Evaluating the impact on practice of a west of Berkshire protected learning time initiative in primary care

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN IN THIS AREA * Research indicates that Protected Learning Time (PLT) events in primary care enable professionals to network and share ideas. * A variety of educational techniques have been shown to improve performance of: individual practitioners in other settings. * Beyond one-off examples, there is little published evidence that PLT helps to improve practice. WHAT THIS WORK ADDS * It describes a range of ways in which PLT has impacted on practice at the level of the individual, the team and the wider organisation. * It highlights the main benefits of large event PLT according to participants at a Berkshire initiative. The benefits include increased awareness of services, increased understanding of illnesses and improved treatment. SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH * Do large PLT events have different outcomes from practice-based PLT? * How does PLT impact on the development of a learning culture? * How can large; learning events best meet the needs of different groups of professionals? * What impact, if any, does the closure of surgeries for PLT have on use of out-of-hours services or subsequent workload?