North Devon Vocational Training Scheme
Welcome to North Devon - the perfect place to combine the very best in training with a lifestyle that is simply second to none.
North Devon is a wonderful location in which to train to be a General Practitioner. We are lucky to have fantastic GP training practices in a wide variety of locations; from surgeries in the centres of Barnstaple and Bideford, to the North Devon coastal towns of Lynton and Ilfracombe, to practices on the edges of Exmoor at Dulverton and South Molton and towards the west we have practices in Holsworthy as well as Bude. We aim to give trainees as much choice of location in their ST3 year as possible and all our training practices come highly recommended; the North Devon GP training scheme scored the highest in the Peninsula region (which was the top region) for trainee satisfaction in the GMC survey in 2016.
Our hospital posts at North Devon Hospital Trust in Barnstaple provide a really good range of specialties which include the core rotations such as Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, ED, Pyschiatry and Care of the Elderly, but also more innovative posts including MAU combined with rheumatology or ophthalmology and a chance to combine a GP placement with experience in Dermatology.
The North Devon Hospital Trust is a small and friendly trust and likewise the GP training scheme is relatively small, with just 12 posts offered a year, which makes for a uniquely supportive and friendly scheme.
For those who like to get out and about there is a wealth of available outdoor activities; numerous beautiful beaches, spectacular walks on Exmoor, great golf courses, epic cycling and watersports, great cricket, tennis, rugby and football clubs and of course some of the best surfing in the country.
Arts, theatre and live music are available at the Queen's Theatre in Barnstaple, the Landmark Theatre at Ilfracombe and the Plough Arts Centre in Torrington. Local arts festivals and literary events are widespread throughout the region and the year.
Tiverton Parkway railway station, which approximately a 45 minutes drive from Barnstaple, has excellent national train services. ( 2 hours to London Paddington and direct services to Bristol, Birmingham and the North East).
North Devon is a beautiful location to undertake your GP training with a heady mix of a small market town, beautiful villages and both coastal areas and moorland to explore. Barnstaple, the main town is located 55 miles north-west of Exeter and 95 miles south-west of Bristol. Placements in primary and secondary care are spread across a relatively large rural area and, being predominantly rural, there is a rudimentary public transport system. A valid driving license is therefore highly recommended in order to commute between placements and explore the local area.