Transition to General Practice Programme

Transition to General Practice Programme

A 12-Week Clinical Development Programme for Pharmacists & Nurses

Delivered in partnership by Belmatt Healthcare Training and GP Pathfinder

Build the clinical skills, confidence and supervised experience needed to transition successfully into General Practice and Primary Care.

The Transition to General Practice Programme is an intensive 12-week blended learning programme for pharmacists and nurses who are new to General Practice, preparing to move into Primary Care, or looking to strengthen their clinical assessment and decision-making skills.

The programme brings together the complementary expertise of Belmatt Healthcare Training and GP Pathfinder. Belmatt provides educational leadership, curriculum development, specialist faculty and learning resources, while GP Pathfinder provides supervised clinical experience and mentorship within General Practice.

Participants benefit from five classroom days, two live webinars, 60 hours of supervised clinical practice, clinical mentorship, a competency portfolio and 12 months’ access to online learning resources.

Programme at a Glance

Why Choose This Programme?

Moving into General Practice requires more than theoretical knowledge. Clinicians need the confidence to assess undifferentiated presentations, conduct effective consultations, recognise clinical risk, perform focused examinations and make appropriate clinical decisions within their professional scope.

This programme combines structured education with real-world supervised clinical experience.

Participants have the opportunity to develop their skills through classroom teaching and webinars and then apply their learning within GP Pathfinder practices under the supervision of experienced clinicians.

Learn. Practise. Develop. Progress.

The programme focuses on:

• Consultation and clinical assessment skills
• Clinical reasoning and decision-making
• Physical examination skills
• Minor illness assessment and management
• Telephone triage and remote consultation
• Blood results interpretation
• Safe prescribing and medicines optimisation
• Multidisciplinary working
• Reflective practice and portfolio development

Who Is This Programme For?

Pharmacists

Ideal for:

• Clinical Pharmacists new to General Practice or Primary Care Networks (PCNs)
• Independent Prescriber Pharmacists seeking to develop broader clinical assessment skills
• Community Pharmacists transitioning into General Practice
• Hospital Pharmacists moving into Primary Care
• Pharmacists undertaking or completing the NHS Primary Care Pharmacy Education Pathway
• Pharmacists wishing to strengthen their consultation, physical examination and minor illness management skills.

Nurses

The programme is also suitable for:

• Practice Nurses new to General Practice
• Registered Nurses transitioning from secondary care into Primary Care
• Nurses preparing for enhanced clinical assessment or Advanced Clinical Practice roles
• General Practice Nurses looking to expand their clinical scope and confidence.

What Will You Learn?

By successfully completing the programme, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate competence in consultation and clinical assessment skills.
• Manage common minor illnesses confidently within their professional scope.
• Interpret common blood test results and contribute to appropriate management plans.
• Undertake safe and effective telephone triage consultations.
• Apply focused physical examination techniques relevant to Primary Care.
• Work effectively within multidisciplinary General Practice teams.
• Complete a competency portfolio supported by GP Pathfinder mentors and Belmatt faculty.

Your 12-Week Learning Journey

Week 1 – Introduction to General Practice

Consultation skills, clinical reasoning and professional responsibilities. Meet your clinical mentor and begin your reflective portfolio.

Week 2 – Supervised Clinical Practice

Develop history-taking, documentation and multidisciplinary working skills through supervised consultations.

Week 3 – Physical Examination Skills

Practical training covering cardiovascular, respiratory, ENT and general examination.

Week 4 – Telephone Triage & Consultation Skills

Live webinar followed by supervised telephone and remote consultations, with emphasis on communication and safety-netting.

Weeks 5–6 – Minor Illness

Develop your approach to assessing and managing common Primary Care presentations, supported by clinical practice, case discussions and competency assessment.

Week 7 – Blood Results Interpretation

Develop a systematic approach to common blood tests and apply your learning during supervised clinics.

Weeks 8–10 – Prescribing & Clinical Decision-Making

Pathology review, medicines optimisation, safe prescribing, medication reviews and increasingly independent consultations under supervision.

Week 11 – Portfolio & Mentor Review

Workplace-based assessment, case-based discussion, reflective practice and competency review.

Week 12 – Consolidation & Assessment

Clinical scenarios, OSCE-style assessment, portfolio submission, mentor sign-off and planning for continued professional development.

60 Hours of Supervised Clinical Practice

A key feature of this programme is 60 hours of supervised clinical experience within GP Pathfinder practices.

Participants will have opportunities to:

• Observe experienced GPs, Advanced Clinical Practitioners and General Practice Pharmacists.
• Undertake supervised face-to-face and telephone consultations.
• Perform focused physical examinations.
• Assess common minor illness presentations.
• Interpret pathology results and contribute to management plans.
• Participate in medicines optimisation and structured medication reviews.
• Receive individual feedback and coaching.
• Complete workplace-based assessments and case-based discussions.
• Build a competency portfolio aligned with the programme learning outcomes.

Assessment & Certification

Assessment takes place throughout the programme and includes:

Workplace-based assessments

• Clinical case discussions

• OSCE-style practical assessment

 • Competency portfolio review

Successful participants receive a Certificate of Completion and CPD Certificate.

Meet the Programme Partners

About Belmatt Healthcare Training

Belmatt Healthcare Training is an established UK provider of postgraduate healthcare education, delivering clinically relevant training designed to support the development of the Primary Care workforce.

Belmatt has trained healthcare professionals including pharmacists, GPs, Advanced Clinical Practitioners, nurses, physician associates, paramedics and allied health professionals.

Programmes use interactive and clinically focused teaching, including case-based discussions, simulation, practical skills workshops and real-world clinical scenarios.

For this programme, Belmatt provides:

Educational leadership

• Curriculum design

 • Expert faculty

• Classroom and webinar teaching

• Learning resources

• LMS access

• Educational assessment and quality support

About GP Pathfinder

GP Pathfinder is the programme’s General Practice clinical partner, providing the environment in which participants can translate their learning into supervised clinical practice.

Through GP Pathfinder practices, participants gain exposure to real-world Primary Care consultations and are supported by experienced clinicians as they develop their assessment, consultation and clinical decision-making skills.

Clinical experience includes supervised face-to-face and telephone consultations, physical examinations, minor illness assessment, pathology interpretation, medicines optimisation and workplace-based competency assessment.

For this programme, GP Pathfinder provides:

Supervised General Practice experience

 • Clinical mentorship

• Supervised consultations

• Workplace-based learning

• Case-based discussions

• Clinical feedback

• Competency assessment and mentor review

One Programme. Two Areas of Expertise.

Belmatt Healthcare Training
Education • Faculty • Curriculum • Learning

+

GP Pathfinder
Clinical Practice • Mentorship • Supervision • Experience

=

A structured pathway into General Practice

Together, Belmatt Healthcare Training and GP Pathfinder combine structured education with supervised clinical experience to support clinicians transitioning into modern General Practice.

Ready to Develop Your Career in General Practice?

Whether you are a pharmacist or nurse moving into General Practice, or an organisation looking to develop your Primary Care workforce, the Transition to General Practice Programme provides a structured pathway combining education, clinical experience, mentorship and competency development