Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS)

The three year training program is based on the Royal College of General Practitioners Curriculum for General Practice

The full RCGP curriculum can be viewed  by clicking "RCGP Curriculum for General Practice"

The RCGP WPBA website can be viewed by clicking "RCGP WPBA"

These are CBD, COT, DOPS, mini-CEX, MSF, PSQ and CSR

Twelve areas of professional competence extracted from the core curriculum statement ‘Being a General Practitioner’

When and how

This document includes a MSWord version of the DOPS form and an example of the Skills Log from the eportfolio, showing the facility for self-appraisal.

This is the list of the skills a GP Registrar is expected to be able to perform. These have been taken from the Curriculum

This is a copy of the form used in the e-Portfolio so that the layout can be appreciated.

DOPS is designed to provide feedback on procedural skills essential to the provision of good clinical care. The mandatory procedures chosen have been selected as sufficiently important and/or technically demanding to warrant specific assessment. Trainees will be asked to undertake observed encounters during the three years with a different observer for each encounter. Each DOPS should represent a different procedure. The registrar chooses the timing, procedure and observer.

There is a list of skills a GP Registrar is expected to be able to perform. These have been taken from the Curriculum. They can be seen by clicking here

There are 8 mandatory procedures to be covered:

• Application of simple dressings

• Breast examination

• Cervical cytology

• Female genital examination

• Male genital examination

• Prostate examination

• Rectal examination

• Testing for blood glucose

Some of these procedures may be combined e.g. prostate and rectal examinations.

There are currently 11 optional procedures which should be recorded, if undertaken:

• Aspiration of effusion

• Cauterisation

• Cryotherapy

• Curettage/shave excision

• Excision of skin lesions

• Incision and drainage of abscess

• Joint and peri-articular injections

• Hormone replacement implants of all types/any types

• Proctoscopy

• Suturing of skin wound

• Taking skin surface specimens for mycology

In addition, should the educational need arise, registrars may be requested to repeat DOPS assessment of Foundation procedural skills.

Assessors:

Experienced SpRs, staff grades, appropriate nursing staff or consultants in a secondary care setting, or the GP trainer, appropriate nurses or other GPs in a primary care setting.

Number of assessments:

One for each procedure, for at least the 6 mandatory procedures

Estimated time required:

5 - 20 minutes (5 - 15 min for assessment, 5 min for feedback)