The BMA’s Sessional GP Subcommittee have just published their latest Newsletter online. Topics include an interview with Vicky Weeks, Chairman of the Sessional GPs subcommittee, Sessional GP Representation working group and Prescribing numbers.
January 22, 2010
PCT bureaucracy threatens GP locum superannuation
We have a new survey for our members. As if it’s not already complicated enough, paying your superannuation contributions might be getting harder. We’ve been getting some reports from members recently that their local PCT has been told from up high to strictly apply the 10 week LocumA form rule:
“You cannot apply to your PCT/LHB for Scheme membership for any GMS / PMS / APMS period of locum GP work that ended more than 10 weeks before the date they receive the application.”
and the 7 day LocumB form rule:
“You must complete and send a monthly form GP Locum B to your host PCT / LHB within 7 days of the end of the calendar month. For example, you should complete a July 2009 form to show all the NHS locum pay you receive from GP Practices between 1st and 31st July 2009, regardless of when the work was done, and send it to your host PCT / LHB”
Why is this such a problem? Firstly, some employing practices (with PCTs being the worst culprits) can take weeks and weeks to pay their locums and complete Form A, thus locums receive their cheques after the Locum A 10-week rule. If one then sends the Form A in late, often with other Form A’s that are within their date, the entire cheque/payment is returned and thus further jeapordising the rest of that month’s contribution.
Secondly, our Form B’s and corresponding cheque have to arrive at the PCT by the 7th of every month. PCTs bless ‘em can ONLY accept a cheque. This means that we can’t go on holiday from the 1st to the 7th on any given month. Or be ill, or be away on a course or visit granny or live in a country that celebrates religious/national festivals that last more than a day and don’t fall midweek.
The NHS superannuation people have as usual been very supportive, but unfortunately it’s the Department of Health who are in charge of the rules. As it’s the BMA who are responsible for negotiating with the Dept of Health, we’ve asked them for their advice. So far, apparently, this has not been flagged up as a problem by any BMA members, so therefore we’re conducting a short survey to find out just how widespread the problem is. Once we’ve got some more information we’ll present this to the BMA who would then like to “work closely with the NASGP” to help resolve this issue. We’d be most grateful if you could spend a minute completing the survey, and the more replies we get the more we’ll be able to do to resolve this issue.
January 15, 2010
Ubani wake up call to enfranchise GP locums fully into NHS
The inquest into the very sad death of Mr David Gray after being injected by a lethal dose of diamorphine by a GP locum has now begun. It’s widely envisaged that the 10 day inquest will focus on the fact that the locum, Dr Daniel Ubani, was not used to working in the UK, having only travelled from Germany the day before, had been trained outside the EU, and English was not his first language.
But there are elements to this case that will resonate with many UK trained and resident locums. With anything up to 15,000 GPs working as locums in the UK at any one time, working often in excess of 30 different surgeries a year, in several different PCTs using any one of around 9 different IT systems, often isolated from other GPs and poor or absent methods of locum induction, Britain’s locum GPs should congratulate themselves for this not happening more often.
Although fortunately such tragedies as this are highly unusual, it’s safe to say that underperformance – or perhaps better described as enforced underperformance – is an all too common situation faced by GP locums. Even our profession’s own Royal College’s consultation document recognises that locum GPs will find periodic revalidation more difficult than a conventional GP. This isn’t for want of trying – GP locums are on the whole a very enthusiastic group of highly qualified professionals. It’s root, however, is institutionalisation. The number of GP locums has soared, yet absolutely no investment has been made to support locums whilst in practice (there are some locum support organisations, but practically all are run voluntarily), to develop systems that would fully enfranchise such GPs into the systems and processes of the NHS (for example, GP locums are still excluded from receiving essential prescribing information otherwise easily accessable by any other GP) or to teach GPs in training how to work in so many different practices.
GP locums are desperate to be released from the shackles of NHS institutionalisation, and have spent years campaigning for our main representative bodies to ensure we’re able to practise in a safe and effective way, yet the response to this has been painfully slow. The Age of GPs working in positions of enforced underperformance needs to be assigned to the history books, and measures that emancipate locums to work as safely and effectively need the profession’s most urgent attention. To this end, the NASGP has nailed its flag to the mast in terms of its Core Competencies consultation, and now waits for the profession to see sense and adopt changes to create a level playing for all GPs – and their patients – in NHS primary care.
January 11, 2010
Londonwide LMCs surveying Sessional GPs
Londonwide Local Medical Committees are reviewing their representation of GPs in London. We’ve been asked to disseminate the survey to as many salaried and locum GPs who work in the London area as possible, and you can access this survey here – and there’s even a chance to win £25 of Amazon giftvouchers. Closing date is Friday 29 January 2010.
January 8, 2010
NHS Revalidation Support Team focusing on support for locum GPs
Kerry Ball from the NHS Revalidation Support Team (RST) has asked for the NASGP’s help in completing a survey aimed at locum GPs:
Most organisations have systems developed; locum doctors not attached to these organisations may find this process challenging. In the UK there are over 15,000 locums, the locum doctor is an essential role to the NHS. The RST want to support and develop systems which will aid this process for locum doctors. The aim of this survey is to explore your initial thoughts to the current proposals..
To complete this survey please click here.
