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Support for GPs

The BLMK Training Hub offers support to all GPs, from trainees to those considering retirement. We have two GP workforce leads, Dr Shankari Maha who supports early career GPs and Dr Yuvaraj Venugopal who supports the retention of mid to late career GPs. The page below outlines our current support offers for GPs but you are also more than welcome to contact Shankari or Raj who will be more than happy to discuss your specific needs and signpost you to the correct place. Their contact details are:

We also have ad hoc or new offers coming out throughout the year and if you would like to be notified of these, please sign up to our SharePoint site and mailing list using this link: https://forms.office.com/e/eu34n9akLt

The support available is detailed on the pages below but for ease of access it includes:

  • GP trainees and newly qualified GPs
    • GP Trainee Away day for Bedford and Luton GP Trainees
    • Support with finding a Tier 2 sponsoring practice for International Medical Graduates
    • Mentoring and coaching
    • New to Practice Fellowship Programme – currently ongoing but closed to new applicants
  • Early career GPs (First5 years post CCT)
    • GP Educator Fellowship
    • First5 Whatsapp Group
    • NHS England Fellowships
  • Mid to Late Career GPs:
    • GP Retention Scheme
    • Support to become a GP Trainer
  • All GPs:
    • GP Forum for GPs in Milton Keynes
    • GP Symposiums
    • Support with recruitment
    • Flexible working
    • Health & Wellbeing Support

GP Trainees and Newly Qualified GPs

Health Education England (HEE) have outlined the GP Training Programme within their HEE GP Homepage, this includes a whole host of information and resources to support GP Trainees. Information can also be located by area to enable you to read in more detail how the programme is hosted in different regions, use the map tool to locate the area of interest to you.

The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) offers a range of resources for the GP workforce, including advice and guidance for GP Trainees and Trainers.

Your Local Practitioners Services Unit (performers list):

Charter House
Parkway
Welwyn Garden City
Herts
AL8 6JL
Tel: 01707 376826

Further information can be found here at PSU Home.

GP Trainee Away day for Bedford and Luton GP Trainees

Our GP Educator Fellow arranges an Away Day for all Bedford and Luton GP Trainees once a year. If you are in these training schemes then details will be shared with you.

Support with finding a Tier 2 sponsoring practice for International Medical Graduates

Please find attached a training pack which is designed to support GP practices who may wish to apply for a Tier 2 Sponsorship licence. To download the slide show click here and select new item to view. As a Tier 2 visa sponsor, you can now create and assign Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) which your prospective international recruits will use to obtain their Tier 2 visa. To download the guide for GP Practices in Creating and Assigning Certificates of Sponsorship slide show click here and select new item to view.

Practical help and financial support for International GP trainees

  • Are you a non-UK national training to be a GP in the UK?
  • Would you like to remain in England to practice as a GP after you qualify but need a visa to do so?

We offer practical help and financial support to non-UK international GP trainees who wish to practice in England after they qualify

  • Help with finding a role at a GP practice that can currently sponsor tier 2 visas
  • Support towards the cost of relocating to work at the GP practice
  • Reimbursement of your application fee for a tier 2 visa
  • Financial support to relocate any family members and reimbursement of their visa fees

If you would like to learn more and register for the help and support, please contact the Training Hub at: blmkicb.blmk.traininghub@nhs.net

Mentoring and coaching

Background:

We offer mentoring and coaching to GPs working in primary care in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. Mentoring and coaching is a confidential conversation with an experienced GP from the BLMK area who can provide advice and support on a number of topics and professional challenges or even just a safe space to explore issues, concerns or worries that may be arising in your day to day role.

The mentoring and coaching that we offer is fully funded and you can access up to six hours of sessions. We take a flexible approach to the mentoring with sessions being offered throughout the week, virtual or face to face and is a very small time commitment.

Why access mentoring and coaching?

Many professionals access mentoring or coaching at a variety of stages of their careers, from the early stages where it can be useful to explore how you’re settling into your new role and help you to gain confidence to later career where you can explore what direction you would like to take your career in. It can also be useful for GPs who are considering returning to work and would like some support through the transition or GPs considering taking up a partnership role and looking for advice and support through this process.

Who can access the mentoring and coaching?

This offer is open to early career GPs working at a practice within BLMK.

