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THE NON-PRINCIPAL

Number 5; Autumn 1998

The Newsletter of the National Association of Non-Principals

The next six months will see some big changes in general practice: superannuation is very likely to come on-line for self-employed non-principals; the BMA will publish a thoroughly new set of suggestions for the pay of all non-principals; shadow PCGs will "go live" with the opportunity for non-principals to be fully onboard. And non-principals will be holding their first own national conference in October. The National Health Services' Principal Medical Officer, the person overseeing clinical governance, Dr Philip Leech, will open this conference.

The significance of this should not be underestimated - all doctors, no matter what their speciality or chosen career path, will have to become responsible and accountable for their own professional development. And, like our new-found involvement with PCGs or their local equivalent, this means non-principals being accountable and responsible too.

But don't look upon this as a threat. Clinical governance is the ideal opportunity to begin the process of enfranchisement - the inclusion of all non-principals in the processes and structures of the New NHS. If we don't do this now, the chance for unity and equality within our profession will be lost. Now is the time to act, to affiliate ourselves as individuals with local practices and non-principal groups, and take on our new responsibilities for clinical governance.

Locum scheduling -
there must be a better way

One of the frequent complaints voiced by practices, is the difficulty they have in finding a locum and a common frustration shared by non-principals is the difficulty in booking sessions. How many of us have returned home, in the evening or after a holiday, to face a mass of messages on the answer-phone from a multitude of different practices? And then trying to call the practices back during the odd break in surgery the next day, only to find that the same messages had been left on 20 other locums' answer-phones. Rather than there being continuity of cover, practices and locums end up with providing a patchy service for their patients.

The answer could therefore be a free scheduling service for locums and practices to rapidly match availability to need, without affecting the independent status of either party.

Such a scheduling service would have to be continually updated, allowing for the locums to be booked directly and on their own terms. It would also have to allow the non-principals concerned full control over who had access to their availability, for example only allowing certain authorised practices to view their details.

At its simplest level, an individual locum would be available to post, phone or fax their list of available sessions to the centralised scheduling service. A practice manager would then contact the service with a list of dates needed to be covered, asking either for their "pet locums" by name, or asking the bureau to find the most suitable cover.

At its most complex, the locum would create an electronic availability schedule using specially provided software, upload it to the central database ready for practice managers to search on-line, again either for specific locums or preferable cover. Once found, the locums would be booked on-line with notification being created by the system simultaneously, such as email, post, fax or bleep.

The benefits for the locum would be the ability to book sessions 24hrs a day, every day of the year, from however many practices the locum chooses, without all the current disadvantages of having to use an answer-phone. For the practice, this will mean immediate authorised access to locums' diaries, allowing for improved and more continuous cover.

The NASGP has already started negotiations for a regional project to cover 10 Health Authorities and the response so far has been extremely favourable. However, of utmost importance to the NASGP is that any such system will only be tenable if the individual locum maintains full control over the scheduling arrangements. We are particularly keen to hear from any of our members who may have any suggestions or concerns regarding this project.

Free workshops in SWT

Julia Oxenbury, GP Tutor in West Surrey, South Thames (West), is running some half-day educational workshops for non-principals at Frimley Park Hospital. These will be non-threatening small group workshops, for a maximum of 40, which will be free. It will be open to all non-principals in the region, and the first is planned for the 10th October. Julia can be contacted on 01252 874 196.

New NASGP council

Nominations for the new NASGP council yielded 7 candidates and thus an election was not necessary.

The successful candidates were: Richard Fieldhouse, Peter Harvey, Tina Ambury, Tony Downes, Tara Watson, David Eastham and Anita Goraya. An eighth place already exists for a representative from the RCGP.

The next council meeting will be on November 14th and 15th.

Norfolk NPs propose CME scheme to HA

Norfolk non-principals are getting increasingly involved in educational issues. We have proposed the following scheme to our HA:

• Non-principals join one of five groups, based on geographical location or preference.
• Each group has one or two co-ordinators.
• Individual groups agree a programme of topics for discussion, tutorials etc. All programmes are circulated to NPs from all groups.
• Group members meet for two hours, ten times a year; members of all groups are free to attend any meeting.
• Topics for the meeting can range from case history discussion to more formalised tutorial teaching from other/outside resources. Resources, such as non-principals who may have particular knowledge or expertise, or other clinicians, would be sought.
• The non-principal would earn a voucher for every five meetings attended. This could be used against the cost of a seminar or course etc. A maximum of 3 vouchers per non-principal, per year is proposed.

