A recent article published on the GP Online website (http://www.gponline.com/) has stated that
trainee GPs ought to be given resilience training in order to prevent them from
reaching burnout during their career.
GPs face all sorts of pressure during their working life, whether they
are a newly qualified GP or whether they have been in the role for a number of
years. Getting the work-life balance
just right is a tricky task and one which very few GPs get right, but could
working as a locum GP be the answer?
Providing resilience training for GPs was a main topic of
discussion at 2014’s annual RCGP conference which was held in Liverpool. It was felt that whilst trainee GPs are given
adequate training from a clinical point of view, little support or guidance was
offered in relation to how they ought to manage their role from a personal point
of view. Being able to sustain the
amount of time trainees can spend in real life working situations, such as
during half day release, is very important as this time can provide trainees
with a clear idea of the pressures they will be facing on a daily basis. They need to learn and develop tools during
their training on how to handle heavy workloads and difficult situations which
they can rely upon once they are qualified.
Many GPs are turning to locum GP agencies as an alternative
to working in a full time, permanent role.
In fact, around 15,500 GPs in the UK are now working as a locum GP, and
for good reason too:
- Locum GPs can have greater flexibility in terms of choosing their working hours. They may only wish to sign up to work a handful of sessions per week, or they could choose a greater number of hours if they so wished.
- Working as a locum can give more variety, instead of working at the same practice every day, locum GPs can work in an assortment of healthcare settings. This can benefit newly qualified doctors as they may not be sure about which area of practice they wish to follow, or it can help to keep an experienced GP on their toes by having the opportunity to deal with different kinds of patients.
- Working as a locum GP can be financially rewarding for the GP, as they can charge a higher hourly rate than they would receive as a permanent GP.
Of course, working as a Locum GP also means that the
individual does not have the usual stresses and strains which are commonly felt
by employed GPs. It can give them the
flexibility to take time off as and when they need it, meaning they will be
more productive during their working hours.
To find out more about working as a locum GP or to get intouch with a locum GP agency, feel free to take a look at the Locum Select
website.
