General practice trainees face practice ownership with fear.

Objectives. The aim of the present secondary analysis of data collected in a grounded theory study was to explore the perceptions of Registrars and new Fellows to practice ownership and management. Methods. Focus groups and interviews with Registrars and recent Fellows were undertaken to explore the desire to become an owner, facilitators and barriers to practice ownership and delivery models for practice ownership education. A secondary thematic analysis was conducted to understand emerging concepts related to perceptions of general practice ownership. Results. A surprisingly strong theme of fear was evident across focus group and interview participants. Expressed fear was specifically related to financial concerns, lack of relevant knowledge and skills and concern over balancing different roles. Moderating factors included previous life and educational experiences, as well as role modelling. Conclusions. Graduation of a cohort of new general practitioners (GPs) who express fear towards practice ownership is concerning. Creating more positive learning environments and opportunity for open discussion regarding practice management and ownership is an important step in providing adequate support for new GPs to give serious consideration to career options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]