PRHO
New GMC guidance for Pre Registration House Officer (PRHO) training
By Ashwin, UK Correspondent
Feb 7, 2005 - 9:03:00 PM

New doctors are being issued with revised and updated guidance on what they need to learn during their first year as a registered doctor. The GMC�s Education Committee has carried out the most detailed review of Pre Registration House Officer (PRHO) training since it started. We have consulted widely for two years, and a completely revised version of The New Doctor is one result of that consultation.

Professor Peter Rubin, Chairman of the GMC�s Education Committee, said: �There is no doubt that generations of doctors have found the PRHO year a valuable stepping stone to further postgraduate education and training. However, it has not really changed over the years, while medical practice and society�s expectations have. The most important change is that we now define the outcomes that must be demonstrated and assessed during the PRHO year. This will make things clearer for trainers and trainees. It will also provide reassurance to patients and future employers.�

General clinical training allows provisionally registered doctors (PRHOs) to:

* put into practice the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours they developed as students;
* gain new knowledge and skills;
* develop further their professional attitudes and behaviour; and
* show that they are practising in line with the principles of professional practice set out in Good Medical Practice.

The principles in the guidance make clear to the public the standards of practice and care they should expect. Successfully completing general clinical training (PRHO training) means completing basic medical education and receiving a Certificate of Experience as proof of this.

Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England, said "I very much welcome the publication of The New Doctor in transitional form. This comes at a time when we are formulating our detailed plans for the Foundation Programme and the New Doctor's outcome-based approach provides an essential benchmark for our curriculum. We shall continue to work with the GMC and the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board to make sure that the Foundation Programme provides new doctors with the best possible practical grounding in medicine. "

This edition of The New Doctor is transitional, as the changes are extensive and will need legislation. They will also need significant preparation by all those involved in PRHO training. As a result, the new arrangements will not come into force until August 2007 to allow training programmes and assessment procedures to develop.

Dr Henrietta Campbell, Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland said �I welcome this latest edition of The New Doctor and believe it provides a sound basis to equip new qualified doctors with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed in providing high quality medical care. I particularly welcome the strong emphasis on the active management of personal development which will ensure the constant refreshment of knowledge and skills within the complex and rapidly changing health environment.

Dr Mac Armstrong, CMO for Scotland, said �I very much welcome the publication of this latest version of The New Doctor. It is the latest in a series which has consistently improved the focus, content and value of the PRHO year for patients, doctors and the National Health Service. This latest version places the PRHO year in the context of the 2 year Foundation Programme which underpins the new approach to postgraduate medical education and development set out in �Unfinished Business Modernising Medical Careers�.

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