General (internal) medicine

Physicians working within this specialty have a continuing responsibility for hospital inpatients who are not being cared for in the acute medicine unit. Although hospitals try to admit patients to the appropriate specialist ward soon after their admission, this cannot always be achieved, whether due to the illness not fitting specific criteria, or because of the size of the hospital.

Specialists in general internal medicine (GIM) care for a wide variety of patients. They may be suffering from any of a number of common disorders, may have multiple conditions or complex needs, or may represent a diagnostic conundrum. It is the GIM specialist's responsibility to coordinate these patients' continuing care.

As with acute medicine, specialists in this field collaborate with doctors from all other medical specialties, as well as other medical professionals such as nurses and therapists. At training level, general internal medicine can be combined with another medical specialty in order to gain dual accreditation.

Related RCP publications

• Chronic spinal cord injury: management of patients in acute hospital settings (2008)
• Acute medical care: the right person, in the right place – first time (2007)
• Alcohol - can the NHS afford it? Recommendations for a coherent alcohol strategy for hospitals (2001)

Map of Medicine

The RCP has been working with Map of Medicine since 2008 to produce web-based knowledge support tools. There are 300 evidence-based clinical care maps covering all major areas of healthcare; including care maps for specific specialties.

Specialty training

For information about specialty training in general (internal) medicine, go to the Joint Royal Colleges of Physicians Postgraduate Training Board (JRCPTB) website.