Information sheet - GP trainees subcommittee


Updated February 2008 This document is for circulation to all GP traines in the UK by deaneries and trainers and could be incorporated in the local GP trainees’ induction pack and/or training day.

What is the GP trainees subcommittee?
The GP trainees subcommittee is a subcommittee of the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) of the BMA. The GPC is the only fully inclusive, nationally based, organisation which represents all GPs, whether BMA or non-BMA members, principals, non-principals, salaried GPs, Personal Medical Services (PMS) doctors and GP trainees.

The subcommittee represents all GP trainees on a national basis. It is made up of representatives from every region of England, plus one each from Wales and Northern Ireland and three from Scotland. Representatives are elected annually by regional GP trainees committees or their national equivalent and are doctors in training in their GP trainee year or in a hospital post. This also includes those doctors who are on self-construct or rotational training schemes, be they in a hospital or a general practice setting.

The interests of other committees and organisations are also represented on the subcommittee. These include members attending from the BMA's General Practitioners Committee, the Junior Doctors Committee, the Medical Students Committee, the Specialists Registrars subcommittee (of the Committee for Public Health Medicine and Community Health), the Armed Forces Committee and the Royal College of General Practitioners. In turn, subcommittee representatives also attend these committees’ meetings.

What does the GP trainees subcommittee do?
It considers all matters of interest to those doctors in training for general practice. It also negotiates matters of pay and terms and conditions, and responds to national and government consultations that might affect GP trainees and their training. In addition it organises the National Conference for GPs to Be every year.

Most recent successes include improving sick leave provisions for GP trainees so that they mirror those as for junior hospital doctors, improving the excess rent allowance and agreeing protection of salary for staff grade doctors and others who transfer to GP training. It was also able to negotiate an increase in the GP trainees’ supplement from 50% to 65% from 1 April 2003. It continues to push for increases to the motor vehicle allowance, improved flexible GP trainees’ pay and for maternity leave payments to be brought into line with those of junior hospital doctors.

Current work continues to focus on improving GP trainees’ remuneration as well as looking at trainees’ working hours and out-of-hours training and how this will operate under the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract.

How can I find out more about the GP trainees subcommittee?
Further information can be found on the GP trainees pages of the BMA website - read more here.

How can I contact my regional representative on the GP trainees subcommittee?
Details of the subcommittee’s membership can be found on the BMA website. You will find a list of all the subcommittee members and their email addresses.

What other information can I find on the GP trainees’ webpages?
Items include newsletters, guidance notes, a discussion forum, press releases, useful addresses and information on the annual National Conference for GPs to Be to name a few.

To receive an email alert when new e-bulletins and newsletters are produced, members should login to the BMA website, go to ‘My BMA’ and following the links for ‘Email alerts’ - go there now.

I’m interested in getting involved with the GP trainees subcommittee. How do I go about it?
Firstly get in contact with your regional trainee committee (your deanery should know if one exists) and find out if your region has a representative on the subcommittee. If there is no representative then arrange for elections to take place and for yourself to be nominated to the subcommittee. The local BMA office should also be able to assist in this regard.

In Wales, the University of Wales College of Medicine (UWCM) elects its representative at the annual vocational training day.

In Northern Ireland, a GP trainee is elected annually by GP trainees under the auspices of the Northern Ireland Council for Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education.

In Scotland, there are three constituencies based on the five GP regions namely: West of Scotland/South East Scotland/North of Scotland, North East Scotland and East of Scotland. Nominations will be sought when a vacancy occurs by GPC contacting the National Co-ordinator for Primary Care at NHS Education for Scotland who will ensure all GP trainees in the region and those currently on vocational schemes are invited to self nominate. In the case of more than one nomination being received, the region(s) will arrange a ballot of current GP registrars in post. The National Co-ordinator will inform the GPC secretariat of the outcome of the process.

In England, the thirteen regions covered are Northern, Yorkshire, Trent, East Anglia, London (NW), London (NE), London (S), Wessex, Oxford, South Western, West Midlands, Mersey and North Western.

You will find getting involved with the subcommittee will give you an opportunity to network and share ideas and experiences as well as raise issues of local and national concern with other GPs in training and take forward issues which are important to you.

Why is it so important that you have my views?
How else can we find out what is going right and more importantly what is going wrong with GP registrar training? By raising local concerns either with your local BMA office if you are a BMA member, or nationally, via the subcommittee you can help to represent your region and influence the local and national situation for you and your fellow registrars. In turn you may be able to shape British Medical Association (BMA) policy and provide the evidence to help take forward issues relating to national negotiations.

If I have a problem, who should I contact?
In the first instance, have a chat with your trainer or fellow trainees. You may wish to contact your regional representative who can raise your concerns at a national level if they cannot be resolved locally. If you are a BMA member, then you can seek personal advice by calling askBMA on 0870 60 60 828 for any queries concerning your pay or terms and conditions.

How can I become a BMA member?
Contact the Membership & Professional Records Department, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JP or email: membership@bma.org.uk and the relevant forms will be sent to you.

Whether you are a BMA member or not, it is important we have your contact details in order that documents can be sent to you.

To update your contact details please telephone the BMA's Membership and Professional Records Department on 020 7383 6595 or email membership@bma.org.uk

If you should have any comments on or suggestions for this Information Sheet please email Angela Button at abutton@bma.org.uk.

© British Medical Association 2008

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