Correspondence with RCGP
Emails between myself and the RCGP, to date:
From: ronald@rmacd.com
Sent: 09/06/2025 11:23
To: info@rcgp.org.uk
Good morning,
I am informed by my deanery that it is mandatory for all GPSTs to have membership of the RCGP.
However, I cannot find this information on your website. My understanding was that this is in fact optional (though very much recommended).
Can you please point me in the direction of the policies pertaining to membership of RCGP while a GPST?
I fully intend on meeting the requirements as set out my the training programme but am not in a position to afford membership of the college.
Many thanks.
RM
From: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Sent: 18/06/2025 08:46
To: ronald@rmacd.com
Good Morning Ronald,
Thank you for getting in touch.
Can you please confirm are you looking to start GP training in the UK soon.
Further details on GP Registrar’s can be found on our website.
We look forward to hearing back from you.
Kind regards,
[redacted]
From: ronald@rmacd.com
Sent: 18/06/2025 11:19
To: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Good morning,
Yes I am starting in August.
Are you able to confirm whether membership is mandatory, or if this is only so that I have access to your portfolio platform? (Which is effectively making membership mandatory)
Best wishes,
Dr R MacDonald
From: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Sent: 18/06/2025 14:31
To: ronald@rmacd.com
Good afternoon Ronald,
Thank you for coming back to us.
Membership with the College is not mandatory. However, you will need access to the TP via the RCGP, to complete your training, receive support and for us to recommend you to the GMC on completion of your training.
There are two options available for gaining access:
Option 1: RCGP Membership - Become an GP registrar member
Having membership with the College means you have access to our journals, GP self test, discounts on exam preparation events, faculty support, online learning resources and so much more.To become an GP registrar member you will need to pay an initial registration fee of £291 and then a membership fee in April each year from April 2026. Your fee is based on your training pathway (for more information visit membership fees). You can also claim your tax back (up to 40%) from HMRC to reduce your membership fee even further.
Option 2: Portfolio access - Pay a one off fee to cover 3 years access
For TP access only there is a one off fee of £935, which gives you 3 years of access. This fee is broken down into an admin fee for the account creation, maintenance and storage of your information, plus support and guidance from the GP Specialist Applications team (they recommend you to the GMC for certification and provide support along the way with any issues, including those with your deanery) and TP access for the 3 years.
This fee is not tax deductible as the government?guidelines only allows you to claim back professional membership fees and this is not a membership. Furthermore, if you do need to extend training after the 3 years there will be an additional cost.
Overall, becoming an GP registrar with the College is financially and developmentally more beneficial and of course you can claim back part of the subscription fee on tax. You can also pay the initial registration fee in monthly installment from now until 31 March 2025 to help you spread the cost.
Please do let us which option you would like to proceed with.
Do let me know if you have any questions or I can be of further assistance.
Kind regards,
[redacted]
From: ronald@rmacd.com
Sent: 18/06/2025 14:36
To: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Good afternoon [redacted],
I am looking through the requirements on your website and it would seem that I would be able to still meet the requirements of the programme without access to TP, as long as the TP enables me to record the same information as the official portfolio.
In other words, as long as the portfolio meets your requirements, I do not necessarily have to use the portfolio platform which has been set up by the RCGP.
Are you able to please confirm whether my understanding of this is correct?
Many thanks,
Ron.
From: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Sent: 18/06/2025 14:55
To: ronald@rmacd.com
Good afternoon Ronald,
Thank you for coming back to us.
As a GP Trainee in the UK you do require access to your training portfolio through FourteenFish, this is mandatory. Please accept my apologies if there is anything on our website which is not confirming this for you.
The training platform is continually used by GP trainees and their supervisors throughout their training period.
Further details on our GP Registrar’s can be found on our website.
Do let me know if you have any questions or I can be of further assistance.
Kind regards,
[redacted]
From: ronald@rmacd.com
Sent: 18/06/2025 17:42
To: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Thanks [redacted] but I think it’s still a little unclear:
Assuming I have access to an alternative platform which provides precisely the same functionality as FourteenFish but at reduced cost, is it the position of the RCGP that this platform cannot be used? That, in effect, the RCGP forces its trainees to use FourteenFish, even where an alternative platform is able to provide the same functionality?