The whole point of this scheme is to reward education with more education, not money. It also caters for different learning styles and lets non-principals decide what they want to learn and how. The criteria for non-principal education proposed by the SCOPME report are addressed. The value of vouchers and the amounts of money that may be available are not yet known.

Dominique Hubble

The Newsletter of the National Association of Non-Principals

NASGP National Conference

There is still time to apply to come to NASGP's inaugural conference, although there are only a limited number of places left. We already have enough delegates to state confidently that the Conference will be the biggest gathering of NPs in the country - ever. All NASGP council members will be there, together with a good number of local non-principal group secretaries and co-ordinators, delegates and speakers from all the important GP bodies including the RCGP and BMA, together with the NHSE, SCOPME, LMCs and Universities. Above all, there are a great many grass-root non-principals from all over the UK coming. We are going to run all twelve workshops that appeared on the application form, some twice and over half are PGEA accredited. "Computing and internet for NPs" workshop is going to be fantastic! Many regions and HAs have indicated that they will pay the fees for a number of delegates local to them, so do ask. Doctor magazine will be providing extensive coverage throughout.

Don't forget there is a free crèche and babysitting, including children's meals, and special deals for accompanying partners - who are also welcome at the Conference dinner. We have excellent rates for people wanting to stay on Friday or Sunday, and also have special prices for those not needing accommodation, or wanting to come as a day-delegate on the Saturday only.

The conference takes place on the 24th and 25th of October in Norwich. If you haven't got a form, write to the usual address.... but be quick, you might be disappointed!

PCGs - nothing to loose and everything to gain

PCGs - they just won't go away! Whereas principals quite understandably view PCGs with considerable apprehension and scepticism, NPs really have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Most readers should be at least vaguely aware that PCGs will be groupings of adjacent practices of approximately 100,000 patients (although there will be great variations), who will take on decisions on allocating and providing Health care resources tailored to their locality. The amount of responsibility and control that they exert will depend on the "level" they choose, but the expectation is for greater control as the next few years pass. PCGs will be committees of Health Authorities and principals' incomes are still GMS-determined and will not be influenced by the PCG budget. Or so the official line goes - many principals are worried that they might be responsible for budget defecits and have their prescribing freedom curtailed. They are also worried that Board members might be personally liable for any failings of the PCG, and that there simply isn't enough financial support for all the administrative time and effort required.

The National Health Service Executive (NHSE) continually produce Health Service Circulars (HSCs), and HSC 139 of this year is of major importance to NPs. It states clearly and unambiguously that the intention is for NPs to be involved with the running and decision making process of PCGs. The next important deadline is the election of boards to PCGs and up to 7 GPs may decide to comprise the board, along with non and para medical people. Whilst it will probably be unusual for a NP to have the expertise to stand as a board member, we think that it is vital that NPs participate in the elections.

We suspect that many shadow PCGs haven't even thought about NPs let alone have a plan about how they might be involved. How does a self-employed non-principal fit in? Is it the PCG where he/she lives, it where he/she mainly works, or is it simply a free choice? Some shadow PCGs have written to local NP groups already, but as far as we know, this is not widespread. We think that the most important reason for NPs to get involved is because of Clinical Governance. We all are too aware of the disadvantages of not being able to participate in PGEA, and many NPs still don't get important mailings and up to date clinical and prescribing information. It looks as if PCGs will be responsible for engaging in Clinical Governance, and thus will be the vehicle for continuing professional education which replaces PGEA.

We suggest that NP groups or individual NPs write to their Health Authority or LMC or local shadow PCG director, to ask what their plans are for involving NPs, now that it is official NHSE policy for NPs to be involved. We must resist the oft-heard notion that PCGs will simply be hiring and firing agencies for NPs. We are entitled to a voice; let's make sure that it is heard.

Leicestershire NPG

Leicestershire's non-principal group is developing and growing. We meet monthly at a local curry house (who I forgot to remind this month and ended up serving behind the bar myself). We started out purely socially to chat about practices - how to be a locum, rates of pay etc. We now have a member sitting on the LMC, have got the postgraduate department typing and distributing our minutes, have 3 delegates going to the NASGP annual conference and BNFs at our next meeting - I hope.

There's still a long way to go, but we are communicating with the GP postgraduate tutor. I'm hoping for a successor as I take over as captain of my local sports club soon...any offers? See you at the conference.

