Preregistration house officers in general practice

BMJ 1995;310:1405 (27 May)

Letters

Preregistration house officers in general practice

Regulations limit approved institutions for training

EDITOR,--Joe Wilton's paper shows the considerable benefit ofyoung doctors acquiring preregistration experience as houseofficers in general practice.¹ We believe that the arrangementsfor this should be extended throughout Britain so that thereare more opportunities forsuch popular and profitable attachments.

Regrettably, such experience can be acquired only in an "approvedinstitution," and section 12 of the Medical Act 1983 limitssuch approval to health centres. This we believe to be illogicalfor there are many excellent practices and would-be teacherswho are not based in health centres and whose participationwould enable preregistration experience to be readily obtainedin general practice. It seems that a new Medical Act would berequired before the necessary changes could be brought about.We are concerned at the reluctance of those involved, and inparticular the General Medical Council, to move in this direction,and we . . . [Full text of this article]