In considering this guidance you should also refer to the following Regulations.

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1 Guidance Notes for Applicants seeking to join the Medical Performers List Bristol, North Somerset, South or Bath and North East Somerset PCT All doctors wishing to work as general practitioners in England must be on the Medical Performers List of a Primary Care Trust (PCT). This guidance should help you to understand the process for making an application to join such a list. Please be aware that if you currently on a Welsh performers list this does not allow you to undertake NHS primary care medical services in England and unlike the Welsh Performer list regulations the English Performer list regulations do not allow for a period of grace whereby you can work while your application is being processed. Therefore you will not be able to undertake NHS primary care medical services until your application has been completed. In considering this guidance you should also refer to the following Regulations. The National Health Service (Performers Lists) Regulations 2004 (as amended) /0585, 2004/2694, 2005/0893, 2005/3491, 2006/1385, 2006/1914, 2007/3101, 2008/1187, 2008/1700 and 2010/412 The process for joining a PCT s Medical Performers List can take up to 12 weeks to complete and in some cases longer and includes a requirement for you to provide detailed information, including undertakings (please see Annex A), certificates, consents, references and declarations. It is important that the information you provide is accurate. It is very important that applicants fully complete the application and declaration forms and provide all the relevant information required under the regulations at the time of the application or in a timely manner if requested during the processing of your application. Please note that if you do not provide requested information within 28 days of the request it may result in your application being refused. When you sign the application form you are signing an undertaking to notify Avon PCSA within seven days of any material change to the information provided in your application up until the time that the application is finally determined and subsequently, whilst your name is included in the Performers List. Applicants should be aware that PCTs need to consider every application very carefully and that there are specified grounds on which a PCT may refuse to include an applicant in its Performers List. For example, if the PCT is not satisfied with the references that have been provided, or if the applicant has not provided satisfactory evidence that he/she intends to perform the services, which those included in the PCT s Performers List perform, in its area, it may refuse the application. The PCT can also refuse applications if it is satisfied that there are any grounds for considering that admitting an applicant to its 1

2 Performers List would be prejudicial to the efficiency of the services, which those included in the List, perform. Please be aware that all applicants are required to have a short face to face meeting and present photo identification prior to inclusion on the list. This can be done when you present your application or at a more convenient time prior to inclusion on the list, but please be aware that you must contact this office prior to your visit to agree a mutually agreeable time otherwise it may result in you having to visit a second time. In certain circumstances, a PCT may defer a decision on a Performer s application to be included in a Performers List. For example, where there is an investigation anywhere in the world relating to the Applicant in his professional capacity that, if adverse, would be likely to lead to his removal from the Performers List, if he were to be included in it. There are other examples as well which you can refer to in the Regulations. The PCT will take into account the question of whether the doctor is suitably experienced and qualified; whether the doctor is an appropriate person to delivery healthcare services to the PCTs patients and whether the doctor is free from regulatory body sanctions, PCT suspensions or national disqualification. In other cases, a PCT may determine that, if an applicant is to be included in its Performers List, he is to be subject to conditions for a set period of time. Applicants who have not worked in NHS Primary Medical Services for a period of time preceding their application may be given a conditional inclusion. This means their inclusion may be subject to specific conditions. These may be as follows: Any work as a doctor must be carried out at a named practice, under supervision of a Doctors at that practice, for a specified time e.g. for a minimum number of sessions a week for 3 or 6 months. The supervising doctor will be asked to provide a report on the applicant after the specified time period. The PCT will review the conditions after the specified time period, taking into account the report, and decide whether to remove the conditions. The applicant must find a practice that is willing to engage them on the above terms, subject to approval of the arrangements by the PCT. In some cases if it is more than 12 months since you have worked as a GP in the NHS Primary Medical Services, or if you have never done so, (this does not apply to GP Registrars undertaking GP training), you may need to ask Severn Deanery to assess your experience. Information about the deanery is available on their website: Please note that applications to join MPL can take up to 12 weeks to complete and in some cases longer, accordingly, you must take this into account if you are seeking to work within the PCT s area. Set out below are some of the other requirements that the PCT will pay particular attention to. Please be aware that all the requirements are of equal importance and therefore must be given your equal attention. 2

