THE NHS has launched a ‘brilliant scheme’ offering financial support for the caring of children or family members of doctors returning to general practice.
Qualified GPs rejoining the NHS or coming from abroad will now be able to claim up to £2,000 if “family responsibilities would be a barrier to completing the necessary training”, NHS England said in statement.
The funding plan was announced last week to bolster the Induction and Refresher Scheme introduced in 2016, which had encouraged at least 500 GPs, including those practising abroad, to join the NHS.
It was implemented as part of a raft of measures aimed to deliver 6,000 more doctors and 26,000 additional supporting roles within the NHS, primarily to increase the number of services available for patients close to their homes.
NHS England said the new offer was in addition to the £3,500 bursary and other benefits GPs on the scheme were already entitled to.
Returning GPs were earlier offered a re-location package of up to £18,500, reimbursement of occupational health checks, four fully funded attempts at the assessments, and access to a national procedural support team.
Doctors already enrolled under the scheme can claim caring costs retrospectively up to April 1 this year, the NHS said.
By the end of May this year 1,000 doctors had applied to join the NHS, and 500 had completed the training, it added.
Dr Nikki Kanani, medical director for primary care at NHS England, said: ““GPs, like those in any other walk of life, might take time out from their career to raise a family which can bring additional challenges, move or work abroad or gain experience in a different profession or role.
“But whatever the reason, there is a direct route for those that wish to return to a career in NHS general practice, at a time when the NHS needs all the expertise it can draw on to help in the ongoing response to coronavirus – and thanks to this brilliant scheme, it has never been easier.”
NHS England said the scheme was developed with Health Education England in partnership with the Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association.
Dr Samira Anane, BMA GP committee workforce policy lead, said general practice continued to face a “desperate need of doctors”.
“Therefore, it makes no sense for childcare and other caring responsibilities to be a barrier for those GPs who want to offer their valuable and much-needed skills to the NHS,” she added.
“These may be doctors who have taken time away from practice to have children and we must do all we can to support them when they want to return to the frontline.
“We are glad that this support – already available to employed workers – is now available to those on this scheme, and, after pressure from the BMA, has been extended to returning GPs with other caring responsibilities as well.
“We are committed to supporting a diverse workforce, and doctors should not be forced to choose between caring for their families or caring for patients. We hope these changes will allow more skilled GPs back into the workforce.”
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