GP NavigatorYour guide to general practiceby Arah
After the job offer

IMG guide to UK general practice

Help for your first placement, GP training and working in Wessex.

Start with your situation

Find the next useful action.

20 guides for all stages.

Visual tools

See how the parts fit together

Use a timeline, flow or contact map when a list of instructions is not enough.

01 · TimelineFirst 30 days

Arrival, first day, first week, first pay and first month.

02 · Connected flowHow training fits together

Placement → evidence → ESR → ARCP → CCT.

03 · Decision matrixWho should I contact?

First contact, backup and escalation trigger.

04 · Local starter mapWessex + Southampton

Inductions, patch structure, teaching and local routes.

Suggested starting points

Guides to get started

Each guide includes actions to take and links to official sources.

7 minUK-wide

Your first 30 days in the UK: an IMG doctor’s checklist

A calm, practical sequence for the documents, daily-life setup and work preparation that matter first.

6 minEngland

Starting a GP placement: what your induction should cover

The practical and safety-critical orientation to request before consulting independently.

6 minEngland

How UK general practice fits into the NHS

A map of primary care, referrals, commissioning and the boundaries between services.

8 minEngland

The NHS and GP-training glossary

Plain-English definitions for the abbreviations and phrases that appear in practices and training.

6 minUK-wide

What UK patients expect from a consultation

A practical introduction to agenda-setting, shared decisions, uncertainty and safety-netting.

5 minUK-wide

How to ask for help without feeling incompetent

Short phrases and case-presentation structures for safe, confident escalation.

Decision matrix

Who should I contact?

Start with the route most able to act. Use the backup when the first route is involved, unavailable or has not resolved the problem.

SituationLikely first contactBackup routeEscalate when
Immediate clinical uncertaintyAvailable supervising clinicianDuty doctor, on-call senior or local urgent escalation routeInterrupt now if delay could affect patient safety.
Routine placement supportClinical supervisorEducational supervisorEscalate if agreed support does not happen or the placement remains unsafe.
Portfolio or ARCP problemEducational supervisorTraining Programme Director or patch/programme teamRaise early if a deadline, missing report or progression decision may be affected.
Rota or payroll problemRota coordinator or payrollMedical staffing/lead employer and unionUse the contractual exception route where applicable; keep dated evidence.
Visa or sponsorship questionNamed sponsor or lead-employer immigration teamUKVI or a regulated immigration adviserCheck before changing employer, job, hours or starting a new role.
Poor or missing supervisionClinical or educational supervisor if safe to do soTraining Programme Director or patch teamEscalate immediately when you cannot work safely within competence.
Bullying, racism or discriminationA trusted independent route: union, Freedom to Speak Up or educational supervisorHR, TPD, ACAS or another confidential adviserRecord observable facts; seek advice without waiting to prove a legal label.
Personal wellbeingYour GP or local occupational-health/wellbeing routeNHS Practitioner Health where eligibleFor urgent mental-health support in England call 111 and select the mental-health option.
Immediate danger or emergency999 or the workplace emergency responseSite security or police as appropriateAct now; do not wait for a training or management meeting.

Never put patient-identifiable information into a personal note or this website. Use approved clinical and workplace systems.

Wessex + Southampton

Your local starter map

These are separate parts of one arrival sequence. Invitations and exact dates come from the relevant organiser.

  1. 01
    First few daysEmployer or practice induction

    Local systems, emergency routes, access, prescribing, results, referrals and supervision.

  2. 02
    First monthPatch induction

    Meet the local patch team and understand programme teaching, contacts and expectations.

  3. 03
    First two monthsIMG induction

    Two-day interactive Wessex programme for doctors new to the NHS; invitations come from the organiser.

  4. 04
    First 12 weeksWelcome to Wessex + ST1 induction

    Regional orientation alongside the local programme induction sequence.

  5. 05
    Early trainingPatient Safety First

    One-day Wessex training day forming the first part of the regional patient-safety programme.

Four Wessex patches

Southampton, New Forest and Jersey

Portsmouth and Isle of Wight

Mid Wessex: Basingstoke, Winchester and Salisbury

Dorset: East Dorset and Dorchester

All IMG guidance

Browse by topic

Choose the problem in front of you. You do not need to read these in order.