Philippa Harrisson

Swansea NPG

The group began in April 98 and we now have around 40 members. Our launch meeting, held in July, was a success - 24 attended and have formed an enthusiastic group, with doctors at different stages of their career. All are completing a detailed questionnaire, so that educational/support needs can be prioritised. We meet again in September for an introduction to self-directed learning and to view the postgraduate facilities and library. Our health authority is very supportive and indeed was instrumental in developing the group. I have been given office space, secretarial help and postage via the HA postal system. I discuss the progress of the group with our primary care adviser at regular intervals.

We have a non-principal representative on the LMC, who will attend her first meeting in the autumn. Local initiatives for non-principals include involving local practices in the training of non-principals in areas in which they need updating/refreshing, e.g. joint injections, chronic disease management, gynaecology examinations etc. as well as opportunities for training in IT, help with CV completion, interviewing skills, etc. We are hoping to set up a website for practices to advertise locum & partnership vacancies and for non-principals to advertise their availability.

Looking forward to the conference in Oct!

Jane Harrison

The Newsletter of the National Association of Non-Principals

Letters

"Do support groups have to be affiliated to the NASGP?"

Dear Editor

Excellent newsletter again with lots of things for us to follow up. A couple of comments and questions only.

Does our group (South West London Locum Group) have to go through any process of affiliation and affirmation of the principals of the NASGP? I am trying to direct us towards being a more generally supportive group for all non-principals rather than just a work exchange for locums. We are currently listed as the group for this area but have not been very active so far.

Does anyone have advice how to get representation on the LMC, which has obviously been achieved by some non-principals elsewhere?

Thanks again for the good work you do,

Eva Kalmus

We do not ask non-principal groups or their members to formally affiliate themselves to the NASGP - we can currently see no need for this at present. We certainly support your direction of becoming a more supportive group rather than one specifically for locums, and suggest that a simple name change will help towards this end. Of course, there is no reason why locums within the group couldn't continue to operate a locum exchange. As for LMC representation, perhaps the best advice at this stage is write to your LMC asking if they can co-opt one or two representatives from your group. Though you would have no statutory right to vote, it's a start.

The "Non-Principal" makes me feel less isolated

Dear Editor,

I am writing to say something about the Non-Principal newsletters, which I read every time with great interest. It really does make me feel less isolated as a locum. I am really impressed with the effort you are all putting in on our behalves and with the newsletter itself, so please keep up the good work. If we can get something sorted out about PGEA and superannuation that will be a great step forward for everyone in NASGP. Congratulations!

Liz Archer, West Sussex.

Independant GPs?

Dear Editor,

Following reading the NASGP yellow handbook and the request for suggestions for a new name for non-principals. My preferred choice is "independent general practitioner". I hope this is of some help in the battle against the negativity of non-principals.

D Blackburn, Lincolnshire

It's a step in the right direction - unfortunately it rather excludes those of us who work as 'employed' non-principals, who of course are not independant. How about 'associate GP'?

Non-principals can become GP tutors

Dear Editor,

There is, as far as I know, no general rule that only GP principals can apply to become GP tutors. Indeed I think there are a number of instances around the country where that is not the case and certainly we have considered applications from non-principals in the Oxford Deanery. In the inside of "The Non-Principal" Bitty makes it clear that she is referring to the West Midlands, but on the front it appears as rather a sweeping statement which is perhaps misleading.

Dr John Toby RCGP, Chairman of council

Dear Editor,

In her guest editorial Bitty Muller states that non-principals cannot be appointed as GP Tutors. I would be interested in the authority for this statement. GP Tutors are paid for from MADEL and not GMS and can come from anywhere. They don't even have to be doctors. My Tutor for non-principals is in fact a non-principal but we interviewed a number of principals for the post. We also recently considered a non-principal for a standard District Tutor post.

Tony Mathie DPGPE; Mersey

Dear Editor,

I can confirm that at the time of my appointment to my post of Educational Facilitator for Non-Principals in the West Midlands region it was only possible for Principals to be appointed to GP Tutor posts. I erroneously assumed this was a national criterion, but it seems to have been a local rule. My post was given the long and complicated title of Educational Facilitator to allow Non-Principals to apply. I am reliably informed that shortly after my appointment to this post the "local rules" were changed and it became possible for Non-Principals to be appointed to GP Tutor posts. Indeed, the new tutor at Heartlands Hospital in East Birmingham is Dr Geraldine O'Gara, an assistant in a local practice. I apologise if my editorial gave incorrect information about the national criteria for appointing GP tutors.

