New employment arrangements for trainee GPs in Wales

The way trainee GPs in Wales are employed will be simplified as part of wider plans to encourage more doctors to work in general practice, Health and Social Services Minister Mark Drakeford today announced.

Under the changes, trainee GPs will be employed centrally by the Welsh NHS rather than by individual practices.

Doctors training to be GPs complete two years in postgraduate medical foundation training and then start a GP specialty training programme for at least three years, with 18 months being spent in GP training practices.

Until now, when doctors have undertaken placements in GP practices they have been employed by the individual GP surgeries, which has sometimes meant that doctors can change employers a number of times during their training.

For some people this has caused difficulties resolving issues which have arisen as a result of changing of employers – in some cases it has resulted in problems securing financial services, including mortgages because of the lack of a single employer during training.

In April 2014, a new pilot was agreed, which saw NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership (NWSSP) acting as the lead employer for all GP trainees for the duration of their GP specialty training.

Feedback suggests that as well as providing a more positive training experience, employment practices and processes have been streamlined and individual issues are being dealt with more quickly and with greater consistency as a result of professional HR services underpinning the new arrangement.

Professor Drakeford said:

“I want Wales to be the best possible place for doctors to train and work. I also want to do everything I can to attract more trainee doctors into general practice.

“I am therefore very pleased to announce these changes to employment arrangements, which will see the Welsh NHS become the central employer for trainee GPs in Wales. These changes will be implemented in full as soon as possible.

“It was important to test this approach to ensure it would be a positive change for trainees. The pilot has received significant support from the British Medical Association, the Wales Deanery, GPC Wales and trainees.”

Dr Charlotte Jones, chair of GPC Wales, said:

“GPC Wales welcomes this development, which will benefit both GPs in training and GP practices. GP speciality trainees will be able to access expert HR advice and support throughout their training in Wales and by having just one employer during this training period, it should make it easier to obtain mortgages and access other benefits such as childcare vouchers.

“For training practices, the expertise and guidance available for HR and other processes will be invaluable in ensuring they are providing the correct advice to specialty trainees and/or trainers. We also hope that this development will attract additional GP specialty trainees to come and train in Wales.”

Dr Phil Matthews, sub Dean and head of the GP training school in the Wales Deanery said:

“We are delighted at the success of the GP specialty training lead employer project to date. The Wales Deanery has worked closely on this project with many stakeholders and partner organisations including NWSSP, health boards, the Welsh Government and the BMA to modernise the employment arrangements for GP specialty trainees in Wales.

“The expansion of the excellent, new employment support service provided by NWSSP, to include doctors in their third year of GP training and beyond will ensure all GP specialty trainees in Wales enjoy improved contractual arrangements and a consistent single source of advice for any queries relating to their terms and conditions of service.

“We are sure existing GP specialty trainees and future, potential applicants to GP specialty training in Wales will continue to view the clear benefits of this new arrangement very positively.”