Peer-to-peer supporters and other service providers on the platform have helped GPs facing a range of challenges, with many GPs facing multiple, interlinked difficulties including:
- Returning to work after a period of maternity or sick leave.
- Responding to a complaint (and preparing reflections on the complaint for purposes of the appraisal process).
- Overcoming a variety of personal and/or professional challenges.
- Identifying a clinical and/or educational supervisor as mandated by NHS England and/or the GMC (Londonwide LMCs have liaised with NHS England and two experienced supervisors to set-up a training, approval, onboarding and supervision programme for clinical and educational supervisors, which we believe to be the first of its kind).
- Disputes/disagreements with colleagues.
- Being the subject of NHS England and/or GMC investigations (in such cases pastoral support is provided via the GPPSN, GPs still need professional legal advice).
The full list of services provided by the GPPSN is here, most are free to GPs working in the Londonwide LMCs area, but some do attract a fee. GPs can also be signposted to other sources of support where different expertise is required. The platform has been developing since its launch, with more than 100 peer supporters now signed-up and a feature to provide video calls seamlessly inside the website added recently.
Almost 90% of users rated the support as effective or very effective, with feedback including:
- “I very much appreciated a senior colleague’s opinion regarding my work circumstances. He was very thorough, empathetic and efficient in his response.”
- “The services is certainly good and very useful for doctors who run into problems. I found it very helpful and would suggest that it is kept at this standard.”
- “A very valuable service and it’s great to be able to access if for free and confidentially, thank you.”