3 Which doctors should apply to join a Medical Performers List? All doctors seeking to work in General Practice within the National Health Service (the NHS) whether as: regular staff (ie. partners and salaried doctors), temporary staff (locum doctors) trainee staff (Specialist Trainee (ST) doctors) must apply and, in most cases must be on a Medical Performers List of an English PCT before they can commence work in general practice. An example of an exemption is in the case of ST doctors who may have applied, but whose application is still being considered by a PCT. In that case, in certain circumstances, they may be able to commence work even though the application process has not been completed. Doctors can only be on the Medical Performers List of one English PCT. To which PCT s Medical Performers List should you apply? A doctor on one Medical Performers list can work in any PCT area in England. However a doctor should join the list of the PCT area where they intend to do the majority of the work. Applications will be refused where the doctors are not able to provide evidence that they intend to work in the PCT area. What experience do we look for on your application? All doctors working in general practice in the NHS in the UK, other than doctors in training such as ST doctors, are required to be on the GMC s General Practitioner (GP) Register. This requirement includes locums. The PCT also has to be satisfied that the Applicant is suitably qualified and experienced to work as a GP within the PCT s area. As aforementioned applicants who have not worked in NHS primary care medical services for a period of time preceding their application may be given a conditional inclusion. This means their inclusion may be subject to specific conditions. Criminal Records Bureau check: As part of your performer s list application process you must undergo a check by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). Once your performer list application is received we will request that the HR Dept of the PCT whose list you are joining to send you the relevant CRB forms. The CRB check is usually the most time consuming part of any performer s list application process so you are advised to give it your urgent attention in order to avoid unnecessary delays in including you on the performers list. If you have spent more than 3 months working or living abroad you will be asked to present a CRB or certificate of conduct from the relevant country. Language requirements: The PCT must be satisfied that all applicants have the knowledge of English, which in their own interests and those of their patients, is necessary in performing the services, which those included in the relevant performers list perform, in its area. Applicants who did not obtain their Medical qualification from an English speaking country and who were not trained in English must provide evidence of sufficient Knowledge of English. 3

4 The PCT will accept An original IELTS or equivalent certificate showing: That you have taken the academic version of the IELTS or equivalent test. That you have obtained an overall IELTS or equivalent score of 7.0, with minimum scores of 7.0 in each of the areas tested (speaking, listening, reading and writing). This certification must be recent; a certification over 2 years old may not be acceptable. evidence that they pursued part of their education in the UK (for 1 year minimum) evidence that they have been taught in English in a recognised institution abroad (for 1 year minimum) evidence that they have recently passed language tests or obtained certificates of language knowledge provided by recognised institutions outside the UK ; or evidence that they have worked in an English speaking country or in an organisation or institution in which communications were in English; (for 1 year minimum) evidence of having lived in a multi-lingual household in which a relative or carer used English as their primary form of communication. Please be aware that if concerns regarding your knowledge of English are raised during the processing of your application, either from your written application or from your face to face meeting, you will be required to attend a further meeting with the PCT. References We require two recent clinical references from medical colleagues that you have worked with for at least 3 months in the last year. The referees have to be colleagues you have worked with recently if you cannot provide referees from a recent post you must explain why you are unable to provide this. Other Checks General Medical Council (GMC) to confirm the clinicians registration, GP register and licensing status. Please provide original registration documentation. Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) National Health Service Litigation Unit (NHSLA) Family Health Service Appeals Unit (FHSAU) checks must be carried out on all applicants to the performers list before they are included on a performers list to obtain any information held on the individual practitioner. The Fitness to Practice database held by the Avon PCSA which records all decision information disseminated by the General Medical Council on a monthly basis as well has details from all alert letters received from the SHA. Gaps in Professional Experience You must provide an explanation of any gaps in your professional experience. If you have been out of NHS General Practice for over 12 months your application will be referred the PCT clinical governance lead and you may be asked to contact the Severn Deanery to arrange an assessment. Information about the Induction and Refresher Scheme is available on their website: Safeguarding Children (Child Protection) PCT also require that applicants provide evidence that they have completed the Safeguarding Children requirements. You can obtain information regarding this at the following links & 4