Bitty Muller, Educational Facilitator for Non-Principals, West Midlands

Do I need to collect PGEA certificates?

Dear Editor,

I am currently working as a locum GP after completing my VTS in May 1997. I then worked as an assistant until January 1998. Do I need to collect certificates, points etc? I have attended various postgraduate meetings but, as I don't have a GP number, I haven't received any points - Catch 22! I hope you can clarify this situation for me.

Annie Borrill, Scunthorpe

There certainly is no harm in collecting the certificates. Depending on your Health Authority or Board, if you become a principal at any stage in the next 6 to 12 months, you may be able to "cash in" PGEA certificates obtained within this time period, for an allowance which is worth around £2,600 for 30 hours worth of PGEA certificates. Apart from this, as a non-principal, they are not quite so much fun to own - but this doesn't make them altogether useless. I used to let my son use them to make pirate hats, but latterly I have collected them to use in an educational portfolio as part of a personal learning plan (PLP) and to show future employers.

Abolition of PGEA will unite GPs

Dear Editor,

I must congratulate the NASGP on the professional way you have moved forward over the last couple of years. I enjoyed your recent Newsletter and your conference should be a great success.

I strongly agree that non-principals should have equal rights to educational appointments. In South West Thames we are now saying applicants should be working actively in general practice rather than having to be a principal. A new Associate Dean has just been appointed, Dr Frank Smith, who is a non-principal. When my appointment comes to an end I would like to see a non-principal as my replacement.

I would advise any non-principal wanting to become a GP tutor or similar to become actively involved in education so they have a good CV.

I do not like the division between non-principals and principals in education. We all have different educational needs that should be met by individual learning portfolios, and I hope the abolition of PGEA may bring us all closer together.

Dr Anne Hastie, Adviser for Non-Principal GPs, South Thames West

The Newsletter of the National Association of Non-Principals

Frequenty asked questions

We are always keen to hear from our members and are often asked similar questions. We put a few of them here:

Why aren't non-principals entitled to a postgraduate allowance (PGEA)?

GP principals are entitled to claim up to £2,600 for attending up to 30 hours worth of approved educational activity from their Health Authority or Board, every year. However, this isn't "extra" money - it is income that the GP has already earned, but since 1990 has had to go to additional lengths to claim back from his or her "employer" - the HA/HB. Arguably, non-principals can make their own PGEA at home. Simply write to all your employing practices telling them to withhold 5% of your income until you can show them that you have attended 30 hours of approved educational sessions per year (on second thoughts, perhaps don't - Ed).

Surely we should have some form of financial assistance for education?

This would be nice. The arguments that we have been using are two-fold. Firstly, non-principals do not enjoy the same access to, and provision of, continuing medical education. That is, decent educational events that are of use to non-principals are both few and far between and expensive to attend. Secondly, they are particularly expensive to attend because non-principals earn relatively less than other GPs. The logical conclusion to this is to provide more postgraduate education and for the suggested BMA rates for non-principals' income to increase. Some providers of education, such as Highland, get round this by applying a vastly reduced fee (often as little as 10%) to NPs.

What about paid holiday and study leave?

If you are an employed non-principal (assistant or retainer), you should negotiate with your employer to incorporate this in to your contract. However, if you are a self-employed non-principal (locum), you are not entitled to holiday or sick pay. Technically, because locums employ themselves (practices "engage" the services of a locum - they don't "employ" them), they are responsible for their own holidays, sickness cover etc. The fees charged by a locum thus have to incorporate holiday and illness pay and this is where illness and accident insurance are really needed.

But GP principals are self-employed - how come they get holiday pay?

Well, arguably, principals don't get paid - they take regular "drawings" from the pooled practice income. It's just a better way of spreading 46 weeks pay over 52 and there's technically no reason why any self-employed person couldn't do the same. Mind you, it's probably more hassle than it's worth.

The NASGP was founded in January 1997 to address and meet the needs of GP non-principals.

With an ever-increasing network of non-principal groups, we aim to provide support and representation at both a local and national level.

To help us achieve these aims and objectives, we ask all GPs to support this voluntary organisation by joining the NASGP using the application form on this web site.

Please help us to help you.

