General Practice in the UK

Performers Lists

To train and work as a General Practitioner in the UK you need to be on a Performers list. Performers lists are managed by Primary Care Organisations and you must apply to a Primary Care Organisation to be entered onto them.

The GP Register

To work as a GP in the UK you need to be on our GP Register. To apply for entry on the GP Register, you should:

• Gain the necessary competencies through General Practice (GP) training outside the UK. It would be expected that this would be in a programme approved by the local training provider in that country and as such be fully supervised.

or

• Gain the necessary competencies through GP training within the UK. GP training in the UK is only open to those who apply for a full training programme in open competition. Should you be successful in such an appointment you may be able to discuss a shortening of that programme.*

or

• Gain the necessary competencies in posts other than GP training posts. Please note that there are certain competencies that require experience in primary care which can only be achieved within GP posts.

*You will not be eligible to apply for a UK training programme if:

• You have already completed 18 months of a GP training programme anywhere in the world.
• You have left the UK training programme having been issued with an ARCP outcome 4. This means that an ARCP panel have decided that you should not be allowed to continue in training

Further information on performers lists

England

• The National Health Service (Performers Lists) Regulations 2004 (Statutory Instrument 2004 No.585)
• Department of Health Guidance: Primary Medical Performers Lists ‘Delivering Quality in Primary Care’
• Primary Medical Performers Lists FAQs (pdf)

Scotland

• The National Health Service (Primary Medical Services Performers Lists) (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (Scottish Statutory Instrument 2004 No. 114)

Wales

• The National Health Service (Performers Lists) (Wales) Regulations 2004 (Welsh Statutory Instrument 2004 No. 1020 W.117)

Northern Ireland

• The Health and Personal Social Services (Primary Medical Services Performers Lists) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 (Statutory Rule 2004 No. 149)
• Circular No. HSS(PCD) 7/2004 from Dr Jim Livingstone (pdf)