Continuing Professional Development for General Practitioners in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This article describes the setting up, delivery and impact of general practitioner (GP) postgraduate training sessions on problem gambling in the United Kingdom (UK). Four sessions were delivered in a pilot project conducted in South East England and 140 GPs attended a session of approximately one hour in duration. The aims of the pilot project were to find out whether a GP postgraduate session on problem gambling was a feasible way of raising a GP's awareness of problem gambling; encouraging GPs to use a screening measure or probes to measure extent of gambling; and giving information about treatment services. GPs in the UK are notoriously difficult to contact by letter or by email. Continuing medical education on gambling may be relatively straightforward to set up and arrange. Most sessions are up to one hour's duration and so there is time to consider a range of relevant issues, including screening, referral and treatment. In addition, a group format may have some advantages. The GPs may not feel under individual pressure, they have time to think about the issue and reflect. Increased GP awareness might also be supplemented by posters and materials on gambling being displayed in the practice or in the waiting room. Leaflets and posters may give a signal to patients that this is an appropriate issue for discussion with their GP. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)