Royal College of General Practitioners

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) is a network of over 35,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. The largest medical Royal College in the UK, we work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and improve care for patients.

The College is leading general practice at a time of great change - and opportunity - for patients and the profession.

Further to the development and implementation of the first-ever training curriculum for general practice, we are now working on strategies for Continuing Professional Development and appraisal to prepare GPs for revalidation, in line with the White Paper 'Trust, assurance and safety: the regulation of health professionals'.

Prior to the Lord Darzi's review of the NHS, the College launched its own blueprint for the future of General Practice. 'The Future Direction of General Practice: A roadmap' is endorsed by the UK's major primary care organisations, and has proved instrumental and highly influential in the debate surrounding proposals for 'polyclinics' and 'supersurgeries.'

The Roadmap promotes GP practices working together in "federations" to deliver a wider range of healthcare services where patients want them. The Roadmap positions GPs firmly at the centre of the NHS as leaders and drivers for improvement, delivering the widest range of services where patients want them.

Such has been the success of the Roadmap, the RCGP has now launched a follow-up document Primary Care Federations - putting patients first which examines further the role of GP federations, to provide PCTs and GP practices with the practical knowledge needed to provide services that will meet the needs of the local population.

Providing local solutions to local problems is the key to a national health service that is fit for purpose in the 21st Century. The RCGP is committed to ensuring that local services meet the needs of patients - and that all patients receive equally high standards of care.