Maternity rights for Salaried GPs

• a salaried GP working full-time or part-time will be entitled to paid and unpaid maternity leave if she has 12 months of continuous service with one or more NHS employers at the beginning of the eleventh week before the expected week of childbirth
• the amount of contractual maternity pay receivable is as follows:
  • for the first eight weeks of absence, the employee will receive full pay, less any Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance receivable
  • for the next 14 weeks, the employee will receive half of full pay plus any Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance receivable providing the total amount does not exceed full pay
  • for the next four weeks, the employee will receive the standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance.
  • with prior arrangement of the employer the entitlement may spread differently across the maternity leave
• employees will also be entitled to 26 weeks of unpaid leave.

For the purposes of calculating whether a salaried GP meets the 12 months of continuous service qualification, the following breaks in service are disregarded (though does not count as service):

• a break in service of three months or less
• employment as a GP locum for a period not exceeding 12 months
• absence due to maternity leave (paid or unpaid).

Further details on this are set out in the Whitley Council Handbook, section 6, part C.

 

Help with childcare costs

From April 2005, in some areas of England, employers can offer employees childcare vouchers in place of salary, up to £50 per week (per parent. The vouchers can be used to pay registered providers of childcare so that you don’t have to pay tax or NI on the part of your salary turned into vouchers. You will save £816 per year if you elect to take £50 per week and are a standard rate tax payer. If you are a higher rate tax payer you could save £1,066 per year.  If your partner also gets vouchers this figure potentially doubles.

As a first off, do a search on the Dept of Health Childcare Co-ordinators Database and ask them what's on offer in your area.

Thanks to the London Deanery for their advice