Please follow the link to the latest set of minutes of the Bro Taf LMC Sessional GPs Committee from the meeting held on 10 October 2017  click here

Sessional GPs include:

- Salaried GPs (full and part time)
- Locum/Freelance GPs
- GP Retainers
- Flexible Career Schemes (FCS) Doctors
- GP Returners

Bro Taf LMC covers Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff and the Vale of Glamorgan and represents over 600 GPs in the area. The Committee has elected and co-opted members (see the "who's who" section for full details). Represented sessional GPs can get elected on to the Committee via the constituency seats, but we also for the time being have two designated co-opted sessional GP seats.

How the LMC works for sessional GPs

We are always working to improve the services we can provide for all our represented GPs and we are working with the new sessional GP LMC members to see what more we can specifically do for sessional GPs, but for the time being we can:

- give you regular updates on local and national issues through
  newsletters and direct e-mailings;
- give advice and support to individual sessional GPs;
- provide guidance on employment contracts;
- help ensure fair play between employers and sessional GPs;
- advise on appraisal and revalidation;
- support any sessional GP with professional difficulties (eg  
  complaints and performance issues).

Please note: The LMC is not a Trade Union and cannot operate as a Trade Union. The LMC can support GPs in a dispute, but cannot intervene in disputes or force parties concerned to comply with advice given. The BMA is the doctors' Trade Union, and can give expert advice to BMA Members and can intervene formally in disputes on behalf of a BMA Members or Members. However, the BMA cannot give individual legal or financial advice.

BMA Communities

Why Sessional GPs should get involved in, and be an asset to their LMC -

Dr Mary O'Brien  click here

If you want to find out more about the LMC or attend an LMC meeting to see what we do, please contact the LMC office (see contact page).

GP Locum Guide on IR35  click here

Employment Contracts

Since the start of the new GMS Contract in 2004, all GMS practices and LHBs are obliged to offer at least the model BMA Salaried GP Contract for all newly-appointed salaried GPs (there are severe consequences for those employers who do not).  For doctors employed before 2004, employers are encouraged to offer at least the Model Contract Terms & Conditions so that they will not face a discrimination claim.  All Salaried GPs should check their Contract to ensure that the Terms & Conditions are comparable to the Model Contract, especially the European Working Time Directive.

 

Returners, Retainers and Flexible Career Scheme doctors should also have Contract terms in line with that offered under the Model Salaried GP Contract but should also include the specific features such as educational time and specific guidance is available for these groups of doctors from the BMA. www.bma.org.uk (AskBMA  0300 123 1231)

 

- Model BMA salaried employment contract for a GP employed by a
  Primary Care Organisation (PCO) & model offer letter  click here

- Model BMA salaried employment contract for a GP employed by a GMS

  practice & model offer letter  click here

CPD/Revalidation for Sessional GPs

 

The Deanery continues with its activity for sessional doctors and puts on specific events regarding revalidation.  In conjunction with GPC Wales, the Deanery has written to all practices in Wales to encourage a culture of affiliating sessional GPs with a single practice in order to facilitate access to audit, SEA and patient/colleague feedback.

Useful guidance documents and links:

- Wales deanery link to sessional GPs page (useful forms for alternatives

  to clinical audit eg serial case analysis)  click here

- BMA Appraisal and Revalidation guidance for Sessional GPs  click here

- Locum toolkit for appraisal and revalidation (by Wessex LMC)   click here

- MARS Wales GP Appraisal website (includes details of local training events

  as well as comprehensive information about GP appraisal) click here

General links for working as a sessional GP

-  Link to the latest Sessional GPs Newsletters

September 2017 http://bma-mail.org.uk/t/JVX-55R6T-1BJCJOU46E/cr.aspx
October 2017  http://bma-mail.org.uk/t/JVX-57VT3-1BJCJOU46E/cr.aspx

-  GPOne website - useful website including job vacancies, help on working

   as a sessional GP and details of where to send Locum A&B forms at

   health boards  click here

-  BMA Tips for working out of hours for Sessional GPs  click here

-  BMA Top 10 Tips to help locums get paid on time  click here

-  Sessional GPs section of the BMA website  click here

Known sessional GP and CPD groups in South Wales

-  BMA guidance 'How to set up an develop a sessional GP group' click here

   (January 2012)

 

-  South Wales CPD Group Facebook

  

-  Tiko's GP group - useful online forum on facebook for discussing work

   or clinical (anonymised and with consent for photos) 

-  Wales New GP group (including details of lots of CPD groups for Cardiff,

   Gwent, Cwm Taf, Neath and Hywel Dda)

-  Abergavenny CPD group - sophieclose@outlook.com