EPASS GOES LIVE

The Postgraduate Education Allowance (PGEA) ceased to exist following implementation of the new GMS contract from 1 April 2004. Demand for continuing professional development and quality assured training events will continue, however, particularly with GP appraisal and revalidation systems being rolled out across Scotland.

EPASS News In Brief

RCGP Revalidation and the GMC: Update on developments so far The GMC is continuing to look to the Colleges to provide guidance to doctors on the evidence that will be required to be submitted for revalidation. This is why RCGP Scotland produced the Revalidation Handbook and Toolkit, which is due to be updated in Summer 2004. Although Personal Development Plans (PDPs) are personal and integral to the formative appraisal process, the GMC require evidence of Maintaining Good Medical Practice for revalidation. PDP’s will from part of that evidence however it would reduce their usefulness if there was to be an attempt to judge the “quality” of these PDP’s. RCGP Scotland is committed to protecting the formative process in appraisal related to PDPs and so is suggesting that evidence of attendance at an EPASS approved event will demonstrate participation in a quality assured learning programme and so support a GP’s submission to the GMC.

RCGP Scotland officially launches EPASS!
RCGP Scotland Chair, Mairi Scott, will be welcoming a number of key people to the official launch of the new Educational Providers Accreditation Scheme (EPASS) on Wednesday 23 June 2004. We are delighted that Ann Markham, Chair of NHS Education for Scotland, will officially launch the new scheme which awards educational accreditation to organisations who wish to gain recognition for their commitment to quality education. The scheme also provides assurance to general practitioners who want to know that any Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities they undertake are relevant to their needs.

A number of key people, including speakers from the Post Graduate Medical Education Training Board and the Scottish Executive, have been invited to attend this launch at the offices of the Royal College of General Practitioners (Scotland) in Queen Street, Edinburgh, as well as the President of RCGP, Dr Roger Neighbour.

This key event will also provide an excellent opportunity to present the first EPASS providers with their EPASS Certificates of Achievement.

The response to EPASS, which was introduced on 1 April 2004, has been very positive and several well established organisations are now EPASS providers.

Extremely positive feedback was received from those attending the event and a series of events will now be rolled out for new providers joining the EPASS scheme.

Educational users and providers can access further frequently asked questions, view EPASS accredited events and providers, download Application and Event Notification Forms and read the latest news via the new EPASS web site at:
www.rcgp-scotland.org.uk/epass.

Further information is also available from RCGP Scotland:
Email: education@rcgp-scotland.org.uk.

hoolet is the magazine of RCGP Scotland. It is supported intellectually, financially and emotionally by RCGP Scotland.

This issue maintained by Robert Hallam.