Returning to work after a break
Back to work
Returning back to work after maternity
leave or after a period of illness (or if you have had some time
away for another reason) can seem quite daunting, but you should
remember that you are not the first doctor to be in this position.
You may not have opened a medical journal since your last job or
feel you are ready to start performing practical procedures right
away, however there are some ideas that can help you boost your
confidence:
- Approach a specific trust (either a local trust or one you have
previously worked in) and ask to do an unpaid clinical attachment
for a couple of weeks to reacclimatise.
- On starting, if you are not in a training post with an
educational supervisor, ask for a mentor to discuss a personal
development plan.
- Request to go on a course to update your skills
- Talk to other doctors that have been in this position
- Remind yourself of all your accomplishments to date, remember
you are a qualified doctor!
- Don’t try too hard to do everything, remember to give yourself
a bit of a break from time to time (this applies to ‘work’ at home
e.g. house work, as well as your professional work)
- Keep a ‘reflective diary’ of your daily achievements. This will
help you to look back on events and the achievements which you did
well and are proud of. It can also help you to think about ways to
improve your work, and to think about how you may be able to do
something better next time.
New! April 2012
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has published
information for those returning
to practice. The background report can also be downloaded
here.
GMC registration and licence for those returning to
medicine
Since 2009 doctors in order to practice in the
UK, need to hold a GMC licence as well as needing to be registered
with the GMC. This would mean that for returnees you will need to
apply for the licence even if you have previously (before 2009)
been registered before the licensing arrangements came into
place.
If you have been overseas in a medical related
job and are returning back to the UK, then you will need to contact
the GMC with proof and references for what you have been doing in
order to apply for your license. According to GMC, ‘a certificate
of good standing from any medical regulatory authority in the
countries in which they have practised or held registration in the
last five years (where such authorities do not exist, employer
reference/s will be required)’.Source: page B21 in the
following document:
http://www.gmc-uk.org/6a___Annex_B___Licences_to_Practise__Consultation_Report_and_Approval_of_Draft_Guidance_for_Doctors.pdf_25400190.pdf
Those who have been out of medicine for some
time should contact the GMC as a period of retraining may be
appropriate prior to being granted a license to practice and you
would also be advised to also contact the appropriate Royal
College.
The GMC also have guidelines about Approved
Practice Settings. They say ‘IMGs and UK graduates new to full
registration with a licence to practice, or those returning to the
medical register with a licence to practice after prolonged absence
from UK practice, are required to work initially within an approved
practice setting.’ See:
http://www.gmc-uk.org/doctors/before_you_apply/approved_practice_settings.asp
GMC contact: http://www.gmc-uk.org/about/contacts.asp
GP Returner and Retainer schemes:
The Royal College of GPs has FAQ's around
Career Breaks. You can find the details from their website:
http://www.rcgp.org.uk/_revalidation/revalidation_-_faq/career_breaks.aspx.
There is also a retainer scheme available for
those in General Practice and it is designed for doctors who are
able to do only a small amount of paid work for a period and who
want to keep in touch with general practice. It enables the GP to
retain their skills and continue their careers, with a view to
returning to NHS general practice in the future.
The Department of Health website states in a letter dated
27th January 2006 addressed to SHAs, PCT sand Trust Directors
of Finance; CEs; HR Directors; Postgraduate
Deans that :
'The Flexible Careers and Returner Schemes have been very
useful measures to encourage more part-time and flexible working
arrangement for doctors and GPs and to provide support to those
wanting to return to work. With the introduction of flexible
working legislation and successful implementation of modern HR
practices, flexible working is now more readily available in the
NHS for all staff groups. SHA colleagues were made aware last year
that the management and funding of these schemes were under review
with the aim to devolving the schemes locally.'
So if you are interested in find out about
local returner and/or retainer schemes, it is best to check with
your deanery.
It would also be recommended that you contact
the appropriate Royal College, as they may well also be able to
give you advice.
Working less than full time
See our information on LTFT training.
Support from colleagues
Medicine is not a 9 to 5 job and so it is
often difficult for Less Than Full Time Trainees to leave on
time. Some colleagues may not be as supportive as others and may be
resentful of you leaving at the exact time agreed in your contract
in situations where they have to stay on if the workload suddenly
increases. If you have caring responsibilities e.g. you need to
pick up your children, then you cannot be too late and, although it
is hard to do, you should not feel guilty about leaving on time.
You have outside responsibilities and your colleagues may find
themselves in a similar situation in the future.
If you have a disability which means that
there are some aspects of your work which you need your colleagues
to help you with, you may also find that some colleagues are
resentful, rather than helpful. It is good to remember that support
for disabled doctors has been written in to the ‘Curriculum of the
foundation years’ published by the Department of Health. The
curriculum emphasizes communication skills and includes the
understanding of the needs of disabled colleagues and patients as a
core competency. So, again, you should not feel guilty about
relying on your colleagues for support.