Illness

Falling ill can seriously affect the progress of vocational training.

If GP registrars are ill for more than a fortnight they can find that their training period has to be extended.

Under Schedule 1 Allowance, Accommodation, Removal and Associated Expenses of GP registrars, trainers are deprived of their pay (the trainer's grant) where a GP registrar is absent for more than a fortnight.

There is no way trainers can escape this hazard as they are obliged to inform the Primary Care Trust whenever a GP registrar is too ill to work, whatever the period.

GP registrars who are sick for less than two weeks receive all their income allowances, and so do the trainers. However, GP registrars who are used to the hospital way of doing things may be in for a shock if their incapacity passes the two week limit.

They will normally continue to receive their full pay for up to three months, as they would in hospital. But an important element of their overall income, the car allowance, will stop unless trainers opt to keep up the payments out of their own pockets - the Primary Care Trust will certainly not reimburse them.

In accountancy terms, the sick GP registrar cannot be driving around to see patients and cannot therefore need an allowance towards the cost, but in the real world where GP registrars often borrow to finance a car partly on the strength of the car allowance, they will still have to keep up the repayments.

The rules and regulations are detailed in Schedule 1 Allowance, Accommodation, Removal and Associated Expenses of GP Registrars in General Practice. These directions form the basis of terms and conditions of service for GP Registrars working in GP practices and concern the payment of fees and allowances by Strategic Health Authorities to GP Registrars. These directions and any changes to the payments in respect of the GP Registrar scheme can be accessed from the Department of Health website www.dh.gov.uk – search on GP Registrars - see 10. GP training – Directions or follow this link:

We do recommend that you take out Medical Insurance.

Occupational Health

On joining the scheme you will have completed a Health Questionnaire.  Details of current Occupational Health arrangements can be found on the Northern Deanery website.

Any subsequent worries relating to occupational health while in General Practice or Hospital Posts should be addressed to your GP Trainer or Lead Training Programme Director or self-referral is possible via the Northern Deanery Trainee Support Service.

Support Services For Doctors

Support for Trainees who are experiencing difficulty is also accessed via the Northern Deanery Trainee Support Service.

How can I access support?
Telephone the Support line: (0191) 371 3540 or (0191) 371 3540
Confidential Email: cdda-tr.NDtraineesupport@nhs.net
Confidential & Secure Fax: 0191 333 3023
Opening Hours: 8.30am-5.00pm Monday to Friday

Address: Trainee Support Service, Appleton House, Lanchester Road, Durham, DH1 5XZ

Maternity and Paternity Leave

Information regarding maternity and paternity leave can be found on the Northern Deanery website

The Personnel/Human Resources Department will be able to advise, information is also available on North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust Intranet.

Bumps, Babies and Beyond

This is a national email discussion group for GPRs: any GPR can join

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bumpsbabiesbeyond/?yguid=368041372

Other sources of support

Dr Karen Smith runs a half day release session, usually during the 2^nd year teaching programme which looks at Doctors as Patients.  The handouts from this session also contain an up-to-date list of other places where support can be found.

Handouts can be found in the Teaching Programme area of the website, or by following this link.

ECGPTP buddy scheme

We run a Mentoring scheme at ECGPTP where trainees are given the opportunities to develop links with each other to provide informal guidance and support based on their own experiences.

Updated by TS 14/3/12