I am a member of the National Association Of Sessional General Practitoners (NASGP) and I operate in accordance with their Code Of Practice which is shown at the bottom of this page.
Booking Arrangements and Confirmation of Booking
Employing Practices should confirm bookings by e-mail. Please see the section Making a Booking for a suggested procedure to follow. The exchange of e-mails will constitute our contract, and the Terms of Business detailed here will apply unless otherwise specifically agreed.
Terms of Booking
The following details need to be specified when arranging bookings:
Start time
The starting time of the booking is the time from which I am first expected to be available to the Practice. If I'm required to provide emergency cover before the start time of the first booked appointment this should be clearly stated, and will be subject to an additional payment.
Finish Time
The time of completion of the booking should also be specified, and should detail any continuing emergency cover required by the practice, if applicable.
Booking Intervals
I have worked with ten-minute appointments for many years and find that this is the norm in most practices.
The last appointment slot of a booked surgery session should begin at least 10 minutes before the end of the surgery session (e.g. a session due to finish at 6.00pm should have the last patient booked no later than 5.50pm).
Urgent/Extras consulting
Extras consulting should be booked after (at the end of) booked/routine consultation work unless otherwise specified. 'Extras' should be booked at 10 minute intervals. 'Extras' consulting will be subject to additional payment at the normal hourly rate.
The work to be done in consultation
It is not possible to define this precisely. However, I expect to work in the same way as the permanent medical staff of a Practice. In addition to normal consultation services this will include the full range of data entry into the Practice computer, and full maintenance of the computer record.
GMS Practice income (from QOF work) depends on efficient data entry. I will ensure that I don't cost Practices money on this point.
Visits
I normally charge a fixed fee per visit however if there are multiple visits at a single address e.g. Nursing home, then visits over and above the first visit will be charged at a lower rate.
Drugs and Equipment
I will provide and maintain personal medical equipment such as a stethoscope, portable syphg, otoscope, sats monitor, digital thermometer, glucometer and ophthalmoscope but not drugs or associated equipment (syringes etc.).
Practices should ensure that adequate supplies of in date emergency medication and equipment for administration are available in the surgery.
When I conduct home visits or provide emergency cover, a suitable portable pack, including prescription forms, emergency drugs, nebuliser, syringes etc. should be available from the time that such cover begins.
Scheduled drugs present a particular problem. Practices are not allowed to put DDAs in a Locum pack. The requirements of the Home Office present an onerous burden for Locums who attempt to maintain and record their own DDA pack, therefore I do not carry DDAs.
Oncall
This is charged at an hourly rate.
Information for Locums
Many practices provide a locum pack which is incredibly useful and ideally should include:
-Stock of basic forms (pathology), Med3 etc.
-Referral information regarding special pathways in use.
-Internal telephone list.
-Dictaphone and tape.
Rates of Pay
By agreement.
Mileage
I do not charge mileage.
Drug Dependency Work
I am happy to see patients with opiate and other drug dependencies for general health care.
I do not normally initiate prescriptions for opiates or benzodiazepines to drug addicts for the purpose of detoxification or maintenance. In particular, I do not provide prescriptions for methadone.
Cancellation
Bookings should not be cancelled by either party except by mutual agreement. Practices will find it difficult to obtain substitute cover, and patients will be inconvenienced by enforced surgery cancellations. By the same token, the Locum will have difficulty in replacing sessions cancelled at short notice.
Cancellation Fee
Except in exceptional circumstances, you must give at least 14 days notice if you need to cancel any sessions.
Except in exceptional circumstances a cancellation payment 75% of my expected will be payable if you have to cancel within 14 days of a session 100% if cancelled within 7 days.
Surcharge for late payments
A surcharge of 10% of the total payment due for work done will apply to late payments as defined below. I accept payment by cheque or electronic transfer and the date of payment will be taken to be the date of the postmark of the letter containing payment. Payment may be made at the end of a calendar month. For Locum attachments lasting longer than four weeks payment should be made at the end of each calendar month during the working period, with the final payment due as noted above.
Failure to settle within 30-days will incure recovery costs and interest as per Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act.
Feedback:
As part of my CPD at the end of my assignment I will supply Multi Source Feedback forms for completion by practice staff & partners.
