More newly qualified GPs are becoming GP locums than ever before, yet few if any receive any specific training, or gain experience, as GP locums to prepare them for working as an independent GP locum. At most, some GP registrars may receive a talk from a friendly local locum.
From day one, having trained in a highly-regulated training practice, a new GP can begin life locuming without any support, within practices that may not necessarily be functioning optimally.
So from today, to celebrate 20 years of NASGP, we are offering full membership for free to all UK GP registrars, giving GPs in training full access to over 600 pages of articles, news and FAQs, as well as NASGP’s online booking and invoicing system LocumDeck, and online standardised locum information pack.
Practice managers already receive free full NASGP membership – a move designed to enable practice managers to be in a much stronger position to work more effectively with this essential part of the GP workforce.
NASGP chairman Dr Richard Fieldhouse said “I founded NASGP in 1997, just after qualifying as a GP, with 17 other like-minded GPs, after many of us had the same experience of working in isolation as GP locums without any preparation or support, having previously enjoyed all the trappings of the support offered by our training practices. In 2017, to mark NASGP’s 20th anniversary, not only have we released LocumDeck, our sophisticated locum invoicing and booking platform, free to all our members, but also want to bring an end to the collusion of ignorance that we as a profession are presiding over in terms of how we train and support our huge GP locum workforce by opening up our full website to GP registrars.”
In 2010, a survey of GPs within their first five years post-qualification revealed 25% were working as GP locums and 42% as partners, whereas research last year showed 29% were now working as GP locums, with a sharp drop to 26% working as partners. In the same time period, the proportion working as salaried climbed from 42% to 54%.
GP registrars can sign up for free NASGP membership until they qualify by going to the NASGP website and clicking on ‘Sign up’.