Many thanks,
Ron.
From: ronald@rmacd.com
Sent: 30/06/2025 19:05
To: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Good evening,
Are you able to please get back to me on the below?
Best wishes,
Ron.
From: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Sent: 01/07/2025 11:15
To: ronald@rmacd.com
Good Morning Ronald,
Thank you for coming back to us.
Just to confirm when you are a GP trainee in the UK the training portfolio is required as part of your training. The options I provided to you on one of my previous emails is what we offer to get the access for FourteenFish.
Do let me know if you have any questions or I can be of further assistance.
Kind regards,
[redacted]
From: ronald@rmacd.com
Sent: 01/07/2025 11:22
To: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Thanks [redacted],
I think we’re at cross-purposes here: I recognise that a training portfolio is part of the requirements and am certainly not disputing this.
However, I am asking whether the RCGP is forcing doctors in training to use FourteenFish specifically (which is only accessible by paying at least £800-900/year to the College), or whether another platform – which meets all the same technical requirements and does precisely the same thing as FourteenFish, but at a fraction of the cost – can be used.
Please let me know if this needs further clarification. I look forward to your reply.
Many thanks,
[redacted]
From: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Sent: 03/07/2025 08:32
To: ronald@rmacd.com
Good Morning Ronald
Thank you for coming back to us.
I have escalated your query onto our portfolio team, however can you please provide the name of the weblink and the platform you are referring to.
We look forward to hearing back from you.
Kind regards,
[redacted]
From: ronald@rmacd.com
Sent: 03/07/2025 08:44
To: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Hi [redacted],
I’m writing my own portfolio platform (OpenCPD) which will meet all of the necessary requirements; it’ll be published on OpenCPD.uk within the next couple of weeks.
Best wishes,
Ron.
From: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Sent: 03/07/2025 15:56
To: ronald@rmacd.com
Good afternoon Ronald,
Thank you for coming back to us.
After escalating your query to our portfolio team they have advised unfortunately you are unable to use your own training platform. FourteenFish is the required platform to be used as a GP trainee given the integrations to other systems and roles.
Hope this clarifies your query.
Do let me know if you have any questions or I can be of further assistance.
Kind regards,
[redacted]
From: ronald@rmacd.com
Sent: 03/07/2025 16:40
To: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Thanks [redacted],
Are you able to please put me in touch directly with those responsible for this decision.
Best wishes,
Ron.
From: ronald@rmacd.com
Sent: 04/07/2025 15:13
To: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Hi [redacted],
Further to below, are you able to advise whether this has been forwarded to those on the Portfolio Team, as I would like to follow up with them as to next steps.
I have also been in touch with my deanery about this as I would like some transparency on the matter; I do not think it is appropriate or justifiable to expect trainees to pay a large sum of money for access to a system that is required as part of their professional training.
Best wishes,
Ron.
From: membership@rcgp.org.uk
Sent: 07/07/2025 08:27
To: ronald@rmacd.com
Good Morning Ronald,
Thank you for coming back to us.
I did escalate your query to our training portfolio team at RCGP who advised you are unable to use your own training platform, however if you want further clarification on this please email them on: tp@rcgp.org.uk.
Do let me know if you have any questions or I can be of further assistance.
Kind regards,
[redacted]
From: ronald@rmacd.com
Sent: 09/07/2025 17:18
To: tp@rcgp.org.uk
Good afternoon,
I have been advised to get in touch with you regarding trainee portfolios for GPST.
Are you able to please address the queries below?
Please can you also point me in the direction of the list of requirements for the portfolio for GPST so that I can be sure these are all met despite not using 14Fish.
Best wishes,
Dr R MacDonald
From: ronald@rmacd.com
Sent: 12/07/2025 19:24
To: tp@rcgp.org.uk
Good afternoon,
I am still waiting for a reply to below.
RM
Further updates will be added here in due course.