Tees Valley GPs set to RISE

An ambitious GP retention scheme developed by primary care Clinical Leads working in Tees Valley has just recruited its second cohort of GPs.
RISE, which originally launched in June 2023, stands for Retain, Innovate, Support, Educate. Some 15 GPs joined RISE last year, and this year’s cohort is 12. The fully ICB-funded scheme has been designed for GPs looking for:
- Protected time dedicated to furthering their own work goals;
- Funding to put towards a specialist course;
- A peer support group always on hand to help.
Worryingly, some 33% of GPs plan to leave their roles over the next five years. On the search for ways to reduce that number locally, Hartlepool and Stockton Health GP Federation led a comprehensive survey of GPs working across Tees Valley. This showed that 75% of GPs wanted to work on interests beyond their clinical responsibilities, with leadership, teaching and PCN/Federation work all featuring as key potential focus areas. The survey also revealed some of the key areas where GPs felt there was scope to support retention and improve morale. These included creating more protected time for training.
Dr Kym Merritt based at Linthorpe Surgery, is one of the Clinical Leads who developed RISE. She said:
“The core objective of RISE is to give participating GPs strictly ring-fenced funding and time so that they can develop existing or new interests. This not only supports their professional development, but also enhances patient care.
“We have some incredibly talented, dedicated doctors working in primary care. RISE creates opportunities for them to fulfil their potential, and helps practices, PCNs, and Federations to retain these excellent GPs. RISE has seen GPs across Tees Valley rediscover their love for medicine and their work.
“A huge variety of courses and learning opportunities taken through RISE, from educational qualifications and the Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine, to minor surgery courses and primary care conferences. Two hugely important parts of the RISE programme are the peer support aspect and the coaching. These sessions provide GPs with opportunities to meet with their peers, share learning and feel supported in their career and job. Feedback from GPs has been extremely positive, and we look forward to working alongside the next RISE cohort.”
From research, to clinical specialities, leadership to teaching, RISE has seen GPs rediscover their love for medicine and their work. Dr Jahnavi Veeramasuneni works within Thornaby and Barwick Medical Group, and is one of last year’s recruits. Speaking about how the initiative has impacted her working life, she says:
“I would like to thank the RISE team for the help and support I’ve received over the last year. Being part of RISE is one of the best professional decisions I have made. It has given me the push I needed to purse my Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine. I have completed the BSLM diploma and am now officially Lifestyle Medicine accredited. It has certainly brought back the spark and joy I needed in my day-to-day practice.”
Irene Redolat is a GP at the Garth Surgery in Guisborough. She also enlisted as one of RISE’s first batch of recruits in 2023. She says:
“RISE has given me the opportunity to connect with other GPs and to support each other through difficult times. This has been invaluable. It has also helped me to open my mind to other ways of working and to challenge established thoughts and beliefs, initially through mentoring and more recently also through coaching on a RISE retreat I attended. Having some protected time for personal study has been helpful to support my clinical practice.
I am immensely grateful for this opportunity and my frame of mind is much more positive than it was before starting the programme, despite ongoing challenges that no doubt will continue.”
If you’d like to learn more about RISE and future opportunities for GPs, please visit www.riseteesvalley.co.uk.