Question 1

Locum Toolkit | Key Covid-19 management options

Accepted Answer

To be completed by practice or organisation to provide key information about Covid-19 to GP locums who are otherwise unfamiliar with the practice or organisation. [ddownload id="25061"] [links category_name="Locum Toolkit | Key Covid-19 management options"]

Join the conversation on Covid-19 in NASGP's GP-only Facebook Group

Question 2

How do I get an NHS email (NHSmail) address?

Accepted Answer

All GPs are eligible for an NHS email ('NHSmail') account, regardless of whether you're a partner, locum or salaried, and is an essential requirement for your practise as a GP in the NHS. From March 2020, GP locums in England can register online.

If you're not in England, either ask the IT person in a practice that you get on well with to 'sponsor' you, but failing that your local Primary Care Organisation, or its equivalent, is under obligation to issue you with one. If you already have an NHS email address from your role as a salaried GP or partner, probably 'branded' with your practice's name, you are entitled to keep it. Speak to your local IT helpdesk (CCG or equivalent) and they will simply change your 'brand' to the CCG's or equivalent. Don't take no for an answer, and explain that you need it to access certain courses such as online safeguarding training, for NHS appraisal (in many cases) as an appraisee, and as a GP to pass information securely about patients.

Question 3

How do I move my practice or CCG NHSmail over to GP locum?

Accepted Answer

If your NHSmail address is Dr Dan Fantastic (Burberry Surgery), and you want to change it to Dr Dan Fantastic (GP Locum), ask your organisation to mark you down as a 'leaver', then contact locumadmin@nhs.net, using your NHSmail account, requesting they mark you as a ‘joiner’ to the GP Locum organisation.

Question 4

BNF | How do I get one?

Accepted Answer

To receive a BNF book:

NASGP work with NHS England to help as many NASGP locum members in England receive one every September (not April), so please make sure that you've updated your NASGP membership with your country, GMC number and GP status.
Salaried GPs should organise distribution through their practice; if you're a locum and salaried/partner, you'll receive a BNF via your practice - NHS England will only send you one if you're not otherwise listed as a partner or salaried GP. We can't guarantee that NHS England will provide one, as they have ultimate control over distribution and distribution is dependent on available supplies.
In Scotland, the Local Health Boards (or equivalent) distribute the BNF so please contact them.
If you live in Wales or Northern Ireland, your local Health Authority still has responsibility so you need to send your contact details to the chief executive of your Health Authority.

There is the online eBNF, or the BNF smartphone/tablet apps.

If I didn't receive my BNF?

NASGP acts as a third party by sharing your details with NHS England's agent Binleys once a year, and they then cross-check our list against their own. If they see you on a different list e.g. on a previous practice (partner or salaried) they'll send it to that practice instead. We suggest check with your old practice (if you had one within the last 18 months), or if not contact Binleys direct.
NASGP submits its list once per year in July ready for the September BNF mailing of that year (usually posted end of October and beginning of November of that same year). If you join the NASGP after July, you won't be able to receive a BNF via the NASGP until the following year.
NASGP can not supply BNFs if NHS Englands allocation to Binleys has run out, and can not guarantee that you will receive a copy. Please direct all queries about non-supply to Binleys.

Question 5

Type 2 Medical Practitioners – Self Assessment

Accepted Answer

A Type 2 medical practitioner is a:

Salaried GP formally employed by a GP surgery, APMS Contractor, or a LHB (Wales).
Long-term fee-based GP who worked for a GP surgery, APMS Contractor, or a LHB.
GP who solely performs OOHs either on an employed or self-employed basis.
GP ‘with special interests’ (GPwSI) employed or engaged by NHS England or a LHB.

As a rule of thumb, any GP who is not a GP partner, or not solely working as a GP locum, will probably be considered a Type 2 practitioner. See NASGP's GP-only Facebook group for conversations on this topic

Every Type 2 medical Practitioner in England and Wales is required by law to complete an annual self-assessment form and arrange for any arrears of employee contributions to be sent to the relevant NHS Pension Scheme ‘employer’. If contributions have been overpaid, the Type 2 GP must also be pro-active in recovering these.

PDF download for NASGP members

Our upcoming magazine includes a new FAQ on Type-2 self-assessment. If you're an NASGP member you can download and read it now.

Exclusive advanced access to our new FAQ on Type-2 forms.

The form must be sent to the relevant local area team in England or LHB in Wales by no later than the last day of February each year.

If a Type 2 medical Practitioner fails to complete the form and subsequently pays employee contributions at the wrong rate, they are acting in breach of statutory pensions legislation; this may affect their NHS pension benefits at retirement. There is more detailed guidance on the form.

Why is the deadline 28th Feb 2109?

It's a typo - it's really 28th February 2019 (but you guessed that, right?!). Not exactly reassuring though.

Where's the calculator?

Promise from PCSE (as of 18/01/19) is that it will be here "any day now". When it does go live it'll be published here (if you notice it before we do, do us a favour and email us on info@nasgp.org.uk so we can update this link).