• To achieve independant national representation for allnon-principals.
• To achieve equivalent status for non-principals to that of GP principals.
• To promote and support the identification of non-pricipals

• Represent all GP Non-Principals who are eligible to work in NHS General Practice and who perform any NHS Non-principal GP work. GP registrars and GP principals will be welcome as associate members.
• Commission and co-ordinate research into the welfare of non-principals.
• Promote the recognition of and remuneration for continuing medical education.
• Promote the recognition of our work experience in terms of seniority and parity.
• Publish guidelines for a Code of Good Practice for non-principals and employers.
• Publish and distribute a handbook to contain all relevant information for non-principals.
• Provide help for local non-principals by promoting and supporting local non-principal groups to provide a setting for relief of social and professional isolation.
• Disseminate information relevant to all non-principals via the Non-Principal Newsletter.
• Reassess and negotiate guidelines for pay. Obtain equal pension rights for non-principals to that of GP principals.
• Host an annual conference.

The Newsletter of the National Association of Non-Principals

I recently had two experiences that made me understand why non-principals can sometimes get a bad name.

The first soon dawned on me during a week of holiday cover for a practice I've worked for quite a bit. My holiday and the principal's clashed and I couldn't cover both weeks. This meant I followed another locum who had worked the same days. The practice is a joy to work for; one of those small, old fashioned, friendly ones with one and a half partners. The staff are helpful, the patients suffer real illnesses and I always get paid promptly.

I was saddened therefore to realise that I was seeing review patients. By the second day, it was becoming embarrassing - nearly every patient I saw had been asked to return in a week's time by my fellow locum from the week before. The patient who had been started on anti-depressants and asked to come back - yes, you've guessed it - in a week, really took the biscuit.

This behaviour unnerved me so much that at the end of the week I checked the people I'd seen to see how many I'd asked to come back. Reassuringly, there were few and those had clinical reasons for doing so, rather than to cover my back.

Whilst musing over this bad image the following Monday I got a desperate phone call from another practice. Their booked locum had failed to turn up - could I help out? They'd pay "anything". I was only able to do part of the week due to prior commitments, but was at least able to cover the beginning (and busiest part) of the week.

Why do they do it? How can we effectively counter accusations of lack of commitment from Principals when there are those in our ranks who behave in such a way? Or had this just been a bad couple of weeks?

The NASGP Code of Good Practice strives to decrease the chances of what I describe happening, for only by non-principals acting in a professional manner can we hope to convince sceptical colleagues that we are not free-loaders.

What do you think?

A non-principal

Book review

GP Tomorrow
Jamie Harrison, Tim Zwanenberg
Radcliffe Medical Press 1998
204pp, £17.50, 1 8577 5203 1

It would be difficult to make such an important, exciting subject seem boring, but I'm afraid that to some extent, this book achieves just that.

Part of the problem is layout. It starts well with a stirring Foreword by Sir Donald Irvine, Chairman of the GMC, evoking the new dawn that approaches for general practice. Now I'm not a purist - I quite enjoy books that I can dip into - a GP's time is at a premium. But, "How to use this book" chapters bug me. We are provided with three "pathways" through the book - funnily enough, I took the one marked 'Doctor'.

The reader must wade through several chapters of facts, before finding anything both interesting and relevant. Granted, this book is not just aimed at GPs, but also patients and, perhaps even more importantly, GPs of the future. Even those describing innovative present-day projects such as Career Start in County Durham and the academic training scheme in London, got bogged down in detail and lost some of their appeal.

The book draws mainly on contributors who participated in a two day conference on how the GPs of tomorrow should be trained and nurtured, in October 1997 in Durham. The authors are obviously more used to writing academic papers for esteemed peer review journals. Some vivid imagery is used - I particularly like the parachuting GPs in the North West, free-falling to the rescue, stethoscope in hand.

The book's redemption comes in its final part about the future. This is the part Non Principals must read. It offers no easy solution to recruitment or retention problems, nor does it solve flagging morale. What it does, is honestly appraise the present system and conclude that it isn't working. Its clarion call for more flexible working patterns and promotion of quality issues deserves to be heard. GP principals should definitely buy it! I'm glad I didn't. Why not drop hints that the practices you work for should get it for the practice library? Then you can borrow it.

Tina Ambury

Norfolk non-principals join REED groups

Three local non-principals have been invited to sit on the local Research Education Effectiveness and Development (REED) group. The current issue being considered is that of clinical governance and how to help PCGs implement it. There is another REED group set up at regional level with members from the whole of East Anglia, including a Norfolk non-principal, which will meet soon to discuss educational issues for GPs.