01

Start here

Arrival, first-week and first-month actions.

5 guides
7 minUK-wide

Your first 30 days in the UK: an IMG doctor’s checklist

A calm, practical sequence for the documents, daily-life setup and work preparation that matter first.

6 minEngland

Starting a GP placement: what your induction should cover

The practical and safety-critical orientation to request before consulting independently.

7 minUK-wide

Clinical supervision, educational supervision and programme support

A practical comparison of who supports today’s work, who reviews long-term progress and who can change the programme.

7 minEngland

Wessex induction and teaching: what fits where

The employer, patch, IMG, regional and patient-safety elements new Wessex GP trainees need to distinguish.

7 minEngland

Southampton, New Forest and Jersey: a new-starter orientation

How the patch fits into Wessex, where local teaching sits and which GP Navigator routes help with practical arrival.

02

UK general practice decoded

How primary care works, who does what and unfamiliar terminology.

4 guides
6 minEngland

How UK general practice fits into the NHS

A map of primary care, referrals, commissioning and the boundaries between services.

5 minEngland

Who’s who in a GP practice

Who handles clinical care, operations, navigation, prescriptions, records and training.

8 minEngland

The NHS and GP-training glossary

Plain-English definitions for the abbreviations and phrases that appear in practices and training.

9 minEngland

How work moves through a GP practice

A safety-focused map of tasks, results, prescriptions, correspondence and referrals after the consultation ends.

03

Communication and culture

Consultations, feedback, asking for help and workplace communication.

3 guides
6 minUK-wide

What UK patients expect from a consultation

A practical introduction to agenda-setting, shared decisions, uncertainty and safety-netting.

5 minUK-wide

How to ask for help without feeling incompetent

Short phrases and case-presentation structures for safe, confident escalation.

6 minUK-wide

Feedback, disagreement and indirect British communication

How to check meaning, respond to feedback and disagree respectfully without relying on stereotypes.

04

GP training

Supervisors, portfolio evidence, ARCP, examinations and educational time.

8 guides
8 minUK-wide

GP training explained for an IMG

How placements, supervision, portfolio evidence, ARCP and MRCGP assessment fit together.

7 minUK-wide

Clinical supervision, educational supervision and programme support

A practical comparison of who supports today’s work, who reviews long-term progress and who can change the programme.

9 minUK-wide

ARCP and portfolio evidence: build the picture, not a pile

How to turn everyday work into a coherent record of progression before the educational review and ARCP panel.

10 minUK-wide

WPBA in 2026: choose the right assessment for the work

A current, practical guide to COT, CAT/CbD, MiniCEX, CEPS, feedback tools and supervisor reports.

7 minEngland

Wessex induction and teaching: what fits where

The employer, patch, IMG, regional and patient-safety elements new Wessex GP trainees need to distinguish.

7 minEngland

Study leave and protected teaching in Wessex GP training

How to separate regional teaching, educational time, course approval, rota permission and reimbursement.

7 minEngland

Southampton, New Forest and Jersey: a new-starter orientation

How the patch fits into Wessex, where local teaching sits and which GP Navigator routes help with practical arrival.

13 minUK-wide

Indefinite Leave to Remain for IMG Doctors

A plain-English guide to planning a Skilled Worker settlement application, from checking qualifying dates and travel to biometrics and your eVisa.

05

Work, pay and immigration

Contracts, rotas, payslips, pensions, indemnity and sponsorship.

4 guides
7 minEngland

Understanding your rota, contract and payslip

What to compare, what to check on first pay and when to query a mismatch.

14 minUK-wide

Visa sponsorship by GP practices after training

A practical guide for IMG doctors who do not yet have ILR or British citizenship, and for GP practices considering sponsoring their first salaried GP.

7 minEngland

Study leave and protected teaching in Wessex GP training

How to separate regional teaching, educational time, course approval, rota permission and reimbursement.

13 minUK-wide

Indefinite Leave to Remain for IMG Doctors

A plain-English guide to planning a Skilled Worker settlement application, from checking qualifying dates and travel to biometrics and your eVisa.

Looking for forms, referrals or practice procedures?Return to the main GP Navigator