GP TechLead

 The BMA’s Push for a 20% Pay Rise for Salaried GPs: What Does It Mean? The British Medical Association (BMA) recently proposed a 20% pay rise for salaried GPs starting next year. This bold request reflects growing concerns about the recruitment and retention of GPs, as well as the increasing pressures on primary care. But how realistic is this proposal, and how much funding is the government likely to provide to support it?

The Type 2 NHS Pension Scheme Self-Assessment Form is a critical document for salaried GPs, solo practitioners, and locum providers to accurately report their earnings and contributions to the NHS pension scheme. The 2022-2023 form deadline is upcoming, so I thought a guide might be useful for those struggling to complete it.

The ever-evolving landscape of primary care finds itself at a crossroads when it comes to the role of Physician Associates (PAs). While some hail them as indispensable allies in tackling the physician shortage and improving access to care, others express concerns about potential compromises to quality and the dilution of the doctor-patient relationship. Examining both sides of this debate reveals a complex picture, demanding nuanced solutions rather than simplistic pronouncements.

Beneath the apparent calm of the UK's National Health Service, a low rumble of discontent vibrates between two pillars of primary care: general practitioners (GPs) and the wave of new roles funded by the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). While both share the noble goal of serving patients, they find themselves on opposing sides of an evolving landscape, where questions of territory, training, and the very definition of "good care" spark ongoing skirmishes.

The global sum for GP practices in England has been increased from £102.28 to £104.73 per patient, in order to finance a 6% staff uplift. This is roughly a 2.4% increase. Negotiations between the Department of Health and Social Care and the British Medical Association (BMA) concluded last week, and the BMA's GP Committee said they had done so 'satisfactorily'. The global sum is a fixed amount of money that GP practices receive per patient registered with them. It makes up the majority of a practice's income, and is used to fund all aspects of primary care, including staff costs, premises, and equipment.

Has the season of strikes ended? In the news, many professions have now ceased their strike action. Teachers have now accepted a 6.5% pay deal meaning they will not strike anymore. Nurses, paramedics and 999 call handlers accepted a 5% pay increase as well as a one off payment to end the strikes. The nurses were actually in favour of continuing to strike but the turn out for their ballot was too low to legally allow more striking. Firefighters didn't strike but they accepted a 7% backdated pay increase and 5% pay increase this year. 

Been busy with life so not posted for a while, so much has happened in the world since I last posted. Putin has gone true megalomaniac and invaded Ukraine, and if reports are true, they are doing a valiant job holding him back. Things were already very expensive prior to the war due to Covid but with sanctions flying from the western nations to Russia, it has made things like petrol very expensive. Certain foods are also set to rise, with the bulk of sunflower oil and wheat coming from these two countries, things like bread and livestock which need as feed, will become more expensive. Drivers have already noticed, with petrol prices through the roof, I'm sure we're a few weeks away from 200p / litre. Rishi Sunak tried to stem this tide with his announcement today, increasing the NI limit and taking 5p off fuel duty. Covid seems like a long lost friend...

I don't read the Daily Mail regularly but occasionally I get sent a interesting news articles by friends and colleagues. This time, I got sent the annual GP bashing article as the annual pay report is released, titled Rise of the £100k GPs . The actual financial report is published here . 

I briefly mentioned the proposed 1% pay rise for NHS workers in the maternity pay post but now the government has actually come out that there will be a 3% rise for NHS workers  in England. This will include consultants, dentists, nurses, paramedics and salaried GPs. This will not include doctors in training or GP partners however. This is actually more than I thought it would be, but for some, they want more. Consultants are being balloted to see if strike action is warranted as they didn't get the 5% they were looking for. Nurses will get roughly £1000 extra annually on average but they wanted 12.5% (which would be £4000 extra) and may strike as well. Other union NHS staff may also stage a strike if they don't get the pay rise they want.  Seems a bit ungrateful this sign A lot of their arguments are that it's still a below inflation pay rise (which is predicted to go reach near  4% this year ) and wont make up for the years of below inflation or non-existent pay rise...

Details have come out about a new fellowship scheme which will be available to all newly qualified GPs (and nurses) working in Primary Care. It will be offered to all newly qualified GPs in a fellowship scheme which will provide at least 1 hour of mentor-ship every 4 weeks and at least 6 sessions of coaching over the 2 years. Locums cannot apply, it is aimed for salaried GPs though partners can apply. It is also offered to nurses interested in primary care but I will not cover that here. You would sign up to a 2 year scheme   and participants receive funded mentor-ship and funded CPD opportunities of one session per week (pro rata), and rotational placements within or across PCNs to develop experience and support transition into the workforce. To allow this to happen, the NHS will pay £10,200 to the practice to release their GP fellow out for a session a week for their CPD and also mentor-ship. Over the 2 years, it will form a sort of curriculum which I assume will mak...

When GP's qualify, they have a possible decision to make. Do I try find a salaried post or do I locum (work ad hoc)? Nowadays with Covid19, a lot of GP work has shriveled up and there is a shortage of locum and salaried jobs, with news that some have had to go on benefits ... however in this discussion I'll be assuming a pre-covid time when locum jobs were abundant and there was a shortage of GPs. I'll be mainly looking at these roles from a financial stand point in a GP surgery, there are numerous other pros and cons to these roles which are outside the scope of just the money however.