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Latest News
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28.01.06 |
Funding for FCS being phased out
The Department of Health are phasing out funding for
the FCS and Returners scheme, with less than the full funding going to
SHAs this year and with SHAs having to take on full responsibility next
year
[more...]
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10.9.03
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Flexible Careers Scheme (FCS) GPs can now perform
locum work!
- Initially the Flexible Careers Scheme limited GPs
on the scheme limited GPs to working 260 sessions a year within
their one practice, which unfortunately defeated one of the scheme's
objectives of increasing GP manpower within the NHS.
- But after the Department of Health met some of our
members at this year's NASGP National Conference it rethought its
strategy and has decided to let GPs on the FCS perform superannuable
locum work (NHS locum work as opposed to locum agency work, and
out-of-hours work with the New Contract after April 1st 2004) in
addition to their normal FCS sessions. For obvious reasons the
expectation will be that, if you do locum work, you'll already be
doing 40% to 50% of your sessions on the scheme.
- For more details call their hotline on 0845 6060345
- Read our correspondence from the Department of
Health about the new extension to the scheme
- From Debbie Mellor, Head of NHS Employment
Policy Branch [PDF]
- From Colin Reid, Secretary of State for Health
[PDF]
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On 29 November 2002 a new scheme was launched for GPs which
seeks to increase the number of flexible and part time posts within general
practice. It gives GPs even greater choices about how and when they work and
enables them to strike the right balance between their work and home lives.
Together with other measures to improve GPs working lives, including access to
high quality, affordable childcare, the Flexible Careers Scheme can enable GPs
to work in ways that best suit their individual circumstances.
The scheme is open to GPs regardless of age, but is aimed at
GPs who:
- want to work less than 50% of full time
- want to work in a more flexible way
- wish to take time out, while maintaining their skills and
keeping in touch with the profession
- are semi-retired or nearing retirement who want to continue
working but at a different pace
- have fully retired and want to return, perhaps working at a
different pace
The scheme:
- Enables GPs to work less than half time and also to
organise their hours flexibly over the course of a year e.g. to fit in with
school holidays for example
- Does not require the GP to undertake any out of hours work
unless he/she wishes to do so
- Pays the GP an annual contribution (currently £1,050)
towards his/her professional expenses
- Promotes fair employment rights
- Lasts for a period of up to 3 years (or 4 years for GPs
joining the scheme prior to 1 January 2004)
- Identifies from the very start a re-entry strategy
- Assigns each doctor a clinical and educational supervisor,
whom the doctor meets regularly
- Contains an educational CPD element
- Offers access to the NHS pension scheme
- Reimburses the employer a proportion of the cost of
employing the FCS GP
Posts under the Flexible Careers Scheme are of employed doctor
status only. Self-employed practitioners entering the scheme will not retain
their self-employed status.
If you would like further information, or wish to apply for a
place on the Flexible Careers Scheme, please call 0845 6060345.
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