8 Domains of Good Professional Practice

The Medical Council has defined eight domains of good professional practice. See figure 1 below.

These domains describe a framework of competencies applicable to all doctors across the continuum of professional development from formal medical education and training through to maintenance of professional competence. Since they describe the outcomes which doctors should strive to achieve, doctors should refer to these domains throughout the process of maintaining competence in line with the Standards. For example, the domains can be used to assess needs and plan maintenance of professional competence, and they can be cross-referenced with specific activities for maintenance of professional competence.

Figure 1: 8 Domains of Good Practice, based on Medical Council graphic

European Definition of General Practice

The ICGP adopted the European Definition of General Practice and figure 2 below represents the core competencies and related characteristics of general practice and family medicine.

Figure 2

The purpose of the ICGP Professional Competence Scheme is to provide support and guidance to doctors on their continuous professional development and clinical audit activities which assist them in maintaining their competence across the spectrum of the core competencies and domains of good professional practice.