MEMBERSHIP OF THE ROYAL-COLLEGE OF GENERAL-PRACTITIONERS BY ASSESSMENT - ATTITUDES OF MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS IN ONE FACULTY AREA

Background. Fewer than half of the principals in general practice in t he United Kingdom are members of the Royal College of General Practiti oners. As the membership examination is closely linked to the endpoint of vocational training, a case can be made for another method of entr y to the RCGP for established principals. Such a method could be membe rship by assessment. Aim. A study was undertaken to examine the attitu des of existing members and fellows of the RCGP to membership by asses sment and to determine whether there was any demand from general pract itioner principals who were not RCGP members to join by this route. Me thod. One questionnaire was sent to all RCGP members and fellows in th e Vale of Trent faculty area and another questionnaire was sent to tho se principals in general practice in the Vale of Trent area who were n ot RCGP members. Results. In total, 396 (83%) of the 480 RCGP members and fellows responded, as did 543 (81%) of the 671 non-members in the faculty area. When asked if they were in favour of the concept of memb ership by assessment, 245 of the members and fellows replied yes (62%) and 138 replied no (35%). Of the non-members, 91 (17%) had previously been members of the RCGP; the main reason given by these general prac titioners for relinquishing membership was that the annual subscriptio n was too high (65% of 97 general practitioners). When the 451 general practitioners who had never been members were asked if they would be interested in joining the RCGP by an assessment method, 271 replied po sitively (60%). Conclusion. There was widespread support from the memb ers and fellows of the Vale of Trent faculty of the RCGP for the conce pt of membership by assessment. Principals in general practice in this area who had never been members of the RCGP showed a high degree of i nterest in joining by this method. Despite the caveats that must be ap plied, for example, to ensure that the standards are set appropriately , these results indicate that membership by assessment should be explo red by the RCGP, and indeed a working party on the meaning of membersh ip of the RCGP has been convened.