Frequently asked questions

At the current time all of our 2020/21 funding has been utilised. If you wish to book a place on any of our courses, you will need to self fund or ask your practice to pay for you.

Courses that are accredited have gone through a formal process of approval by a university and have been awarded academic credits based upon the level and hours of study. Successful completion is based on attainment of assessment criteria relating to an examination, written assessment, competencies or a combination of these.
Non-accredited courses do not have academic credits. The actual content, delivery and learning materials are unchanged. The only difference is that if you do not require university credits, you do not have to do the written assessment part of the course. You will still have to complete any other assessment required by the course, for example true / false examination, competencies handbook or practical assessment. For more details, please see the individual course listings.
If you choose the non-accredited option you will not be registered as a student at Teesside University and the notional study hours for the course are reduced, but other than this (and the written assessment) everything else remains unchanged. On completion you will receive a Certificate from the Primary Care Training Centre.

You need to make your decision when you apply for the course. If you choose an accredited course you must understand that you are committing yourself to completing this course and cannot change your mind whilst on the course to do the non-accredited version. You will be registered as a student at Teesside University and there is an expectation that you will complete the course of study. The Training Centre will offer any support you need to fulfill this.
Similarly, if you register for the non-accredited course you cannot switch to the accredited version once the course has started.

The online pack content and exam is the same for all 3 options.

Online only: Fully independent study with no access to tutor-led sessions (this is reflected in the lower cost of the course). This is a good option for students who prefer self-directed study and who do not require academic credits. By passing the exam students demonstrate that they have achieved specific learning outcomes and gain a certificate for a CPD certified course.

Blended: Self-directed study but additional support is provided with tutor-led sessions. This is a good option for students who do not require academic credits. By passing the exam students demonstrate that they have achieved specific learning outcomes and gain a certificate for a CPD certified course.

Accredited: Self-directed study with additional support provided by tutor-led sessions. Students are registered at Teesside University and in addition to the exam, submit a case study at the end of the module.

This is a good option for students who require academic credits. Diabetes and Cardiovascular modules are assessed at level 5 (diploma level). Respiratory and Women’s Health are assessed at level 6 (degree level).

Some students do not require academic credits (for example they already have a diploma or degree) but choose this option because they benefit from the further reading and research involved in writing the case study. Students who pass the assignment demonstrate achievement of additional learning outcomes.

Accredited students have told us that they consider the benefit of accredited courses as gaining more knowledge and a deeper understanding of the subject.

Clinical competencies

It is important to note that the module can’t determine what students are qualified to ‘do’ in clinical practice. The aim of the course is to enable practitioners to further develop the necessary knowledge and skills, but it does not assess clinical competencies, and we are therefore unable to advise on the specific aspects of practice students are able to undertake in their place of work. That is something that needs to be agreed with the employer, and as registered practitioners are aware, they are accountable for their own practice and must ensure they are competent. We recommend that students work with a mentor to put knowledge into clinical practice and demonstrate clinical competencies.

When you apply for a University Accredited Course, the PCTC must follow the University process before you will be awarded your certificate.

After you have completed your course exam/case study/competencies you will be given an UNRATIFIED mark for your work. Your mark will then go to a University Assessment Board – these are held in October, February and June – where your result will be RATIFIED. Once Ratified you will either be awarded your Certificate or, should you not be successful, offered a chance to resit the exam or resubmit your written work – this is called a REFER.

If you are offered a Refer, you will then be given a date by which you will need to resit or resubmit your work (approximately four weeks after the ratified results are released). Again, this mark will be your UNRATIFIED result and it is only after this second result has been through an Assessment Board that you will finally receive your Ratified result and Certificate.

As part of standard University procedures, please be aware that this process can be lengthy.

Workshop days are held at the Primary Care Training Centre in West Yorkshire. We can deliver any of our courses anywhere in the United Kingdom or Ireland at no extra charge, subject only to minimum numbers. Please contact us for more details.

We offer distance learning courses in the following topics:

• Cardiovascular Disease Management
• Diabetes Management
• Respiratory Disease Management (includes Asthma and COPD)
• Women’s Health Management
• Minor Illness & Injuries
• Primary Health Care Assistant

These training courses last for six months (nine months for Primary HCA) and are accredited by the University of Teesside. We also offer a range of short courses and study days, aimed at students who wish to update or expand their knowledge. These last from one to four days, depending on the topic. Some study days are available with optional accreditation. Please check the courses on this website for more details.

Yes! You can find a prospectus to download and print in our Resources section, or on our Home page.

Your fee includes all learning materials, mentor support from our tutors and your university registration fee where appropriate. If you are attending workshop days at the Training Centre in Bradford, refreshments and a buffet lunch are also included. Those students on one of our University-accredited distance learning courses may also attend a free, optional revision day during their course, in addition to the compulsory workshop days.

We can cater for special dietary requirements, provided you let us know in advance.

We recognise that there may be occasions during the course of your studies where you are unable to effectively complete your assessmeny, or where your performance has been affected.

This document provides guidance on the University’s Extenuating Circumstances process, and what you should take into consideration when submitting an Extenuating Circumstances Application Form (‘Application Form’).

For clarity, Extenuating Circumstances are defined in the University Regulations as: “Unforeseen and unpreventable circumstances outside the control of the student, which have significantly affected performance and/or attendance in a summative assessment and could not have been remedied in the time available”.

It is important that, where possible, you notify us in advance of any circumstances that you anticipate may affect your performance in your assessment. Therefore, it is important that you first speak to a member of our team as soon as you can.

You can contact the Training Centre at any time during your course. Our contact details can be found on this website. Just click “Contact Us”. If necessary, we will arrange for a tutor to call you back, at a time to suit you.

You can access your results once they are available on Teesside University’s intranet and e-Vision websites. For details on how to do this, please go to our Resources section and open the pdf file “Accessing your results and feedback”. You must read your feedback before you contact the Training Centre to discuss your results. You can get to the Teesside intranet login screen by clicking the Teesside logo at the bottom of this page.

With the exception of our accredited courses, all the prices on this website include VAT at the prevailing rate. Currently this is 20%. Your practice or CCG may be able to reclaim the VAT on your course.  Following a recent test case, accredited courses are VAT exempt.

All our courses are written and delivered in English, and will require certain standards of literacy and numeracy. If you are in any doubt at all, we recommend that you attempt our literacy and numeracy self-assessments. You can find these in Resources on this website.

In order to use the pack, you will need a computer with internet access. It will work on any browser. Once you have accessed the pack for the first time, you will be able to download a copy and access it offline using a Kindle device or Kindle app. You can also print off sections yourself if required. Remember, though, that the online version will always be the most up to date and you should check your dashboard regularly as it is there that we will notify you of changes and updates.

Your course fee includes access to the electronic pack for the duratione of your course. After this, you may pay a small subscription fee (currently £30 per annum, discounts will apply for multiple subscriptions) to keep accessing the pack and receiving updates. Alternatively, you can download the pack to your Kindle device or Kindle app, or print a copy, though of course these will not get updated with new developments.

For courses completed within the last three years we can supply a duplicate certificate. There is a charge of £30 for this. For courses completed longer than three years ago, will will not be able to issue copies of certificates.

As a Collaborative Partner of Teesside University, we follow University policy in this area, which means that PCTC embraces diversity and actively opposes prejudice and is committed to communicating openly, honestly and respectfully at all times.

You can find the full “All Different, All Equal” vision at the following web address:
https://www.tees.ac.uk/sections/studentsupport/different_equal.cfm

You can find a document stating our policies in the resources section of our website, under PCTC Policies, and displayed in the Reception area at Crow Trees.