Virtual Primary Care will provide UK medical schools with access to 150 professionally produced videos of a diverse range of ‘real life’ primary care consultations recorded in Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol and London. This innovative, community-based learning and teaching resource will be adapted to the needs of individual medical schools. Every consultation will be tagged for clinical and educational content and will be accompanied by an educational guide with associated learning points, references and suggested student activities.
Since the emergence of Covid-19, medical schools have responded rapidly to maintain high standards in medical education and training. Part of this effort has involved consulting with the NHS to learn how best to support patients while the pandemic is ongoing. As GP practices deliver more online consultations during the pandemic, Virtual Primary Care will provide vital support to medical students training in a changed primary care environment. Intended very much to complement but not replace authentic GP placements, Virtual Primary Care will provide timely support for medical schools facing new challenges in delivering medical education and training as a result of the pandemic.
The resource will be hosted by the Medical Schools Council and made available to medical schools in September 2020.