Salaried GP
Page updated October 2016
Contracts for salaried GPs
The BMA model contract is now a requirement in GMS and PMS practices. They are required to offer terms and conditions which are not less favourable.
Key points of the model contract include
• Full time is 37.5 hours per week (this is specially important when calculating your years of pensionable service)
• 1 session of CPD per week pro rata
• above paid working time to include time at practice meetings, early or late on call duties and out of hours shifts where these are worked
• LMC levy to paid by employer
• previous NHS and GP service recognised for purposes of maternity and sick pay
• maternity and sick pay in accordance with Whitely Council terms.
The regional Northumbria Tyne and Wear LMC supports the model salaried contract and has agreed to support non-principals experiencing difficulties obtaining the new terms of employment.
GMS Practices Extract and Link
GMS regulation
15.4. Terms and conditions 15.4.1. The Contractor shall only offer employment to a general medical practitioner on terms and conditions which are no less favourable than those contained in the “Model terms and conditions of service for a salaried general practitioner employed by a GMS practice” published by the British Medical Association and the NHS Confederation as item 1.2 of the supplementary documents to the new GMS contract 2003 (this document is available on the NHS Employers website
PMS Practices Extract and LInk
PMS
NHS England Standard Personal Medical Services Agreement 2015/16
20.17 The Contractor shall only offer employment to a medical practitioner who is to be appointed as a salaried general practitioner on terms and conditions which are no less favourable than those contained in the "Model terms and conditions of service for a salaried general practitioner employed by a GMS practice" published by the British Medical Association and the NHS Confederation as item 1..2 of the supplementary documents to the new GMS contract 2003 (this document is available on the Department of Health's website at www.doh.gov.uk/gmscontract/supportingdocs.htm, or a copy may be Classification: Official 64 obtained by Writing to the NHS Confederation, 1 Warwick Row, London SW1E 5ER).
Looking at a Salaried Vacancy?
Questions an applicant may wish to know about a salaried vacancy
1) Workload and Admin support for clinicians
a) What is the routine workload?
b) How do on call arrangements operate? Are they pro-rata? How many clinical sessions are there in the practice? E.g. if 40 sessions then a Dr Working 4 sessions would not expect to do more than 1:10 on call. On average over the year.
c) Are notes summarised and what systems are in place to update coded summaries when correspondence arrives (do staff add to summaries on records or doctors?)
d) How is post distributed?
e) Do doctors or staff do Choose and Book?
f) Do doctors have to do medical reports or do admin compile these?
2) Employment terms, attitude to salaried versus partner, attitude to part-timers
a) Use the model salaried contract including CPD? (this is now a requirement by PMS practices as well as GMS practices)
b) Is the post a temporary post or permanent post?
c) Is there a probationary period or fixed term to be renewed? IF so why?
d) Has the practice supported the development of special interests within or outside the practice?
e) What the practice attitude towards working in excess of contracted hours? Is there an assumption that a salaried Dr will work the same workload and length of day as a partner?
f) Will the salaried doctor be in a set room? Will the Dr have to move premises?
g) Are salaries reviewed and uplifted annually to reflect DDRB and experience/seniority
h) Does the practice fund any courses for the doctor?
3) Work life balance
a) Do GPs all do surgeries at the same time or is there some flexibility for surgery start times?
b) How are holiday arrangements organised? Are there lots of doctors with school aged kids and how is this managed, is it perceived to be fair?
c) How does the practice accommodate school events (Christmas plays, parent’s evenings etc.?)
4) Retention record
a) How did the vacancies arise/ what’s the turnover? Why did they leave?
5) Culture
a) How many clinical sessions are provided by each of the partners? What special interests do the
b) Partners have within the practice?
c) Does the practice have any teaching or training role? What is the experience (or year of qualifying) of the partners (age spread)?
d) What is the nature and length of practice meetings which the salaried doctor would be attending?
e) Do doctors meet daily for coffee?
f) Is there in house education ?
g) Have there been any innovations successfully introduced to help manage workload ?
h) How is change managed ?
Job planning
Essential guidance for any new employed GP -
on how to ensure your post meets your personal aspirations and the practices expectations. Guidance by GPC/BMA. (CLICK on title)