Newly qualified GPs now working in Tesco!

[chocolatenutcase]

This makes me so sad. The state of nhs funding particularly funding to primary care means that newly qualified GPs can't get jobs in the U.K. Sad? No actually I am absolutely furious that the British public are denied decent health care.

What is the role of a physcians associate ,what responsibilities do they have ?
Who monitors them ?

It is the same with hospital doctors - insufficient training posts but plenty of gaps in individual hospitals ending having to resort to agency staff.

Well you should. GP services are commissioned by area, according to a view of local need (and tbh, politics). That story is absolutely true. That's why you may not see it yet where you see-but you will. Sone regions acting as guinea pigs, aka pilots.

Additionally, many medical students find themselves out of work after graduation, because of the changes. Also well documented news. See Guardian. First, importing cheap doctors from abroad who don't expect a training programme, then bringing in unqualified associate physicians to replace them. That isn't supposed to happen in hospitals, but it is happening, because managers are tempted by the cheap cost, when budgets are constrained.

If anyone didn't also think that the Tories had a quiet, softly, softly plan to fuck up the NHS, that would be wrong too. This is it. Alongside privatisation on a piece by piece basis.

@AnnaMagnani and when you visit the doctor, they describe themselves as "one of the medics". I have had that happen to me. Even reception staff describe them as such.

Who monitors them?

Bloody good question. Doctors they work alongside, supposedly. Whilst at the same time, managing their own huge patient workload. And often in a different room. It's a disaster in the making, and highly dangerous for patients.

So they are not registered by any governing body than
That's concerning!

@x2boys From December 2024 PAs will be regulated by the GMC. While it’s good that they’re going to be regulated, having them regulated by the GMC is pissing everyone off: doctors who feel that their registration is being “diluted”, nurses who are annoyed that someone who has done a two year course now “outranks” them etc etc, plus a GMC registration number might make things more confusing for patients. https://www.gmc-uk.org/pa-and-aa-regulation-hub

They are not, @x2boys .

This is from the parliament website

PAs and AAs are not currently subject to statutory regulation. However, the Faculty for Physician Associates holds a voluntary register for PAs. The Royal College of Anaesthetists does likewise for AAs.

lordslibrary.parliament.uk/anaesthesia-associates-and-physician-associates/

Young doctors are raving angry about the whole thing, on top of everything else. That others far less qualified people-often PAID MORE -are taking their jobs whilst they have to trot behind them checking their work and signing their prescriptions. If they don't have time, and mistakes happen, which they will, it is the qualified doctor who would face the GMC disciplinary.

@marmaladeandpeanutbutter From December 2024 they'll be GMC registered, which opens up its own can of worms, tbh.

They are also taking away crucial post qualifying training opportunities from doctors. It's a shocking mess. Worse, the Tories may have invented it but Westminster Streeting did agree the NHS workforce plan, I understand. Whether he agrees all of this, I can't say.

There is a massive shortage of jobs for newly qualified GPs as the NHS funding to pay them has been diverted to support staff. Hopefully an incoming Labour government will sort this out. Wes Streeting is certainly aware of the problem as he has spoken about it.

Yes having had a quick Google they start on about £43,000 which is far more than a newly qualified Dr or a nurse with several.years experience ,and they only do two years training ,very worrying .

So unless you are a subscriber to GP weekly you cannot read the actual article - and we all know that headlines are clickbait. I suspect there is a back story to this one as my neighbours are both GPs and say that the they cannot get a new GPs.

This is partly because many GPs who are married/starting families/have kids will be selective about where they work (ie they want nice areas with good schools, so working in deprived or very urban areas is not for them); and also because in the nice areas newly qualifieds, with as much as £100k of student debt, cannot afford to rent/buy in those areas. Double whammy of issues.

I would suspect the headliner in this case falls in these categories - ie, that cannot get a job in an area they want/can afford to work in.

People like to write dramatic stuff like that on social media for attention. I would be surprised if there are no GP positions available anywhere and anyway, why Tesco when this person will have a degree and be highly qualified? Why not work in medical sales or in a lab? I am a qualified lawyer (although i work in HE now) and if I lost my job, yes i COULD apply to stack shelves in Asda but equally there will be a number of other roles that match my qualifications better and which of course pay better.

My guess is this person is about to be struck off for misconduct or are just attention seeking. In HE, I have seen people who I know for a fact to be on circa 65k (our salary bands are published openly) talk on social media about living on poverty wages and contemplating using food banks. That’s why I take stuff like this with a pinch of salt.

They probably aren't at the point where they want to retrain or do a whole new career so have taken something which doesn't require much training in the hope they don't have to give up everything they have worked for or move abroad. The situation with GPS being unemployed is hopefully temporary but it is certainly happening.

Have they said that in the last few months though? Things have dramatically changed recently.

Yes, it is a real mess. I hope it is sorted out soon before all the training is wasted.

Just googled/REED employment searched - 15+ GP jobs within 15miles of my location (all different locations, so not same job different site), all posted within last 30 days; 3 in my actual town itself.

There will be a lot more gps looking for jobs than that at the moment.

Although not a GP myself but with a similarly stressful job there are times when a temp job in Waitrose is quite appealing (although would miss my salary)

REED employment is not where a GP would look for jobs. Their information is likely just imported andnot accurate.

For example I've just looked near me, they say there are 4 jobs but none of them are actually for GPs when you check the adverts.

If you aren't in health then I guess recruitment and job adverts are very different.

What's wrong with working for tesco. Presumably they've chosen to apply. What role are they doing at tesco? If it's checkouts or something maybe the hours suit them.

And? What's wrong with tesco?

Nothings wrong with Tesco.

However if you have spent at least 10 years of your life working very hard in training, having to do high level postgraduate exams along the way, accumulating tens of thousands in debt on the basis this was a job the country desperately needed, I think most of us would be livid to be told 'sorry no, government changed it's mind. Could you do something else please?'

Maybe life changed for them and now they are happy working in tesco. They could be on a management training course or they might want to deliver food or whatever