In response to the GP Forward View and in line with its desire to innovate and transform the region's healthcare workforce, the North East office of Health Education England has developed exciting opportunities for enthusiastic General Practitioners to undertake Post-CCT Fellowships.

Aimed at GPs who wish to develop extended skills in a number of key areas (currently Care of the Elderly, Mental Health, Emergency Care or Medical Education), individuals in the role work as an integrated member of the team in an employing trust, or organisation for two days a week and spend two days in a GP training practice. They are also supported to undertake postgraduate qualifications linked to their area of specialism and receive an academic bursary to do so.

Specifically, in relation to our international work streams, we have developed a Post CCT Fellowship in Humanitarian Medicine. GPs wishing to undertake a Fellowship in Humanitarian Medicine spend six months working in a GP training practice in the UK followed by six months deployment for Humanitarian aid as required and supervised by UKMED (https://www.uk-med.org/).

In addition, we are in the process of developing a groundbreaking and unique Post CCT Fellowship in Learning Disabilities.  As part of this work, scoping of the well-established medical role of Intellectual Disability Physicians (IDPs) in The Netherlands has taken place. As a result, a partnership with the Erasmus University in Rotterdam is in development, the aim of which will be the establishment of an exchange programme with the North East and/or a study placement option for UK Post-CCT Fellows to spend time in the Netherlands observing and working with IDPs and linking in to exciting academic research projects.

This is the first Fellowship of its kind in the UK and GPs undertaking a Fellowship in the area would have the opportunity to feed in to and influence development of national guidance on the expansion of this role.

All opportunities to apply for Post CCT Fellowships in the region are widely shared with networks. For any enquiries, please contact Charlotte Carr (Project Manager), Charlotte.Carr@hee.nhs.uk