NASGP Code of Good PracticeThe National Association of Sessional GPs (NASGP) has a continued aim to foster good relationships between all who work in general practice and in doing so promote high standards of medical care. As an integral part of these aims, the NASGP has detailed its Code of Good Practice which includes endorsing the General Medical Councils guidance contained in Good medical practice. Bearing this guidance and our Code of Good Practice in mind, it is hoped all in general practice can work towards meeting these aims.
The NASGP acknowledges that there are some established core principles that it supports, namely that:· Patients have a right to receive high standards of care from all doctors
· Doctors have a professional responsibility to maintain a high standard of knowledge and skills
· Doctors have a responsibility to uphold standards of professional and personal conduct
· Doctors are individually accountable for their actions
· The quality of care delivered depends as much on robust systems of organisation and communication as it does on the performance of individuals.
In addition NASGP believes· Sessional GPs should be able to demonstrate, when asked to do so, their legal eligibility to work, their current full registration with the GMC, their inclusion on the Primary Medical Performers list and membership of a medical defence organisation
· Sessional GPs should be valued as providers of general medical services
· They should be appropriately and promptly remunerated for all aspects of the work they do
· Practices and their staff have a responsibility to facilitate the delivery of a high standard of care by
· being well organised, and by ensuring consulting rooms are appropriately equipped and furnished
· providing adequate up to date information, such as that contained in the NASGP Standardised Practice Induction Pack
· supporting Sessional GPs, whether employed or self-employed, in their work, as they do other GPs
· supporting Sessional GPs in their continuing professional development and appraisal by including them in practice educational meetings, significant event audits and supporting their efforts to evaluate their performance through audit, surveys and peer feedback
· Practices and all GPs have a responsibility to
· ensure they communicate clearly and effectively
· ensure Sessional GPs are able to use computer systems securely, effectively and, appropriately for that practice
· Doctors and practice staff should not make any patient doubt a colleagues professional ability by making unsustainable remarks about them.
· Patients have a right to receive high standards of care from all doctors
· Doctors have a professional responsibility to maintain a high standard of knowledge and skills
· Doctors have a responsibility to uphold standards of professional and personal conduct
· Doctors are individually accountable for their actions
· The quality of care delivered depends as much on robust systems of organisation and communication as it does on the performance of individuals.
In addition NASGP believes· Sessional GPs should be able to demonstrate, when asked to do so, their legal eligibility to work, their current full registration with the GMC, their inclusion on the Primary Medical Performers list and membership of a medical defence organisation
· Sessional GPs should be valued as providers of general medical services
· They should be appropriately and promptly remunerated for all aspects of the work they do
· Practices and their staff have a responsibility to facilitate the delivery of a high standard of care by
· being well organised, and by ensuring consulting rooms are appropriately equipped and furnished
· providing adequate up to date information, such as that contained in the NASGP Standardised Practice Induction Pack
· supporting Sessional GPs, whether employed or self-employed, in their work, as they do other GPs
· supporting Sessional GPs in their continuing professional development and appraisal by including them in practice educational meetings, significant event audits and supporting their efforts to evaluate their performance through audit, surveys and peer feedback
· Practices and all GPs have a responsibility to
· ensure they communicate clearly and effectively
· ensure Sessional GPs are able to use computer systems securely, effectively and, appropriately for that practice
· Sessional GPs flexibility and adaptability are key strengths which should not be abused or exploited
· Both parties should formally agree terms of employment. We advise the use of locum booking forms.
· All parties must recognise their reciprocal responsibilities when booking and cancelling work
· Appointment intervals of ten minutes are desirable to provide a high standard of care
· Sessional GPs should be invited to attend practice meetings on clinical issues and service provision
· They should, if required, participate fully in the practice complaints system
· There should be equal opportunities for access to and funding of continuous medical education and annual appraisal for all general practitioners
· GP tutors should be available to support all GPs and facilitate learner centred personal education plans
Sessional GPs are referred to the General Medical Councils guidance booklet, Good Medical Practice (2001), for further information. The NASGP website (www.nasgp.org.uk) also provides further guidance for practices and Sessional GPs.of care by