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The GP+ Careers Podcast

The GP+ Careers Podcast

De: Royal College of General Practitioners
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Brought to you by the RCGP, the GP+ Careers podcast, hosted by Dr Sophie Lumley aims to showcase the breadth and diversity of careers you can develop as a GP.

Dr Lumley interviews GPs who do their GP work alongside an extended role, special interest or extra responsibility. Each podcast is focused on a specific interest or role even if the GP has multiple.

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Episodios
  • 21: GP+ Child Health with Dr Amina Al-Yassin

    21: GP+ Child Health with Dr Amina Al-Yassin
    Jan 16 2026
    This episode of the GP+ Careers podcast features Dr Amina Al-Yassin, a First5 GP who has built a dynamic portfolio focused on child health. Dr Al-Yassin details her experience balancing clinical sessions with strategic leadership roles at Barnardo’s and as a Clinical Lead for local children’s services. Listeners will discover how to navigate spin fellowships, engage with community Child Health Hubs, and leverage their unique GP skills in specialist settings like CAMHS. Top Tips Leverage spin Fellowships for protected time - If you are early in your career, look into spin fellowships. These schemes are designed to improve GP retention by providing protected time (usually one or two sessions a week) to develop a special interest or an extended role. Dr Al-Yassin used this to work within a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), gaining frontline experience in neurodevelopmental assessments and medication management. This protected headspace is helpful when first developing a new area of expertise.Prioritise practical experience over formal certificates - While additional qualifications like the Diploma in Child Health or the Diploma in Child and Adolescent Mental Health are available, they are not always prerequisites for extended roles. Dr Al-Yassin emphasizes that the skills you already possess as a GP i.e. being well-versed in both physical and mental health across all ages, are unique and highly valuable. Learning on the job, showing enthusiasm, and maintaining a holistic perspective often count for more than a certificate. Engage with local Child Health hubs - Investigate whether your local area or Integrated Care Board (ICB) has established child health hubs. These are community-based clinics where paediatricians and GPs work together in the same room to provide specialist input for families. If you cannot work in one immediately, ask to sit in on clinics or participate in their virtual Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings, which often include health visitors, school nurses, and therapists. Connect through Special Interest Groups (SIGs) - Networking is essential for discovering opportunities that may not be widely advertised. Joining RCGP Special Interest Groups, such as the Adolescent Health SIG, connects you with like-minded colleagues who share insights on vacancies, projects, and educational opportunities. Other helpful networks include groups focused on health inequalities or neurodiversity. Blend strategic leadership with Clinical Practice - A portfolio career allows you to balance "big picture" strategic work with direct patient care. Roles in organisations like Barnardo’s or as a Clinical Lead for a borough involve looking at population health needs and designing systemic solutions, such as asthma care pathways. Maintaining some clinical GP sessions is beneficial because it keeps you connected to the realities and hardships of patients, which in turn informs and improves your leadership decisions. Establish firm professional boundaries - One of the challenges of a portfolio career is "overspill," where work from one role leaks into another or into your personal time. Strategic and leadership roles often require more time than the paid sessions suggest. To avoid burnout, it is important to be self-aware and block out time for downtime and family, ensuring that your varied interests do not encroach on your personal life. Further reading RCGP Adolescent health Special Interest Group: www.rcgp.org.uk/about/communities-groups/adolescent-group RCGP Mentoring: www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-mentoring RCGP One Day Essentials: www.rcgp.org.uk/learning-resources/courses-and-events/one-day-essentials RCGP GPwER in child and adolescent mental health (CAMH): www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-extended-roles/child-adolescent-mental-health-introduction Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS): www.mind.org.uk/for-young-people/camhs/understanding-camhs/ RCPCH Diploma in Child Health: www.rcpch.ac.uk/education-careers/examinations/about-diploma-child-health Dr Amina Al-Yassin is a GP working in the NHS and with Barnardo’s, and the Clinical Lead for Children’s Services in the London Borough of Brent. She trained in paediatrics (MRCPCH) and general practice (MRCGP), with a post-CCT fellowship in child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS) and is the RCGP Children and Young People’s Mental Health Representative and a member of the RCGP Special Interest Group on Adolescent Health.As Strategic Clinical Lead, she supports improved outcomes across CAMHS, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), safeguarding, childhood obesity, oral health, and long-term conditions. With Barnardo’s, she develops family support models in primary care. She holds an MSc in Medical Education, is a WHO FIDES Health Influencer, and an accredited trainer.Tell us what you thought!We'd love to hear your valuable feedback. Please take 2 minutes to complete the form.
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    31 m
  • 20: GP+ NHSE Clinical Advisor with Dr Maria Mastrantonio

    20: GP+ NHSE Clinical Advisor with Dr Maria Mastrantonio
    Dec 19 2025
    In this episode of the GP+ Careers podcast, host Dr Sophie Lumley is joined by Dr Maria Mastrantonio, a Clinical Advisor to NHS England's regional team in the south west. Maria explains her specific role overseeing a team of GP reviewers who handle patient complaints made directly to NHS England about primary care services. The episode also covers Maria's career path to this leadership role, the flexible nature of the reviewing work for other GPs, and advice for those interested in similar portfolio careers and leadership positions within NHS England.

    Top Tips

    • Just say yes to opportunities: Maria strongly recommends adopting the mindset to "just say yes" when an opportunity arises, even if you doubt your ability to do it. Saying yes allows you to build up a body of experience that will help you move into new roles. Her own role as Clinical Reviewer began with a chance email that was sent to GP appraisers, and she thought "why not" go for the opportunity.