Non-principal groups

All it needs to start up a non-principal group is for one individual to act as a co-ordinator. Collect a small list of names and think of somewhere to meet up - perhaps a pub, bar, local postgraduate education centre or restaurant. And just take things from there. As you'll see on the back page, we produce a list of all our contacts. If you'd like to be added to this list, write to us at the usual address.

The Medical Directory

Many non-principals feel isolated and a large part of this problem is the difficulty in actually identifying the existence of non-principals. In order to offset this problem, the NASGP is in the process of distributing the contact addresses of 1,000 of our members to Health Authorities, LMCs and Directors of Postgraduate Education. After a suggestion from one of our members, the NASGP has looked in to the issue of the professional data requested by The Medical Directory. All doctors currently receive an annual request to update their information. However, the GP section is specific to principals, requests only details of partnerships and asks not to include "locum or acting appointments". Mr Gordon Wilson, Publisher of the Medical Directory, said " Historically, only the data concerning GP principals was collected, as any other GP was considered to be in that post temporarily. We are now beginning to realise what an important group non-principals are, and intend to emend the way we request data to include non-principals. We would be more than happy to receive this information for future inclusion in The Medical Directory and also in our newly launched product 'The General Practices Database CD-ROM 1998' which was published this month."

The Newsletter of the National Association of Non-Principals

Dontcha just hate it when that happens?

NP groups are all about NPs organising themselves - for support, for education - even for protection. Sometimes this has positive spin-offs for Practices and Health Authorities, for which you'd think they'd be grateful, right?

Wrong. Like many other group leaders, Satu Weiland (co-ordinator of the South London locum group), has put a lot of effort in over the last year, resulting in an accurate list of available locums, to which the Health Authority and practices in the area can have access. Rather than saying "thank you for all your hard work", one practice has had the gall to ask if she can personally guarantee each locum on the list.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't the GMC, BMA, RCGP etc. (ad infinitum), stress that employing practices have a responsibility to check that a prospective locum is actually qualified/certified to do the job? Are they now trying to off-load that responsibility onto some other poor sap?

Needless to say, NASGP advice to Satu and any other group co-ordinator who might find themselves in the same position is - don't touch this with a barge pole! Not only would you be laying yourself open to possible litigation if said locum fails to meet accreditation criteria (and let's face it, if the GMC can know someone is practising as a bogus doctor for three years, without being able to do anything about it, what chance have we?), your goodwill is being abused.

This story isn't all bad. Satu tells me that her Health Authority are very pro-NP and are actively looking into the provision of CME for locums. Too bad they can't pass this enlightened attitude on to their constituent GP practices!

Swansea NPG

Non-principal
educational facilitators

The NASGP is aware of a growing band of GP tutors and other educational facilitators who are keen to help local non-principals.

These GPs have an educational interest or background, and may have some form of budget or contractual remit for this purpose, or simply seeing the education of non-principals as a logical extension of their current job description.

This is different from our working definition of current non-principal group co-ordinators, as these tend to be actively working non-principals with no such other formal educational remit.

We have compiled the following list, and would like to add to this in further editions of the Newsletter. Please let us know if you or a colleague would like to be added to this list.

Some of your comments when rejoining (or not!)

Congratulations on the success of the NASGP - your hard work is appreciated and good luck in future ventures.

A Roe, Warwickshire

I am very impressed with your good work and wish you continued success. I am retaining your contact address should I return to general practice.

Anne Donnelly, Derry

250% increase in subscription rates? (500% actually, Ed) Still no access to NHS pension scheme. Still no PGEA. Not much sign of progress to me…

(Name and address supplied), Exeter

After 10 years as a locum I have become a half-time principal. I wish you all the best in providing a much-needed service.

Viv Roberts, Berkshire

Thanks and good luck to the association which is a much needed advance for non-principals.

S Bhatia, Kent

I have now commenced a job-share partnership and will not be renewing my membership. The work and support of the NASGP is esential. I will rejoin if my circumstances change.

Jill Davies, Cardiff

I Have rejoined the principal ranks again but have learned a lot from the last year as a non-principal and will remember the lot of future non-principals.

Terry Patton, Co Down.

Thanks for all your comments. If you do become a principal, why not maintain your membership of the NASGP to keep up with your colleagues?

The Newsletter of the National Association of Non-Principals

Non-principal Groups - Autumn 1998

The latest list of non-principal groups are available on the Local Groups page.