Course organizers in general practice.

In August/September 1984 a survey of the 267 course organizers in post in England and Wales was carried out. Eighty-two per cent replied to a questionnaire asking for details about their work and personal status. All 16 regions in England and Wales completed a questionnaire about levels of staffing and remuneration of those involved in general practice postgraduate education. The results show that there are considerable variations between regions in the role and responsibilities of course organizers, in their training, and in the facilities that are provided for them. The majority of course organizers reported a workload greater than the number of sessions for which they were remunerated. The effects of these factors on recruitment, tenure of post, and job satisfaction are discussed. Recommendations are made for improving the situation, including the removal of course organizer pay from the scale of trainers' pay, so that there can be flexibility in the number of sessions which can be held, improvement in training and certain facilities, and the implementation of national and local job descriptions.