GP+ Gastroenterology with Dr Charlie Andrews
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This episode of the podcast features Dr Charlie Andrews, a GP Partner in North Somerset who has developed a diverse career as a GP with an extended role (GPwER) in gastroenterology. His journey began after a personal experience with inflammatory bowel disease as a history student, which inspired him to enter medicine via the graduate entry route. Charlie highlights a new, fully funded national training programme he developed with NHS England, offering GPs a structured two-year pathway into the specialty. By combining clinical sessions in secondary care with a 12-month educational curriculum, the programme aims to provide career variety and improve patient access by bridging the gap between primary and secondary care.
Top Tips
- Explore the National Training Programme: Charlie developed a fully funded, two-year national training programme with NHS England. This structured pathway provides a "one-stop shop" that includes one session per week in secondary care under a supervisor, paired with a 12-month intensive distance learning curriculum
- Engage with the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology (PCSG): This society is a key hub for primary care-focused education, offering annual meetings and webinars. Charlie also recommends their educational podcast, Ingest, which provides specialist knowledge specifically for the primary care setting
- Consult the National Competency Framework: To understand the formal requirements of the role, review the national framework co-authored by the PCSG and the British Society of Gastroenterology. This document formalizes the pathway by outlining the curriculum and specific competencies needed to thrive as a GP with an extended role
- Prioritize relationship building: Developing these roles often depends on personal relationships and "cross-pollination" with secondary care colleagues. Charlie suggests starting conversations with local gastroenterologists, as these links are essential for clinical support and discovering local opportunities
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Leverage your GP skill set: GPs possess fantastic skills honed through GP training (and beyond), including the ability to take a holistic approach to patient care, strong communication skills, and a deep understanding of how the community fits into the wider healthcare system. By leveraging these skills and uniting them with enhanced gastro knowledge, GPwERs can enhance the care of patients within the speciality. For example, GPs are uniquely positioned to manage functional diseases, celiac disease, and specific inflammatory bowel diseases while keeping care closer to the patient's home
Take an incremental "Building Block" approach: Building an extended role requires motivation and time, and often includes small 'steps' towards your goal - developing your interest, gaining 'in-clinic' experience, seeking opportunities to deepen your experience and understanding (eg. RCGP Clinical Champion roles) and building your knowledge through educational activities. The GPwER in gastroenterology programme is unique in that it brings together the educational and in-clinic training to support the development of this role.
Further reading
- Dr Andrew's Ingest podcast: www.pcsg.org.uk/ingest/
- GPwER Framework PCSG: www.pcsg.org.uk/the-gpwer/
- RCGP One Day Essentials course on Gastroentereology: https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/enrol/index.php?id=1222
- RCGP Clinical Topic guide on Gastroenterology: www.rcgp.org.uk/mrcgp-exams/gp-curriculum/gastroenterology
- RCGP Mentoring: www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-mentoring
- GPwER in Gastroentereology course: www.pcsg.org.uk/gpwer-portal/
Dr Charlie Andrews is a GP in Clevedon, near Bristol. He qualified from Nottingham University Medical School in 2012 after taking an unorthodox route into medicine via a history degree at Durham University and a job as a personal trainer.
His interest in gastroenterology stems from his own experience of ulcerative colitis, as well as a hospital post in this area during his training. He feels fortunate in being able to pursue this interest in his role as Regional Clinical Champion for Inflammatory Bowel Disease for the RCGP and Crohn’s & Colitis UK, as well as being a committee member of the PCSG.
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