Clinical supervision

Clinical supervision

Supervision during general practice training

General practice training in Australia follows an apprenticeship model. As a GP registrar, you'll see your patients under the supervision of an experienced GP - your supervisor. The level of supervision required will be determined by your stage of training, the clinical context, your previous experience and the early assessment for safety and learning (EASL).

Clinical experience is a powerful teacher, and your learning will be supplemented and consolidated with in-practice teaching (both formal and informal), small-group education from MEs, assessments, and private study.

Your supervisor provides clinical guidance and support during your program. They are also responsible for in-practice teaching and contributing to the assessment of your clinical competence. If you have an Ahpra nominated principal supervisor, they'll be your supervisor for the whole of the FSP, including the consolidation phase.

The level of supervision provided by your supervisor and supervision team changes as you progress through your training and become more competent. Please note that RACGP requirements are in addition to any Ahpra requirements on your supervision.

The RACGP requires the supervision described below as a minimum regardless of your supervision status with Ahpra:

• At the commencement of GPT1 you must practice under direct supervision of an accredited supervisor until your supervisor decides that this is no longer required. The EASL helps inform this decision. Direct supervision is the term used to describe a supervisor having oversight of every consultation. This is achieved by your supervisor:​
  1. observing your consultation, or
  2. reviewing the patient with you before the patient leaves, or
  3. reviewing the consultation notes and, where relevant, discussing the case with you at the end of the session or the following day.
• GPT1 and 2: You are competent to practice safely without review of every case but still require close monitoring. A clinical supervision plan is in place that describes who is to be contacted and when and how that contact is expected to occur. Your supervisor is available to attend your consultations as required.
• GPT3 and 4: You are competent to practice with a high degree of self-sufficiency but still require access to supervisor support and a clinical supervision plan. Your supervisor is available to attend in-person as required.

On-site supervision is the preferred model for the FSP. In this model we expect that during GPT1 and GPT2 your supervisor is with you at the training site a minimum of 80% of the time. Once you reach GPT3 and GPT4 we expect your supervisor to be at the training site with your for a minimum of 50% of the time.

It's also expected that you maintain supervision by an accredited supervisor during the consolidation phase of your training.

Leave cover

When you are working in the training site but your supervisor is not physically present, there must be an agreed system in place where your supervisor or an appropriate delegate can be contacted for prompt clinical consultation. This includes when your supervisor has planned or unplanned leave.

If your supervisor is on leave for less than two weeks, you can ask another GP who meets the supervisor eligibility criteria (as per the Training site and supervisor handbook) to supervise you. For periods of leave longer than two weeks, your supervisor should submit a leave request via the FSP portal.

If your supervisor can no longer supervise you, you must advise the Training Programs team as soon as possible. You won't be able to train without a supervisor for more than two weeks and you'll be required to go on leave until the College approves an alternate supervisor; nominated by you.