25.03.15
GP return to practice scheme launched
Last September, Health Education England (HEE) announced it was investing £4.7m into training resources over the next three years as part of a major national campaign to allow former nurses to return to the workforce.
Now a new programme to get doctors back into General Practice has been launched.
The Induction and Refresher scheme – backed by of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), NHS England, HEE and the BMA – has been designed to support GPs who have previously been in practice to introduce them back into the workforce.
It will provide an opportunity for GPs who have previously been on the GMC Register and on the NHS England National Performers List (NPL), to safely return to General Practice after a career break, raising a family or time spent working abroad. It also supports the safe introduction of overseas GPs who have qualified outside the UK and have no previous NHS experience.
The new scheme will standardise pre-existing schemes providing a consistent single point of contact, via the GP National Recruitment Office, to guide doctors through the system.
Additionally, the scheme will offer a bursary of £2,300 per month and participants will be given a supervised placement in general practice. The placements will be tailored to the needs of doctors to ensure they have the confidence and knowledge needed to be a GP.
Professor Wendy Reid, medical director and director of education and quality for HEE, said: “The GP Workforce 10 point plan sets out what we aim to achieve to ensure improvements in general practice to deliver a better service for patients.
“We are pleased to announce this first step from the plan, working collaboratively with our partners, to make it simpler for GPs to return to practice. This programme removes some of the barriers seen before for doctors, who have had a career break or worked overseas to be supported to return to work in general practice.”
For more information visit: http://gprecruitment.hee.nhs.uk/Induction-Refresher
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