General Practice SPIN &
Newly Qualified Fellowships Programme
for GP Practice/PCN Leads
General Practice SPIN &
WHAT IS IT?
- 2-year programme of support for newly qualified GPs and GPNs
- Aimed at improving recruitment into substantive posts within General Practice, and enriching the availability of skills and portfolio working within PCNs.
- You offer them a permanent contract, and you agree with them an area of interest/development for them to pursue over 2 years: the Fellowship
- You release the GP/GPN for 1 or 2 sessions per week to allow them to pursue their Fellowship interests. If any of this is from Practice time, you are fully reimbursed for it including 30% on-cost.
- The Fellow also gets other benefits, such as mentorship, a CPD grant and peer support. You will release them for this, but it will equate to no more than 1 session per month of Practice paid time.
WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME?
- You have a golden opportunity to grow your GP/GPN and build a strong relationship with them, so that they choose to stay with you long term.
- You get a salaried GP/Partner rather than a locum
- They commit to being with you for at least the duration of their fellowship. (BUT the contract should be a permanent one).
- Portfolio working across your PCN can potentially be of benefit to the network. Alternatively, supporting the development of expertise within your Practice can benefit the Practice and patient care.
- They may take part in QI work in your Practice that relates to their area of interest.
TELL ME ABOUT THE FUNDING
- Relevant funding flows via your Practice account, but you are fully reimbursed.
- The entitlement is 1 session (4hrs10mins). The funding is paid at the fellow’s actual salary rate, plus 30% for on-costs.
- Those taking a SPIN option will also be working a second session in their chosen area of interest, but this will be paid for by the service provider.
- The fellow also receives a CPD grant; which it also paid to your practice to be transferred to the fellow.
- There are some different options for fellows that effects how the funding is utilised
- Option 1: The first option is the SPIN model. Here the Fellow attends 2 sessions in an area of interest from options that currently exist (e.g. out-patient clinics, CCG work, teaching, etc.). These are paid sessions, and do not cost the Practice anything.
- Option 2: The Fellow is released from Practice for 1 session per week during which time they attend to their own fellowship commitments. E.g. attend rheumatology outpatients clinics. This is a paid session, and do not cost the Practice anything.
- Option 3: The PG Cert HealthCare Practice offer. This is a very attractive offer for newly qualified GPs and GPNs. HEE pays the PGCert bursaries for GPs or GPNs to the training hubs, who will then distribute (in full so no employment deductions) to the GPs or GPNs. You have to ensure you release the GPs or GPNs for their “Fellows” day. Even though there is no direct financial support for practices for this offer, you will be able to attract newly qualified GPs or GPNs interested in this programme and have more qualified GPs or GPNs at the end of the programme.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THIS?
- The scheme is open to GPs or GPNs who qualified within the last 12 months, or will be due to qualify soon in anticipation of taking a substantive post in a practice, a PCN, cluster of PCNs or another body
- There is scope to extend the post-qualifying period to 18 months in the instances of maternity/adoption/parental leave, long-term sickness or other caring responsibilities.
- You must offer the Fellow a permanent contract (salaried/ partnership) for at least the duration of their Fellowship. They can apply even whilst trainee, but funds will be released once their employment starts.
WHAT IS EXPECTED OF MY PRACTICE?
- You will sign an MoU with more details, but essentially you need to offer them a reasonable contract and terms and conditions. E.g. a salaried GP contract no less favourable than the BMA standard contract.
- You agree the working pattern/hours & pay with them.
- You provide induction and the kind of ongoing support/supervision that new staff would normally expect or need.
- You agree to release the Fellow, on full pay, for their monthly HEE-led Peer Support session. This currently = one Wednesday afternoon per month.
- You support the fellow in choosing and pursuing their fellowship. You are not responsible for their fellowship, but may have useful local intelligence and experience you wish to share with them.
DO I HAVE A SAY?
- Fellowship commitments aside, the GP/GPN is expected to work in your Practice or PCN just like any other member of staff.
- Potential fellows are strongly encouraged to discuss their fellowship ideas with you as their (potential) host employer and PCN.
- We ask you to consider options that may be of value to your Practice and to your PCN right now and/or in the near future, so that the fellow is able to apply what they have learned. This will also encourage long-term retention. We will also offer the GP/GPN a variety of fellowship options that currently exist.
WHAT CAN PCNs DO?
- One vision of the Fellowship scheme might be for fellows to work across their PCN in a portfolio manner, so that they do sessions in more than just one Practice, thus adding variety to their working week and this aids long term retention. Example: 5 GP sessions in Practice A, specialist diabetes clinic in Practice B, etc.
- If you can create a specialist role for the fellow to take up, e.g. rheumatology GPwER, that would be amazing for the fellow, the PCN and the patient population.
OK, I’M IN. WHAT DO I DO?
- Complete the brief online form to formally notify the central NEL team. It’s brief, but important: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NELFELLOWSHIP
- Let your central team know through the online form above about your vacancy. This can help spread the word. The more relevant information you provide, the more attention your offer will get. We reach out to relevant parties on your behalf.
- You may wish to advertise your vacancy through other means. This would not stop the new GP/GPN from being eligible, provided they meet the criteria specified.