A positive choice
I am a big believer that being a non-principal GP (not to be confused with an un-principled one) is an incredibly positive choice for a GP to make. I love my job. I don’t want to be a partner.
There is still a considerable hangover amongst the profession that salaried GPs are principals ‘in-waiting’ and that locums are simply unemployable wasters.
I do work weekends, as do lots of salaried GPs and lots of principals. And most importantly, I really enjoy it. The administrative burden of daytime general practice is stripped away and you are left with a patient, their problem and one’s own clinical acumen. It feels like real medicine with real medical problems rather than Big Pharma medical manipulations. (Motto – an ill for every pill). I reckon I examine almost every single patient. How often can you say that in daytime practice? When I am out visiting I spend as much time as is needed to sort the patient and our out of hours service supports that approach to patients.
I recently signed up again with the National Association of Sessional GPs. They are working had to look after the interests of non-principal GPs. Ludicrously simple things like getting the current BNF have been a challenge in the past and the NASGP has helped in all sorts of areas:
We’re a voluntary non-profit making membership organisation currently with 1,700 members, and our aim is to unite all general practitioners through an agenda of quality and equality. Yes we agree – it all sounds very ambitious but in fact we’ve been very successful in doing just this. We were founded in January 1997 by a group of enthusiastic GPs (nearly all Sessional GPs), and we’ve energetically campaigned to improve the status and representation of Sessional GPs through our handbook, regular newsletters, national conference, code of good practice, local groups, practice induction pack, website and the media.
I’ll also continue to support principals as I believe every person in the country needs a named GP. Much as I love being salaried, being a locum, being a teacher and whatever else I choose to do I also recognise the need for an appropriate framework for primary care.
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