Do I need to list all practices, even ones I've locumed in (Personal details TAB - Tab E)?

No. You only need to list the practices where you were Type 2 (salaried) - it's referring to the practices in which PCSE made deductions direct from via the practice budget (therefore excludes locum posts, so they are aware of where any corrections need to be made if appropriate).

Any other questions?

Leave a comment and we'll find the answer as quickly as possible.

Question 6

How do I get an NHS email (NHSmail) address?

Accepted Answer

All GPs are eligible for an NHS email ('NHSmail') account, regardless of whether you're a partner, locum or salaried, and is an essential requirement for your practise as a GP in the NHS. From March 2020, GP locums in England can register online.

If you're not in England, either ask the IT person in a practice that you get on well with to 'sponsor' you, but failing that your local Primary Care Organisation, or its equivalent, is under obligation to issue you with one. If you already have an NHS email address from your role as a salaried GP or partner, probably 'branded' with your practice's name, you are entitled to keep it. Speak to your local IT helpdesk (CCG or equivalent) and they will simply change your 'brand' to the CCG's or equivalent. Don't take no for an answer, and explain that you need it to access certain courses such as online safeguarding training, for NHS appraisal (in many cases) as an appraisee, and as a GP to pass information securely about patients.

Question 7

Data Protection Act | Do I need to register?

Accepted Answer

As a freelance GP you'll need to hold all sorts of information - names and addresses of practices; other GPs; colleagues; educational centres etc. And what do you do with this data - do you market yourself? Is it just for invoices? Do you give your data to other GPs or practices? It is possible that, as a small business, you may have to register with the Data Protection Act. Whether you need to all depends on what you use your data for and, needless to say, isn't straight forward. Fortunately, the Information Commissioner's Office website has a series of simple questions to ask and, depending on your answers, will tell you whether you need to register or not (and what can happen if you don't!).

Information Commissioner's Office

Question 8

How do I get on the performers list?

Accepted Answer

As a GP working, or planning to work, in the UK, you need to go through a three-stage process.

Step 1 - join the GMC's GP register

If you are applying to work as a GP (general practitioner or family physician) in the UK, as well as being licensed by the GMC, you'll also need to be on the GMC's GP Register.
About the GMC GP register

Step 2 - join one of the four UK Performers Lists

If you you're not already working, state your “intent to work” on your performers list application, outlining roughly how many sessions a week you plan to work from a particular date.

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Wales

Apply to join the Wales Performers List.

England

Northern Ireland

Apply to join the NI Performers list.

Scotland

From 1 June 2016 there has been a Scotland-wide, standardised application process. GPs still apply to the relevant local health board (HB) but entry to one HB list also includes you on all other HB lists, so you can work across Scotland.

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Step 3 - join the NHS appraisal process

Your Area Team will assign you to a 'designated body', who'll oversee your appraisal and subsequent revalidation.

Question 9

Do I need to prove my Hepatitis B status?

Accepted Answer

It's now a requirement of the Care Quality Commission CQC that every member of staff working in a GP practice has an up-to-date Hepatitis B status. The MPS have prepared a summary of why this is needed, as part of the CQC's Cleanliness and infection control (Outcome 8, Regulation 12) "People are cared for in a clean environment, and are protected from acquiring infections". If you're a chambers locum or are employed as an agency locum, they'll no doubt otherwise notify every practice on your behalf. Otherwise it's a sign of a well organised locum to provide this in advance of working. If you're employed by a practice as a salaried GP, you'll be entitled to free immunisation status checks and boosters if they're a good employer. As a locum, unless you can persuade a friendly practice, you'll have to arrange this yourself with your own GP as a private service. Added to this, the Green Book states:

Healthcare workers in the UK and overseas (including students and trainees): all healthcare workers who may have direct contact with patients’ blood, blood-stained body fluids or tissues, require vaccination. This includes any staff who are at risk of injury from blood contaminated sharp instruments, or of being deliberately injured or bitten by patients.

As a GP, if you're exposed to continuing risk of infection, you should have a single booster dose of vaccine, once only, around five years after primary immunisation. Measurement of anti-HBs levels is not required either before or after this dose.

Question 10

How often do I need a DBS check?

Accepted Answer

The Disclosure and Barring Service DBS check (used to be known as the Criminal Records Bureau CRB check) needs to be performed only once in order to appear on the National Performers list. Once on the Performers List, there is no requirement to have further DBS checks for the Performer's List as this is part of Performers List monitoring. The purpose of the national list in England is to allow GPs to move to different parts of England without having to apply to a local performers list.

DBS in England

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

DBS checks for other UK countries are usually done as part of the performers list application.

Locum agencies

If you work for locum agencies, not only will they each need a DBS check, but they may also have their own internal reasons to insist on one as often as they like. In which case, you may like to use the annual DBS update service for £13 per annum (which must be applied for within 19 days of receipt of your certificate being issued). Further information on DBS checks, which reinforce the above, is available from the Care Quality Comission CQC. [well]

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