The New Doctor 2007

The GMC is responsible for doctors in the first year of the Foundation Programme, who have provisional registration. 

Our guidance for this period is called The New Doctor 2007. It comprises two sections: 

• the Outcomes for the first year that doctors must demonstrate before they move from provisional to full registration.
• the Standards for Training for the Foundation Programme that those responsible for delivering Foundation Programme training must meet; and

Outcomes for the first year of the Foundation Programme

From August 2007, provisionally registered doctors will be required to demonstrate that they meet the outcomes set by the Education Committee and have completed a programme of 12 months before full registration is granted.

View the Outcomes doctors need to demonstrate they meet (53kb, pdf).

What if I entered the Foundation Programme before August 2007?

Prior to August 2007, provisionally registered doctors were required to work for 12 months in an approved post, with three months in medicine, and three months in surgery before they were awarded full registration.

Doctors entering training between 1 August 2005 and August 2007 were advised to be aware that the deanery may also require them to meet the outcomes set out in the transitional edition of The New Doctor. 

From August 2007 there is no longer a legal requirement to undertake experience in surgery and medicine.

If you began, but did not complete, the Foundation Programme before August 2007 please click here for advice about transitional arrangements.

Standards for Training for the Foundation Programme

The GMC and PMETB have separate but complementary responsibilities for the foundation programme.

We have jointly agreed the Standards for Training for the Foundation Programme.

View the Standards for training which Foundation Programme course providers need to meet (93kb, pdf).

We have adopted the PMETB Generic Standards for Training, with additional specific standards and guidance for the foundation programme to reflect the requirements for this period of training.

The standards and outcomes have been revised from those in transitional edition of The New Doctor following a consultation by the GMC and PMETB in 2006.

Much of the detail from the transitional edition The New Doctor (2005) has been incorporated into the Foundation Programme Curriculum, which has been approved by the Education Committee as meeting its standards for training for the first year of the foundation programme.

Foundation Programme Curriculum

The Education Committee has approved the Foundation Programme curriculum.

View the curriculum (Foundation Programme Office website) (opens in new window).

Foundation year one doctors who successfully complete a programme for provisionally registered doctors that follows the curriculum and meet the outcomes will be eligible for full registration.

Legal framework

The publication of The New Doctor 2007 marks the end of a two year transitional period in which we have revised the legal requirements for provisionally registered doctors.

Download the Legal Framework for Programmes for Provisionally Registered Doctors (93kb, pdf).

The Education Committee has issued guidance on the amount of sick leave a provisionally registered doctor can take during the 12 months training required prior to full registration.

Read Guidance on sick leave for provisionally registered doctors (23kb, pdf).

Provisionally Registered Doctors on GP Placements: Prescribing rights

The Education Committee have published a statement confirming the position of doctors with provisional registration prescribing in General Practice (36kb, pdf).

Research into the implementation of The New Doctor

This research was commissioned by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and the NHS Education for Scotland led by Professor Timothy Van Zwanenberg and investigated the appropriateness and effectiveness of The New Doctor.

Read the invitation to tender for research into the implementation of The New Doctor (68kb, pdf) - This ITT is closed.

Read Research into the implementation of The New Doctor - Are we doing the right things? - Final report (3.51mb, pdf).