General practitioner registrars' opinions of general practice training in ophthalmology: a questionnaire survey in the northern region

Approximately 6% of general practitioners have worked in ophthalmology but to our knowledge the relevance of this training has not previously been evaluated.We sent an anonymous questionnaire to all doctors who had held general practitioner registrar (vocational training) posts in ophthalmology in the Northern Region during a 5-year period (1989-1994).Twenty-six of 48 (54%) questionnaires were returned. Twenty-five of 26 respondents (96%) thought the training was useful, with 22 (91.7%) continuing to use some ophthalmic practical skills and 17 (65.4%) said they had received adequate and relevant clinical exposure. Twenty-one (87.5%) of those in general practice felt that they were more confident with eye problems than their peers and 12 (50%) said their referral patterns differed. Eleven (46%) had provided advice for colleagues. However, 9 (34.6%) commented on the large service commitment and 5 (19%) felt that supervision had been inadequate. Only 9 (34.6%) had received relevant teaching and 18 (69%) thought more was necessary.We conclude that general practitioner registrar posts in ophthalmology are useful and rewarding but that there is scope for improvement.