There are ten General Practices in Lochaber and the Fort William town practices are the largest providing care for over 14,000 patients. 
The three Fort William practices, Glen Mor,Tweeddale,and Craig Nevis are approved training practices for general practice Trainees.
Foundation Year (FY) doctors spend 4 months of their second year FY2 in general practice. Glen Mor , Tweeddale and Craig Nevis Surgeries all have FY2 placements. This has been a great success leading to better understanding of difficulties between primary and secondary care.
All the above three practices are part of the Fort William GP Training Programme. The Specialist Trainees spend 6 months of their first year in GP practice posts (ST1). The following 18 months is in the Belford or Oban Hospitals. The final 12 months is in the GP practices (ST3). The feedback so far from the trainees has been very positive.They value the very broad and hands on experience gained in these semi rural posts. Also they have protected learning time and regular ST group half day meetings facilitated by the GP trainers.
Medical research is encouraged in all the practices. We are proud to have had many publications in the leading peer review journals from the Lochaber GPs.
Medical students from a wide variety of Universities, such as Aberdeen, Dundee, London, and Germany come to Lochaber practices for their electives/ undergraduate education. They all appear to enjoy the relaxed learning atmosphere with many returning to work in the area either the Belford Hospital or as Specialist Trainee GPs. Glen Mor and Tweeedale Surgery have students from Aberdeen University on a seven week placement. Also Glen Mor Surgery has students from Dundee University usually on a four week placement.
Some of our more peripheral practices are situated in breathtaking locations with spectacular post card views from their surgeries and the envy of our urban colleagues. These are Arisaig, Acharacle, Ballachulish, Fort Augustus ,Isle of Eigg, Kinlochleven, Lochaline and Mallaig.
