🐠 Getting Started with FourteenFish

   

If you’re just starting GP training, one of the first things you’ll come across is FourteenFish - your portfolio for tracking progress and demonstrating competence. At first, FourteenFish can feel very overwhelming.

This article is your big-picture guide - we'll explain how it all fits together, and what actually matters. Don’t get too bogged down on the specifics of each section here, this is your starting point. We’ll dive into each section in more depth later - for now, focus on getting a feel for how the portfolio works and how it all fits together. 

Feel free to open up FourteenFish and login on another screen so you can orientate yourself whilst we take you through the various sections.    

    

🎯 What is FourteenFish?

FourteenFish is where GP registrars demonstrate progress through training. It's your portfolioto demonstrate what you've learnt throughout the year, and that you've reached the competencies required to progress to the next year of training.

Inside fourteenfish, navigate to the 'Portfolio' tab in the top navigation bar - this is where all your learning, development and reviews live. And that’s where we will focus this article. If you've done F1 & F2, it's very similar to Horus, but adapted for GP training. 

     

📘 Getting Familiar with FourteenFish - Main Sections of the Portfolio

     

📝 1. Learning Logs

This is where you’ll log your day-to-day learning. The most common entry type is the Clinical Case Review (CCR) - a structured reflection on a case/patient you’ve seen or a clinical encounter you’ve had.

Other important learning logs include:

• Learning Event Analyses (LEAs) – 1 required annually, for learning events or significant events
• Supporting Documentation/CPD – for reflecting on other learning e.g. courses, certificates, teaching feedback, BLS, safeguarding learning etc.
• Quality Improvement Activity – involvement in quality improvement (QIA/QIP) should be demonstrated each year.

👉 You’ll spend a lot of time working on learning logs, especially CCRs.

We’ll break down everything you need to know about CCRs in a separate article.

      

🧠 2. ESR Preparation - Capabilities & CEGs

This section helps you prepare for your Educational Supervisor Review (ESR) - a formal review that happens at the end of each year (with an interim ESR mid-year). You'll have 1 at the end of ST1, ST2 and finally ST3.

The most important elements of your ESR prep include demonstrating:

• Capabilities – 13 important skills as a GP (e.g. Clinical Management, Communication Skills, Medical Complexity). 
• Clinical Experience Groups (CEGs) – 9 patient groups you need to show experience in (e.g. older adults, mental health, children).

Every time you do a learning log or assessment you'll link it to 1 or 2 capabilities and a clinical experience group.

After linking your evidence (e.g. CCR) to a capability, one of the white dots will turn green/grey. 

🟢 As you upload more and more evidence to your portfolio and map it to a relevant capability & CEG, each of those white dots will turn green.

By the end of the year and in time for your ESR, you should have mapped evidence to all capabilities and CEGs so that all the dots are green - this demonstrates competence in that clinical capability (e.g. Communication skills) or experience in that CEG (e.g. Mental health)

• Here you’ll also find space for your Personal Development Plans (PDPs) and Action Plans – reviewed during your ESR
  • 💡 Tip: When writing your PDPs, try to make them SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
    • This makes it easier for you to actually follow through on them and demonstrate to your ES that you’ve achieved them.
  • 💡💡 Top Tip: Kill two birds with one stone. For example..
    • If you’re planning a QIP on something like public health, write a PDP around it too - e.g. “Contribute to the improvement of population health and reduce health inequalities within my ICB.”
    • If you're behind on CEPS, set a PDP like: “Develop my competence and confidence in clinical examination skills, including intimate examinations such as speculum examinations and DRE.”

         

📄 3. Educational Assessments

Alongside learning logs, you’ll complete structured assessments throughout your training. You must complete a mandatory number of these each year. The main types are:

• CBDs (Case-Based Discussions) – Reflective discussions about real patients
• CATs (Care Assessment Tools) – Observed workplace assessments in GP
• COTs & Audio-COTs – Assessments of real-consultations in GP
• Mini-CEXs – Hospital-based observed interactions

For more detail, have a look at our more in-depth reviews of the most important assessments.

Also here:

• CEPS – Clinical Examination and Procedural Skills.
• QIP – Quality Improvement Project upload
• Prescribing – ST3 only
• CSR (Clinical Supervisor Review) – feedback from your placement supervisor

You’ll be dipping into this section throughout each placement and year. Make sure you hit the mandatory numbers for each. 

              

🧪 4. Clinical Examination & Procedural Skills (CEPS)

There’s a full list of mandatory and optional CEPS. These can be signed off at any time in training - just make sure you get all 6 essentials done before CCT.

The mandatory examinations include:

• Prostate examination
• Rectal examination
• Female Genital - bimanual 
• Female Genital - speculum
• Breast examination
• Male genital examination 

The RCGP also specifies that you should demonstrate engagement with the non-mandatory CEPS throughout your training. 

       

📥 5. Compliance Passport

A place to upload your tick-box admin, but essential for passing your ARCP. 

• Form R – must be completed and uploaded before ARCP
• Basic Life Support (BLS) – needs to be updated every year. Make sure your certificate covers both adults and children, and includes AED. If it’s not stated clearly on the certificate, it can cause issues at ARCP.
• Safeguarding Training – you’re expected to have completed both Adult and Child Safeguarding from the start of training. Each training year, the RCGP expects:
  • A knowledge update for both
  • At least one piece of reflective, participatory evidence for both adults and children (e.g. case discussion, safeguarding meeting, or webinar)

      

🧭  6. Time out of training

Make sure you accurately record time out of training here (TOOT). This can be cross referenced to your ESR, so don’t forget to include any sick leave, parental leave, unpaid leave (compassionate) or other (e.g. BMA Strikes). 

            

✅ 7. Right-Hand Column

This sidebar includes:

• Training Map – a bird’s eye view of progress across your placements
• Exam Booking – e.g. AKT, SCA
• MSF (Multi-Source Feedback) – invite colleagues to give you feedback here - mandatory every year
• PDP / Action Plan shortcuts
  
• Educator Notes – where your supervisors may leave comments

       

🧭 Wrapping Up..

Your portfolio can feel overwhelming at first - but once you’ve explored the layout and logged a few cases, it starts to make sense.

You don’t need to master everything straight away. Focus on the core areas below and build gradually as you go.

Here’s what we suggest you focus on in your first few months:

✅ Get your meetings booked in - e.g. placement planning meeting

✅ Get comfortable with Clinical Case Reviews 

✅ Start logging CBDs and mini-CEXs in hospital, or COTs in GP

✅ Remember to map your logs to capabilities and CEGs properly

✅ Complete your mandatory training (e.g. safeguarding) early and upload it to your compliance passport.

        

---

🧠 Top Tips 

• Take note of the minimum number of CCRs, CEX/COTs and CBDs. Try not to fall too far behind, or they’ll quickly pile up.
• Quality > quantity – don’t write pages and pages. Focus on meaningful reflection and what you’ve learnt (or what you still need to learn).
• Be opportunistic. Get relevant CEPS ticked off while you can. On Obs & Gynae? Get your bimanual and speculum CEPS signed off.
• Book your BLS course early. Whether it’s through your hospital, VTS, or GP practice - don’t leave it until the last minute.
• Don’t stress if it feels like a lot right now - check out the rest of our FourteenFish survival guides, and you’ll have it figured out in no time!