If you’re not sure whether mentoring and coaching is for you or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact our Mid to Late Career GP Strategic Lead, Dr Yuvaraj Venugopal at: v.yuvaraj@nhs.net or the mentoring project manager, Helen Worthington-Smith at: h.worthington-smith@nhs.net

To express an interest in receiving mentoring and coaching, please email: h.worthington-smith@nhs.net

If you would prefer to have an external coach/mentor from outside the BLMK area, please contact h.worthington-smith@nhs.net

New to Practice Fellowship Programme

Due to changes in funding streams from NHS England, we are sorry but we are no longer able to accept new applicants onto the New to Practice Fellowship Programme. If you would like to log your interest in joining the programme in the future if funding changes, please email: h.worthington-smith@nhs.net

Early career GPs (First5 years post CCT)

GP Educator Fellowship

Our GP Educator Fellowship is designed to support a GP within their First 5 years post CCT to become a GP educator. Through the fellowship you will spend time with our Bedford and Luton GP Training Schemes as well as the Quality Team. We only offer one post per year with applications being taken around June/July each year. In order to apply, you will need to be a GP within your first 5 years post CCT and be working a minimum of 4 sessions in a practice within Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire or Luton. If you would like to log your interest to receive the application details, please contact: hannah.baker11@nhs.net

First5 Whatsapp Group

You can join our First5 Whatsapp group by emailing h.worthington-smith@nhs.net the following details:

  • Your name
  • Date of CCT
  • Current practice
  • Mobile number

NHS England Fellowships

There are some additional fellowships that are offered to First5 GPs through NHS England (was HEE). You can find out more information about these fellowships by visiting their website here: https://heeoe.hee.nhs.uk/general_practice/fellowships-primary-care 

Mid to Late Career GPs

GP Retention Scheme

The GP Retention Scheme is a package of educational and financial support to help doctors, who might otherwise leave the profession, to remain in clinical general practice. It is managed by NHS England.

For more information including details around how to apply, click here.

You can also receive mentoring and coaching to support you to while on this scheme through our mentoring and coaching offer detailed above. To apply, click here

Support to become a GP Trainer

For those considering to build upon their role by becoming a GP Educator click the link for full guidance, including details in regards to approval requirements, education and clinical supervision. We have a number of Training Practices within our region, who have gained approval to support GP Trainees in General Practice.

All GPs

GP Forum (Milton Keynes GPs only)

There is a network for GPs living and working in Milton Keynes which meets regularly for learning sessions and social events. If you are new to the area or considering moving to Milton Keynes, the network can also help you with recommendations and useful information about moving to the area. If you would like to join the network, please contact: v.yuvaraj@nhs.net

GP Symposiums

For GPs in Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton, the GP symposium team at Bedford Hospitals Trust arrange ten Saturday morning symposiums each year. These sessions cover a variety of clinical topics and take place virtually. If you would like more information, please contact: chandima.johnson@bedfordhospital.nhs.uk

Support with Recruitment

The Training Hub is able to support practices who are struggling to recruit GPs. There are many reasons why a practice may be struggling to recruit and we take a bespoke approach to each practice who approaches us for support. We usually start off with a MS Teams meeting or phone call to talk through your specific needs and then come up with a plan together which may include working on updating your advert, discussing how you can make the role more attractive, talking through the support you could provide to a prospective applicant and agreeing on an advertising strategy. We have supported many practices with their GP recruitment this way with positive results.

If you would like to speak to a member of our team about your GP recruitment then please contact: h.worthington-smith@nhs.net

There is also support available for GPs looking for a role which is through the Primary Care Careers Team. The Training Hub has funded the Primary Care Careers Team to provide this support which includes linking you in with potential recruiting practices. You can contact the team at: enquiries@eoeprimarycarecareers.nhs.uk or visit their website at: https://www.eoeprimarycarecareers.nhs.uk/

Flexible Working – Lantum

The Training Hub recognises that there is a need to support both GPs working as locums and practices requiring the support of a locum. We have therefore partnered with Lantum to create a digital, flexible staff pool. Through this offer, practices can book locums for sessions without paying any agency fees (as long as the locum they are booking is from the BLMK locum pool) and GP locums can easily find roles and get paid the very next day through the Rocket Pay function. GP locums who sign up to the BLMK staff pool can also access the BLMK Training Hub support offers including mentoring and coaching and our Health & Wellbeing App (ShinyMind).

If you are a practice wanting to sign up to Lantum then you can do this here: https://info.lantum.com/blmk-pm-signup

If you are a GP locum wanting to sign up to the Lantum flexible pool then you can do this here: https://info.lantum.com/blmk-staff-signup

Health & Wellbeing Support

The BLMK Training Hub has a variety of Health & Wellbeing support available for all staff working in Primary Care which includes free access to the ShinyMind app. For more information about these offers please visit our Health & Wellbeing page here: link to page here