While the United Kingdom may have gone further in this regard than most countries, the need for formal CPD schemes for medical professionals as a way of ensuring fitness to practice is recognised in many countries, and warrants consideration in the context of Swedish GPs. Training and CPD for GPs should encompass the skills set required to provide and co-ordinate care, including palliative care, for older people and for those with complex conditions and mental health problems. Sweden’s well-developed and highly skilled primary care sector has played a key role in these trends.