Portfolio Careers and Flexible Working for GPs
Page Contents
Introduction
If you are thinking about your career and what you want from your current role, or if you are thinking about exploring new opportunities and making some changes, the information and resources on this may be useful to you.
There are schemes to help GPs carve out a career pathway tailored to their individual aspirations. The GP Career Support Hub has been created on FutureNHS Collaboration Platform – FutureNHS Collaboration Platform to help doctors understand what options are available to them at different stages in their career – from newly qualified doctors to those approaching the end of their career. It provides information, guidance and support on career development, learning, mentoring, appraisals, career options/flexibility, wellbeing, pay and pensions to enable GPs to realise fulfilling, rewarding and challenging careers in general practice.
BMA
Portfolio careers – the ‘new normal’? (Article)
Career change and portfolio careers (Webinar)
Portfolio careers and clinical entrepreneurship (Webinar)
Do also look at the BMA website for any live events BMA learning and development
Career Progression – useful knowledge about finding the right role, working abroad, training and best practice
RCGP
Your Career as A GP focuses on opportunities associated with a career in general practice
GP with Extended Roles (GPwER) guidance for GPs considering a role outside the core general practice, including those formerly referred to as a GP with Specialist Interest (GPwSIs)
The RCGP are supporting the British Association of Dermatologists to provide an Accreditation Programme for Dermatology GPwERs.
NHS England
NHS England — South East » Looking After You coaching offer free career coaching aimed at primary care.
The GP Medical Appraiser Role including the Appraiser Frequently Asked Questions page has useful information to consider
Other
Several GPs, in addition to their clinical general practice and Primary Care Network (PCN) roles, have engaged in part-time roles with their Local Training Hub or Local Medical Committees. This brings the opportunity to share a wealth of knowledge and experience.
Fellowship posts are intended to meet current and future primary care workforce needs, supported locally by Training Hubs within their Integrated Care Systems (ICSs.) Every practice and PCN will have access to Training Hub resources and guidance.
Find your local Training Hub: Bath, Swindon & Wiltshire / Dorset / HIOW / Frimley
Post-CCT Fellowships GP fellowships | NHS England | Workforce, training and education These are innovative posts available for GPs in their first 5 years after qualification. Federations and GP Practices can apply for funding for GP roles that come under one of five broad categories of fellowship:
- System leadership – Supporting emerging GP leaders within the local healthcare system
- Health equity – Using the fellowship programme to reduce health inequalities
- Clinical – Helping GPs to develop a clinical special interest e.g. dermatology, frailty, palliative care
- Academic – Supporting early academic careers
- Educational – Stimulating early career GP educators through involvement with undergraduate or postgraduate education
Jobs
Both full-time and part-time NHS GP vacancies are advertised on NHS Jobs and also Wessex LMCs Jobs with links to your local LMC job vacancies pages.
Flexible Working
Flexible Working is a mutually agreed working arrangement which gives a level of choice and flexibility
Guidance from NHS Employers Flexible working says “as part of the NHS People Plan, the NHS People Promise sets out a series of commitments, one of which is we work flexibly, which states: We do not have to sacrifice our family, our friends, or our interests for work”.
This ambition is to give people greater choice over their working patterns, helping them to achieve a better work-life balance. To ensure the NHS remains an employer of choice and can attract talent in a competitive job market, more action is needed to increase the uptake of flexible working.
An NHSE document Flexible working: raising the standards for the NHS, published in 2022, gives a vast variety of options to consider. Employees have a statutory right to request Flexible Working from their first day in a job. Employees who have not made a Flexible Working Request in the previous 12 months, can legally ask their employer to consider whether they could work more flexibly.
The practice must consider the request, but they do not have to agree to it if it is not feasible for the business. If the practice does agree to the changes, these form a permanent contractual change for the employee.
This guide to making flexible working requests may be helpful in following the due process.