5 For additional information the link to the e-learning is: The e-learning initially covers Level 1 and doctors will need to complete some level 3 training as laid out in the Intercollegiate Document - Safeguarding Children and Young People: Roles and Competences for Health Care Staff, September 2010 within 6 months of joining the list. To register clink on the link above, then click on "register" on the left hand side of the page and follow the on-line instructions to register. If you are a GP Specialty Trainee you should already have an RCGP eportfolio account and as such will have had an e-learning account created automatically. Your log-in details will have been ed to you previously, approximately 7 days after you originally registered for the eportfolio account. If you are a qualified GP and do not already have an account you will have to register for an account as per the online instructions, and your log-in details will then be ed to you. Once you have registered you should then go back on the website and click on "log-in to my elearning" at the top right of the page. You then enter their log-in details and select "e- GP" on the left from the drop-down menu. This will take them to the e-gp portal, where they can select all the e-learning. The modules you need are in the subcategory "08 Children and Young People" then select "8d Safeguarding Children" - you should complete all 4 modules which are Level 1 - Safeguarding for all people working in Healthcare, Level 2 - Part A - Recognition, Level 2 Part B - Response in Primary Care, and Level 2 Part C - Recording in Primary care. Each module should take on average 20mins to complete. To prove that you have done the modules, once you've completed them you should then click on "admin" at the top of the home page, then "reports" on the right of the screen. This then produces a list of reports - you should select the one that says "User e-gp learner COMPLETED sessions" then click on the "run" icon to the right on the same line. You will then be prompted to enter the start and end dates for when you did the learning and click on "run" again. This will bring up a report with your GMC number, name, which modules you completed, when you did them and how long you took to complete each module. You can then print this off and send it to PCSA. 5

6 Withdrawn or application which are not proceeded with. If you withdraw or do not proceed with an application the PCT reserve the right to notify relevant organisations of the reason for the withdraw in accordance with regulation 20 (1) (a) of the regulations. Annual Appraisal All GPs on the Medical Performers List will be required to undergo annual appraisal according to the national guidance available at Change of details. Please be aware that you must notify Avon PCSA of your contact details if they change. In accordance with the regulations a PCT may remove a doctor who has not worked in their area for 12 months. If you do not notify Avon PCSA of a change of contact details it may result in you being removed without your knowledge. If you are not on a Medical Performers List then it is illegal for you to perform NHS primary medical services and you cannot be paid for any NHS work undertaken. Change of status. If your role changes for example from registrar to salaried doctor, or from partner to locum, then you need to inform the PCT so that we can amend your details. This also enables any pension contributions to be collected appropriately. If you are in any doubt as to your eligibility to join the Medical Performers List, you can get advice from the contracts team on

7 Annex A In accordance with the NHS (Performers Lists) Regulations 2004 (as amended). A performer, who is included in a performers list of a PCT, shall make a declaration to the PCT in writing within 7 days of its occurrence, if he/she (a) is convicted of any criminal offence in the United Kingdom; (b) is bound over following a criminal conviction in the United Kingdom; (c) accepts a police caution in the United Kingdom; (d) has accepted and agreed to pay either a procurator fiscal fine under section 302 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995[26] or a penalty under section 115A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992[27]; (e) has, in summary proceedings in Scotland in respect of an offence, been the subject of an order discharging him absolutely (without proceeding to conviction); (f) is convicted elsewhere of an offence, or what would constitute a criminal offence if committed in England and Wales; (g) is charged in the United Kingdom with a criminal offence, or is charged elsewhere with an offence which, if committed in England and Wales, would constitute a criminal offence; (h) is informed by any licensing, regulatory or other body of the outcome of any investigation into his professional conduct, and there is a finding against him; (i) becomes the subject of any investigation into his professional conduct by any licensing, regulatory or other body; (j) becomes subject to an investigation into his professional conduct in respect of any current or previous employment, or is informed of the outcome of any such investigation, where it is adverse; (k) becomes to his knowledge the subject of any investigation by the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service in relation to fraud, or is informed of the outcome of such an investigation, where it is adverse; (l) becomes the subject of any investigation by another Primary Care Trust or equivalent body, which might lead to his removal from any list or equivalent list; or (m) is removed, contingently removed or suspended from, refused admission to, or conditionally included in, any list or equivalent list, and, if so, he/she shall give details, including approximate dates, and where any investigation or proceedings were or are to be brought, the nature of that investigation or those proceedings, and any outcome. Please be aware that you must also inform the GDC without delay if you are the subject of criminal proceedings anywhere in the world, criminal proceedings arise where you: accept a police caution (or, in Scotland, a fiscal fine) are charged with a criminal offence are convicted of a criminal offence. This does not include road traffic offences where you accept the option of paying a fixed penalty notice. 7