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Recently-qualified general practitioners’ perceptions and experiences of General Practice Specialty Training (GPST) in deprived areas of NHS Scotland – a qualitative study

ABSTRACT NHS Scotland faces significant challenges in delivering the Scottish Government’s 2020 Strategy for Healthcare. GP recruitment and retention are problematic for deprived area practices (DAPs). Recently-qualified GPs are more likely to join practices in areas where they have trained and so it is important to encourage GP training in deprived areas. This study aimed to identify the perceptions and experiences of recently-qualified GPs who had trained in DAPs. A grounded theory approach was used with 14 GPs interviewed in focus groups and in-depth interviews. Six themes were identified: allocation to training practices in deprived areas and anxieties about working there, positive training experiences, attributes of trainers, consultation differences, preferences for large practice teams and health centres, and future career plans. GPs were very positive about their training experiences in DAPs and appreciated their trainer and training practice. One concern was of the limited experience of patient-centred consulting which they felt weakened their performance in the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) component of the MRCGP examination. Rotations between affluent and deprived areas would benefit General Practice Specialty Trainees (GPSTs) particularly with the CSA examination. Training authorities should encourage and support practices in deprived areas to become training practices and encourage GPSTs to train there.