Background

The GP Retainer Scheme was originally set up in 1969 by the Department of Health and updated in 1999. The scheme is intended for doctors unable to commit to a substantive GP post, usually due to family commitments but other reasons are considered. The Retainer Scheme enables these doctors to maintain their skills, keep up-to-date and further develop their careers, before embarking on a salaried or partnership post at a later stage.

GP Retainer Scheme

Education

The retained doctor must have an allocated educational supervisor within the practice. The retainer has to undertake 28 hours of education a year, three hours of which should be in the practice. According to the BMA contract, eight sessions per annum are for education. The Deanery oversees the educational component of the job, ensuring the retained doctor supervisor has undertaken an Educational Supervisor’s Course and that the practice is approved to take a Retainer.

Contract

After your application has been approved by the deanery, then approval is sought from the PCT. The Dorset GP Centre will do this for you. Please check with the Dorset GP Centre that your application to become a retainer has both Deanery and PCT approval. If this is the case, then it is time to negotiate your contract with the practice. Aim to use the BMA model contract for retained doctors: Model GP retainer scheme contract.

GMS practices are obliged to use the BMA contract, but PMS practices are not. The employer however, is obliged to consider the family commitments of the retainer when negotiating working arrangements. When discussing your contractual duties remember to ensure your workload reflects the fact that you are not a partner. Keep clear boundaries and make the job work for you. You will need to negotiate your salary, which should be in line with Salaried GPs in the area. You may want to seek advise about this from the Dorset GP Centre.

Reapplying for the Scheme

Each year you will need to reapply to the retainer scheme, submitting a re-approval form to the Associate GP Dean at the Dorset GP Centre. This can be downloaded from forms below. You will also need to submit your “Form 4” or personal education / development plan from your NHS appraisal. If you are in your final year of the retainer scheme, then make an appointment with the Associate GP Dean or your local GP Tutor to discuss your career plans at the end of the scheme.

Forms

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Form to claim Annual Retainer GP Fee (23 k)

RD 1st Application 2011 (142 k)

RD Re-application 2011 (146 k)

Useful Documents

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BMA Salaried GP Handbook -Chapter 22 (30 k)

Guidance on the Educational Aspects of the Scheme (517 k)

Model GP Retainer Scheme Contract (130 k)

How to Start

Getting started on a retainer scheme is often a challenge. First find a practice, which has a vacancy to take a GP Retainer. Both training practices and non-training practices are able to take retainers. Either approach practices directly your-self or contact the Dorset GP Centre at Bournemouth University gpcentre@bournemouth.ac.uk who will be able to advise of practices currently with vacancies. Once you have found a practice, download the application form from the Dorset GP website www.dorsetgpcentre.com. Complete the application form. This has a section, which needs to be signed by the Retainer Educational Supervisor at the practice. Then send it to the Dorset GP Centre. It is wise to have negotiated a provisional start date with your practice prior to application.

Employment Guidelines

The Retained doctor is allowed to work 1-4 sessions per week in a practice. However a minimum of 2 sessions is generally expected. A session is equivalent to four hours and ten minutes and this includes administrative time. The scheme lasts for 5 years. To be able to continue on the scheme, the doctor has to be reapproved on an annual basis. The scheme can be extended for up to eight years if there is good reason. The clinical workload is negotiated on an individual basis, between the retainer and the practice. It may include home visits, duty doctor sessions, telephone triage and extended hours but this is not mandatory.

Starts: 19:00 Ends: 22:00
Location: Room S204

GP Retainer

Background

Education

Contract

Payments

Other Work

Reapplying for the Scheme

Relevant BMJ Careers Publications

Forms

Useful Documents

How to Start

Employment Guidelines

GP Retainer Meetings

Retainer GP Meeting

Retainer GP Meeting

Retainer GP Meeting

Retainer GP Meeting

Retainer GP Meeting

Retainer GP Meeting

Retainer GP Meeting

Retainer GP Meeting

Retainer GP Meeting

Retainer GP Meeting

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