where do GP's in shared care get their supervision and appraisal from at the moment? Our Service is notproviding any supervision at the momeny - we only have a locum consu,ltant at CDT - and there is, i beleive an issue with GPSI's not getting paid by the PCt to provide this service? Would appreeciate advice as i feel it is important we are able to offer regular supervision and appraisal for all the obvious reasons. Thanks.

Hi Debbie
Christina McArthur (of SMMGP) and I have recently done a survey of GPs and GPwSIs on this very subject. We presented findings at RCGP conference, but the presentation is not on the website as far as I know, I will look into getting it on, and possibly also having a link to this site's resources. There will be a paper out very shortly to the RCGP SMU (Substance misuse Unit) with recommendations from the workshops. The survey showed many having no appraisal for the substance misuse part of their work, nor formal supervision. Amongst those that do there are many different arrangments in existence, with the majority dissatisfied with current arrangements.

Payment for appraisals is becoming tricky across the board with some PCTs stopping payments altogether for ordinary GP appraisal, let alone specialist appraisal. There is a good deal of debate on the whole subject of speciasist appraisal, and GPwSIs are currently probably best advised to make own arrangements to get best appraisal/supervision they possibly can from local colleagues in the interim, and await further guidance on definitve arrangments, negotiating payment from whatever source they are able.

Incidentally the survey also showed that some psychiatrists consider it part of their job to do GPwSI appraisal, and therefore do not expect payment.

Hope this helps

This message has been edited. Last edited by: susi harris,

This remains an important issue in Lincolnshire and the DAAT are now requiring it to be addressed. Any pointers to current good practice / guidance would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Mick Dwyer, Louth, Lincolnshire.

GpwSi appraisal - seems to have dropped off the radar locally, even though we have an LES for shared care GP's. Community drugs team prescribers still have specialist appraisal ( paid for - so far - by the PCT ) but financial constraints may result in this being added onto someone's job description. Nevertheless time is the ultimate constraint.
For GP's doing weekly or twice weekly shared care clinics it was suggested locally that a bolt on appraisal ( as with GP trainers here ) would suffice, or a full Subs misuse appraisal once every 3 years. Still needs appraisers to do it.
For GP's working as GPwSi's in the specialist service ( we don't have a local psychiatrist with "interest" ) it has been done annually as it is their main job, but now we have a number of GP's who do one or two sessions as well as their GP work, so we need to address this.
How do GPs deal with this if they are GPwSi's in any other field ? dermatoloigy, cardiology, gastro etc ?