Sessional and Salaried GPs

'Sessional GP’ is an umbrella term to collectively refer to salaried and locum or freelance GPs.

Salaried GPs have a contract of employment and include the following-

  • Employed GP
  • salaried GP who undertakes special interest work (a GPwSI)
  • assistant
  • associate
  • GP retainee
  • Flexible Career Scheme GP
  • returner scheme GP
  • salaried GP employed to work out-of-hours.

A locum GP, is a fully qualified general practitioner who does not have a standard employment contract with the GP practice where he /she works. They are paid by the session, as a difference to the other two types of contractual relationship in a GP practice, salaried GPs and GP partners.

Locum GPs are self-employed professionals, therefore not entitled to sick leave or holiday leave. They obtain work by contracting their services directly with practices or through locum recruitment agencies. Recent changes in the regulations in United Kingdom allow them to form Limited Liability Companies.

Locum GPs typically cover permanent doctors when on sick leave, maternity leave or holiday and fill the gaps between the moment a doctor leaves a practice and another permanent doctor is recruited. Although locum GPs are usually contracted to cover temporary needs, it is not uncommon to find locum GPs working in practices for long periods of time, sometimes even years. They are an invaluable resource who support Primary care.

A typical session is equivalent to 4 hours and frequently involves 2 to 2.5 hours of face to face contact with patients in 10 minutes appointments, followed by time for administration (reviewing correspondence from the hospital, reviewing blood test results, writing referral letters, triaging patient’s calls…) and doing home visits.

Many GPs choose to practise as sessional doctors as a long term career choice which can also allow them to meet other personal commitment, while for others it is a lifestyle choice. There are an estimated 22,500 doctors in the UK working as sessional GPs

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