FAQs - Welcome Home

What information will the Health Board Medical Director require to reach a decision about inclusion on the Performers’ List?

The Medical Director will require your CV, details about what your current clinical practice involves, a summary of your Continuing Professional Development & Personal Development Plan and how you are meeting the requirements of the regulatory authority in the country in which you are currently working. He will require two contemporary clinical references and confirmation that there are no concerns in relation to your clinical practice or professional behaviour.

What might that decision be?

There are two possible outcomes;

a) To include you on the Performers’ List but require that you complete a simple, practice based induction programme

b) To require that you successfully complete a GP Returner programme (provided that you have worked in NHS GP in the past)

How would that decision be made?

Normally, if you are currently working in clinical General Practice/Family Medicine in a health care environment similar to the NHS and have a record of active CPD then it is likely that a simple induction will be adequate.

If you have not been involved in clinical General Practice for more than two years, or you have not worked in NHS General Practice for a long time or you have been working in a clinical environment different to NHS General Practice then it is likely you will be required to successfully complete the Scotland GP Returner Programme.

Cases will be considered on an individual basis and a decision reached on the basis of the evidence provided by you. The Medical Director may request Deanery advice where the situation is not clear cut. Involving the Deanery Advisors means that consistency of decision will be assured across Scotland as we are now a single Deanery organisation.

What does a simple induction involve?

The intention of a simple induction is to re-familiarise you with current processes, protocols and guidance.  There is no entry test and no assessment.  We would anticipate this practice based induction would include observation of consultations as well as covering the following areas either with a practising clinician or the practice manager. The list below is indicative and not meant to be all inclusive. Arrangements for some of these processes will vary from practice to practice. The aim of the induction is to be comfortable in the main areas of clinical practice so you can adapt the principles wherever you are working.

1 Referrals

• Referrals to secondary care and allied health professionals
• Referral guidelines are available online e.g. www.refhelp.scot.nhs.uk

2 Prescribing

• Formulary prescribing
  i. Local e.g. www.ljf.scot.nhs.uk
  ii. BNF ; www.bnf.org
• Prescribing indicators. Most practices will have undertaken to work towards local prescribing indicators which you will need to adhere to e.g. reducing prescriptions of co-amoxiclav. You should ask your practice manager or practice pharmacist whether and which the practice has undertaken

3 Clinical protocols

• Practice based protocols usually developed by the practice
• Local Health Board clinical protocols
• Ordering lab tests online e.g. using the ICE system. Your practice IT manager should be able to talk you through this

4 Quality and Outcome Framework and Enhanced services

• Your practice manager will be able to detail what areas the practice has signed up for.

5 An understanding of the Roles of Attached Staff including

• Health visitors and practice nurses

i. Health visitors’ main role in addition to developmental surveillance of under 5s is supporting high need families. They liaise closely with social work in Child Protection

ii. Routine childhood immunisation

• District ( community) nurses

i. District nurses work in “clusters” and may not be on site in your practice

ii. They have a wide range of roles in the housebound population including dressings, insulin and other injections, catheter management, and palliative care

iii. Involvement in Chronic Disease ManagemenT

6 An understanding of the Role of Practice Nursing staff including

• Different health boards use different models – both treatment room (dressings etc) and chronic disease management
• The specific role of Advanced Nurse Practitioners

7 An understanding of the Role of Community Pharmacies including

• The provision of weekly dispensed medication in Dosette boxes or blister packs
• The minor ailments scheme
• The Chronic Medication Scheme
• Their work with care homes
• Emergency prescriptions
• Discharge Medication reconciliations: community pharmacies will often help in ensuring safe patient care by checking that the medications on discharge summaries are congruent with current repeat medication lists in patient records

8 IT Systems:

• IT Systems includingclinical systems e.g. Vision, EMIS
• NHS mail
• document management systems e.g. Docman
• appointment systems
• the use of READ codes,
• computer based prescribing
• illness certification
• online death certificate system
• online lab test
• online referrals
• messaging systems

9 Essential Training:

• Competency in Safeguarding & Protecting Young People Online e-learning modules are provided by RCGP through eLearning for Health and by RCPCH and should be completed on line whilst waiting to attend a local course.
• Equality & Diversity Training

Your induction can be undertaken at a practice with whom you have a pre-existing relationship, or one in which you have been offered an employment contract. For those intending a period of locum work before taking on a more substantive post, an attachment can be arranged through the Health Board.

Please click here for the Short Induction Resource

What does the Scotland GP Returner programme involve?

Details can be found by clicking on this link.