    • Actively hunt for opportunities: Be aware of your emails and bulletins because job opportunities frequently appear in them. For formal NHS England roles, Maria advises checking NHS jobs. You can also use word of mouth to find people working for NHS England or the Integrated Care Board (ICB).

    • Gain practical experience in leadership and complaints: Acquire relevant experience under your belt first. For those interested in review roles, Maria suggests a great starting point is getting involved in complaints within your own practice to learn how medical defence organisations suggest responding. Additionally, seeking out any leadership roles (within or outside the practice) or becoming an appraiser can provide helpful supportive skills.

    • Leverage existing skills and education: Recognise that you bring all your prior experiences into new roles. For example, having an educational background can help frame clinical reviews around learning needs rather than just right or wrong answers. Even if a new venture (like a medical school role) doesn't work out, the failures become your best learning experiences and are great to discuss in an interview.

    • Network regionally and seek mentorship: Find out who the Clinical Advisors are in your region because processes and roles differ regionally and ask them for mentorship or for details on how they entered their positions. If finding clinicians proves difficult on websites, look for programme managers within the regional offices, as they are excellent contacts who can signpost you or provide clinician contact details.

    • Be flexible and try new things: Nothing in career diversification is "set in stone". If a new role isn't what you expected, you can step down and try something else. Start by trying roles like medical school teaching or offering a session at VTS (Vocational Training Scheme), as these can be stepping stones to leadership roles.

    Further reading

    · RCGP Mentoring: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-mentoring

    · NHS Jobs: https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate

    · NICE guidelines: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance

    · NHSE regional teams: https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/regional-area-teams/


    Maria Mastrantonio is a GP of over 20 years experience, practicing in Devon with a strong coaching and educational background. She has a MSc in Clinical Education. She has previously also been a Training Programme Director and Trainer. She is currently also GP appraiser and is Clinical Advisor for NHSE South West. In addition, she is an ILM 7 level qualified coach, a LMC Devon coach and a GP Fellowship mentor.

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    We'd love to hear your valuable feedback. Please take 2 minutes to complete the form.

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    25 m
  • 19: GP+ Health Inequalities with Dr Rachel Steen

    19: GP+ Health Inequalities with Dr Rachel Steen
    Nov 21 2025
    This month, podcast host Dr Sophie Lumley interviews Dr Rachel Steen, a GP focused on health inequalities. Dr Steen discusses her work running the National Trailblazer scheme, a post-certification fellowship offering professional development and project time for GPs working in areas of deprivation. The episode covers Dr Steen's career journey, the value of leadership fellowships and professional coaching in developing her interest, and practical advice for other GPs interested in tackling health inequalities, emphasising peer support, local project involvement, and networking. Top Tips Seek opportunities that offer protected development time Fellowships and funded programmes can create the space needed to explore new interests, build skills and step into leadership roles. Rachel highlights the Trailblazer fellowship as one example and encourages interested GPs to look at what is available locally through training hubs, academic units of primary care, Primary Care Network (PCNs) or Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), as well as national programmes. Make use of coaching to clarify your direction Coaching provided a space for Rachel to reflect, challenge unhelpful assumptions and explore her personal values that guide her work e.g. fairness, integrity and inclusivity. Understanding what matters most to you can guide career decisions and help you recognise when something feels aligned or not. Build and maintain supportive networks Post-CCT, the support networks of training often fall away. Rachel recommends actively rebuilding this through joining peer groups and leadership programmes e.g. Next Generation GP leadership programme. Staying connected with colleagues can spark new ideas, provide motivation and create a sense of belonging, especially for those exploring emerging or less traditional roles. Reach out to people who inspire you Rachel emphasises that many opportunities start with a simple conversation or reaching out via email. Contacting clinicians or leaders whose work interests you can open doors to new ideas, collaborations or mentoring relationships. Don't be afraid to ask, as most people are happy to share their experiences and give you advice. Start with local projects and apply a health-equity lens Inclusion health doesn’t require formal accreditation. Rachel recommends beginning with what's happening in your own practice or PCN and considering how interventions can better reach the people who are most in need. Small, thoughtful changes can be the foundation of a meaningful and sustainable interest. Further reading GPwER in Population Health and Health Inequalities Framework: www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-extended-roles/population-health-inequalities-introduction RCGP Health equity special interest group: www.rcgp.org.uk/about/communities-groups/health-inequalities RCGP Health Inequalities Hub: elearning.rcgp.org.uk/course/view.php?id=459 RCGP Mentoring: www.rcgp.org.uk/your-career/gp-mentoring Trailblazer scheme/fellowship: www.fairhealth.org.uk/trailblazer The Faculty for Homeless and Inclusion Health: www.pathway.org.uk/the-faculty/ Next Generation GP leadership programme: https://nextgenerationgp.co.uk/ Future leaders programme: www.yorksandhumberdeanery.nhs.uk/education/future_leaders_programme Dr Rachel Steen is a GP working in Sheffield. She is National Director of the Trailblazer scheme supporting GPs working in areas of deprivation across the England. Rachel has an interest in inclusive leadership and how we support our primary care workforce working in areas of deprivation and with inclusion health groups. Rachel sits on the Health Equity Special Interest Group at the RCGP. Tell us what you thought! We'd love to hear your valuable feedback. Please take 2 minutes to complete the form.
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    30 m
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