Telephone: 029 20899381
Email: brotaflmcltd@brotaflmcltd.co.uk
Registered Company Number: 6744207
Registered Office: Henstaff Court Business Centre, Groesfaen, Cardiff, CF72 8NG
Useful Links
BMA
BMJ
Cardiff & Vale of Glamorgan CHC
Cardiff & Vale University Health Board
Doctors Support Network (DSN)
General Medical Council (GMC)
GP Appraisal Site
Health of Wales Information Service (HOWIS)
Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
NHS Direct Wales
Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)
Velindre NHS Trust
Healthy Working Wales
Health for Health Professionals (HHP) Wales Service
NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership
Cardiff & Vale Practice Managers Federation
PREPARING A CV
You can get information from the BMA, but for those who aren't members, here is a link to a BMJ Careers article: http://careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/view-article.html?id=3043
GETTING ON THE PERFORMERS LIST
To apply for inclusion in the Medical Performers' List (Wales) follow this link:
http://www.primarycareservices.wales.nhs.uk/gp-services
Having medical indemnity cover is a professional responsibility, as outlined in GMC Good Medical Practice (paragraph 34). The BMA has guidance on medical indemnity on its website:
https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/contracts/nhs-medical-indemnity
There are three medical defence organisations - the MDU, the MPS and the MDDU Scotland. Here are their contact details:
MDU: www.themdu.com 0800 716376
MPS: www.medicalprotection.org/uk 0845 7187187
MDDU Scotland: www.mddus.com 0845 2702034
PENSIONS
Here is a link to the NHS Pensions members' pages for GP locums. It provides advice on qualifying conditions, the application process and links to the various forms that locum GPs will need to join the scheme (including forms A&B).
INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVICE
The LMC is not indemnified to give financial advice and cannot direct GPs to particular private providers of advice or policies. Here is a link to an "independent" website that may help you to locate sources of IFA, solicitors and accountants.
ACCOUNTANCY
Accountancy and the tax man
Get an accountant. They will talk you through the process of becoming self employed and will explain how to:
- Notify HMRC of the start of self employment
- Set up class 2 national insurance contributions
- Consider if class 4 national insurance contributions need to be deferred
Record Keeping
Failure to keep good records can result in substantial fines. You should keep:
- Copies of invoices issued in respect of work done
- Receipts for expenses incurred
- Mileage log
- Bank statements showing income and expenses
- Credit card statements if used for business
- Copies of pension paperwork (forms locum A and B)
- Copies of pay slips, P45, P60s
Saving for tax
This is vital and many a self employed business has gone bankrupt due to an unexpectedly large tax bill. This is, perhaps, not surprising given that if, for example, you start work in August 2011 the first tax you will pay will be in January 2013. This tax bill, if you haven't been saving for it, will come as a nasty surprise.
Submit your tax returns on time
Penalties having increased recently. For the tax year 2009-2010, tax returns must be submitted if on paper by 31.10.11 or online by 31.01.11. Remember, if you use an accountant (and we strongly advise you do unless you are well versed in tax returns), you will need to send them your accounts in good time before the filing date, to give them time to complete your tax return.
Invoicing
This is straight forward, 2 copies one for work and another for your records stating when, where and how many sessions+/-housecalls you have done. It is up to you how much you charge, but surgeries often have standard rates and these may or may not include housecalls, for which you may choose to charge separately.
PREPARING A LOCUM PACK
The RCGP has developed a locum pack and here is the web page link:
ADVERTISING
If you want to work in Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taff, you can advertise your services on Bro Taf LMC's locum list, which is published on the LMC's website: http://www.brotaflmc.org.uk/Locum_SGPs_available.html
APPRAISAL
Appraisal is a formative and developmental process. It is about identifying development needs, not performance management. It is a positive process, to give GPs feedback on their past performance, to chart continuing process and identify development needs. Click here to visit the GP Appraisal website for Wales.
In August 2011 the BMJ issued its new Learning Portfolio. This is a simple and accessible system for recording what you have learnt and putting it together in a neat file for use with your appraiser, or for other purposes. We are advised that Trainees and sessional GPs should find the BMJ Learning Portfolio more useful than the old "plan and record" system. The BMJ Learning Portfolio should give everyone a very easy tool to collate their learning record. Here is a link to BMJ Learning:
http://group.bmj.com/products/learning
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
You can find details of local meetings on this website (see our Education and Training page) and on the GP Appraisal website click here
Bro Taf LMC Ltd is the statutory representative organisation for GPs in
Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Merthyr Tydfil