Query regarding Locum GP cover arrangements

onetrueone

Hi all, A Medical Colleague who is a Respiratory Registrar but does Locum GP work at weekends in a GP practice, told me that this weekend coming would be his last covering the Saturdays at the GP practice as the implentation of the Medical council act 2008 forbids any Doctor practicing Medicine in any area outside of their training i.e. He can't do Locum work as a Doctor in GP practices as he's not trained as a GP.
Does anyone know more about this?
Any links etc would be greatly appreciated.
The implications for out of hours cover (D-Doc etc) are immense!
Thanks in advance.

Ihaveanopinion

Well, i know that the Medical Practicioners Act made changes to Medical Registration.

If you are on an SpR, you are meant to be registered on the Trainee Specialist register. This states that you are only registered to work in the hospital that has your numbered training post, so not in a GP locum

http://www.medicalcouncil.ie - look at the Registration section for the details

onetrueone

Ihaveanopinion wrote: »

Well, i know that the Medical Practicioners Act made changes to Medical Registration.

If you are on an SpR, you are meant to be registered on the Trainee Specialist register. This states that you are only registered to work in the hospital that has your numbered training post, so not in a GP locum

http://www.medicalcouncil.ie - look at the Registration section for the details

So would this mean that only Doctors on GP training schemes (and qualified GP's obviously) are entitled as per the Medical Practitioners Act to work as Locum Doctors in GP practices?

Are the Doctors not on any specialist training schemes entitled to work as Locums in GP practices e.g.'s out of hours cover at the weekend, covering sickness etc?

Sorry to be a pain but I can't find the answers to these questions on the medical council website.

Thanks

RobFowl

onetrueone wrote: »

So would this mean that only Doctors on GP training schemes (and qualified GP's obviously) are entitled as per the Medical Practitioners Act to work as Locum Doctors in GP practices?

Are the Doctors not on any specialist training schemes entitled to work as Locums in GP practices e.g.'s out of hours cover at the weekend, covering sickness etc?

Sorry to be a pain but I can't find the answers to these questions on the medical council website.

Thanks

It's unclear at the moment as that section of the medical practitioners acts has not yet been enacted.
Basically if you are in a recognised training position then no you cannot work as a GP locum. If you are on the general or GP specialist register then at present you can do GP locum work.
D-Doc already insist that the doctors there are either GP trained or have 3 years GP experience.
In the future when the full act is implimented then only doctors on the GP specialist register will be allowed work as GP's. When that happens is not yet known.

Ihaveanopinion

Here is the relevant paragraph from the medical council

Limitations of Trainee Specialist Registration
Trainee specialist registration does not permit the practice of medicine outside of the clinical site/health service setting stated on the Certificate of Registration. Trainee specialist registration permits the prescribing of controlled drugs only for those patients of the clinical site/health service setting in which the medical practitioner is employed.

tallaght01

I think this all makes sense.

I don't know if the respiratory reg is the best person to assess a kiddy's abdo pain. Or developmental delay. Or the old lady's downstairs prolapse etc.

GPs are, by and large, really good at what they do. They know lots about lots of stuff. I wouldn't be able to go out tomorrow and function well as a GP.

I guess the out of hours emergency stuff is probably fair enough, though. I've never been convinced that "emergency" GP cover is a good use of their resources. But, when A+E i so crappy, I guess it's always going to be needed.

AmcD

The last non-GP locum I worked with, was a renal reg who wasn't comfortable seeing women or children. This was a bit constricting for both of us as he kept calling me in to see patients he wasn't sure of.
Having said that, I would be a little more than useless in the local renal outpatients clinic.

Vorsprung

AmcD wrote: »

The last non-GP locum I worked with, was a renal reg who wasn't comfortable seeing women or children. This was a bit constricting for both of us as he kept calling me in to see patients he wasn't sure of.
Having said that, I would be a little more than useless in the local renal outpatients clinic.

Yea but I bet you don't do too many locums in your local renal OPD!