Christine Dunkley, Helen Halpern, Anita Houghton, Sue Morrison, David Owen, Patricia Ridsdale, Paul Sackin, John Salinsky, Robin Shohet, Maggie Stanton, Guy Undrill and Sonya Wallbank.

Advances in medical, biomedical and health services research have reduced the level of uncertainty in clinical practice. Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) complement this progress by establishing standards of care backed by strong scientific evidence. CPGs are statements that include recommendations intended to optimize patient care. These statements are informed by a systematic review of evidence and an assessment of the benefits and costs of alternative care options. Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust examines the current state of clinical practice guidelines and how they can be improved to enhance healthcare quality and patient outcomes. Clinical practice guidelines now are ubiquitous in our healthcare system. The Guidelines International Network (GIN) database currently lists more than 3,700 guidelines from 39 countries. Developing guidelines presents a number of challenges including lack of transparent methodological practices, difficulty reconciling conflicting guidelines, and conflicts of interest. Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust explores questions surrounding the quality of CPG development processes and the establishment of standards. It proposes eight standards for developing trustworthy clinical practice guidelines emphasizing transparency; management of conflict of interest ; systematic review-guideline development intersection; establishing evidence foundations for and rating strength of guideline recommendations; articulation of recommendations; external review; and updating. Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust shows how clinical practice guidelines can enhance clinician and patient decision-making by translating complex scientific research findings into recommendations for clinical practice that are relevant to the individual patient encounter, instead of implementing a one size fits all approach to patient care. This book contains information directly related to the work of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), as well as various Congressional staff and policymakers. It is a vital resource for medical specialty societies, disease advocacy groups, health professionals, private and international organizations that develop or use clinical practice guidelines, consumers, clinicians, and payers.