-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Hawking <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 17 August 1998 06:09
Subject: Re: Salaried service
[log in to unmask]> writes
>>>What would be the advantages and disadvantages? I would welcome a
salaried
>>>service.
>>>
>>Do you not need an answer to your question before you know that you
>>would welcome it?
>
>So, what *would* be the advantages and disadvantages?
>To start the debate - on the disadvantage side, loss of expenss on
>Income Tax (presumably compensated by the employer taking over the
>expenses..) , and - um - loss of - um - autonomy? loss of job security?
>loss (I hope!) of responsibility for funding the surgery premises?
>On the advantage side - fixed hours - holidays without guilt - someone
So what are the tax advantages? With current year self assessment, and
increasing restriction on what can be claimed, plus exorbitant accountants
fees I don't think there are many advantages. More and more GPs are finding
out how expensive and worrying nit picking detailed investigations by the
Inland Revenue can be. Your turn will be soon! I think a lot of doctors
would now prefer salaried posts as "consultants in primary care medicine",
with similar contracts to hospital consultants, plus the pension / mobility
advantages, and part time options, without financial committment to premises
etc. It would be nice to have fixed hours, a totally separate out of hours
service, and the ability to do private work "out of hours". Let someone else
worry about all the routine management. Seeing patients is what I went into
medicine for, but give me a fixed contract and I will spend all the time
they want on audit, PCGs, meetings with social services etc etc.
The key to a decent salaried service is in effective national negotiation,
not the piecemeal moves to salaried options which we are now witnessing.
I predict that within 15 years all GPs will either be salaried or working
outside NHS contracts. On the other hand we might just get the necessary 50%
plus pay increase to make current status sustainable! What was that about
"cloud cuckoo land"?
Peter
Fellows.
PS Had two big bottle nosed dolphins with the boat last week, in a channel
through the "Minquiers" south of Jersey -- Very exciting. We,ve had
porpoises before, but not big dolphins. General practice used to give me
that sort of buzz at one time. How things have changed!
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