General Practice Managers Vocational Training Scheme

Recruitment 

Recruitment has now closed for our next Cohort starting in January 2023.

You can register interest in future Cohorts by completing the form a below

Note of Interest - PMVTS

If you have any questions or would like more information please contact practicemanager@nes.scot.nhs.uk  

What is the Practice Managers Vocational Training Scheme?  

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) delivers a funded practice-based learning programme for newly appointed, assistant and aspiring Practice Managers in Scotland.

This NES Practice Managers Vocational Training Scheme (PMVTS) is a highly interactive, participative programme that uses a blended learning approach. The ethos of the programme is to develop and equip trainees to become strategic business managers capable of assessing the Practice’s internal and external environments and leading effective change. Participants continue to work in their own Practice throughout the programme and are paired with an experienced Practice Manager Educational Facilitator (Trainer). 

 Who is the Practice Managers Vocational Training Scheme for? 

Participants are new and aspiring Practice Managers from across Scotland and they must commit to at least seven hours of private study per week. Participants must hold a supervisory or management role within General Practice and normally they should work for 20 hours/week to access sufficient learning opportunities to complete the programme successfully. Applicants should have the support and commitment of their Practice in order to be accepted onto the programme.  

 Programme Outline 

The programme uses work-based learning supported by mandatory Learning Events, Action Learning Sets (ALS) and monthly tutorials. Successful applicants will also be asked to complete comprehensive pre-course work in November and December. Learning Events and ALSs will be delivered with mixture of face to face and virtually by Microsoft Teams.

Participants will be matched to a NES Practice Manager Educational Facilitator who will introduce the participant to the work-based style of learning and meet with the key members of the practice team. 

Participants will attend:

• An induction event
• 10 Learning Events
• 9 Action Learning Sets

It is essential that trainees attend these dates however in exceptional and unforeseen circumstances NES will help provide any missed essential learning. At the time of applying potential participants must be able to attend the full programme of events.

In addition, participants will have a monthly tutorial with their education facilitator. These may be face to face (COVID restrictions permitting) or by Teams. These individually tailored sessions ensure that the programme meets the individual participant’s needs.

Practices are asked that participants will be released from their substantive post for half a day per week to attend Learning Events, Action Learning Sets, tutorials with their educational facilitator and for self-directed learning.  This protected time will be scheduled on a set half-day of the week for the duration of the programme (12 months), with a break over Christmas and Easter.

How is Practice Managers Vocational Training Scheme delivered?  

This is a programme of 10  Learning Events and 9 Action Learning sets delivered both in person and virtually. In addition to the learning events, you will receive one tutorial per month with your Educational Facilitator.  Each learning event will be 3 hours long.

To successfully complete the Practice Managers Vocational Training Scheme, it is expected that you will:

• Attend and actively participate in all Learning Events and Action Learning Sets
• Be prepared to undertake group work and self-directed learning
• Complete formative and summative assessments. Learning will be assessed by a variety of methods and includes:
  • A 2,500 word management report, critically reflecting on the individual’s role in the practice - in the context of Scottish Healthcare Policy
  • A work-based project and management report of 5,000 words exploring a Practice redesign/quality improvement initiative of benefit to patients
  • A personal learning portfolio that includes a structured reflective component (3,000 words).

For more information on the PMVTS programme, please contact a member of the Practice Management Team at practicemanager@nes.scot.nhs.uk

This page was last updated on: 07.07.2023 at 15.44