Column

A job in the city

Katy Gardner finds life as an inner city GP has been transformed by becoming an employee

It is just a year since I stopped being an ‘independent contractor’ GP for ever and became a salaried employee of North Mersey Community Trust as part of a Primary Care Act pilot (PCAP) in Toxteth, Liverpool. It was a beautiful spring day and I bought a new hat (there are few occasions where buying a hat is justified but this has proved to be one). healthmatters readers may recall my trials and tribulations as an inner city GP — but now my life is transformed.

First, last year I was able to go on sabbatical (this was thanks to Liverpool HA rather than the trust) and then was allowed by HA and trust to make that giant leap for a GP: becoming an employee. I am now a consultant in primary care. I have a consultant salary and a consultant contract (for which I am much indebted to the Medical Practitioners’ Union and the BMA for help and advice).

Recently our practice had a vacancy for a GP. Instead of the previous crises and long term recruiting difficulties we had several good applicants, the best of whom confessed that he wanted to join a PCAP and especially become salaried as he felt it was the way forward for primary care in deprived areas. We also have a senior registrar post (formerly an associate post with the HA) which provides an opportunity for GPs who have finished their vocational training to get a taste of salaried inner city practice. Last week my former partners finally shared out the remaining assets from the practice and ceased to exist as a partnership.

I would never go back now. In terms of improving our service and doing things differently things have moved slowly. We all feel much more equal with our nursing colleagues, but then we were already working well as a team. Changing the way we work will take time and much of the last year has been taken up with staff adjusting to change and with the administration of dissolving the partnership and providing escape clauses if things go wrong — which we hope we’ll never need. But the good news is that we have done it and anyone who wants to follow in our footsteps will have a much easier time. The paperwork and legal documents are available and anyone is welcome to see them and to contact us for information, ideas or just as a sounding board. Finally, thanks a million to colleagues in the MPU who inspired us with the vision of a salaried service over many years. Forward into the millennium and a new future!

Contact Katy Gardner on 0151 728 8313 or email katy@papaya.demon.co.uk