Appendix C - Categories defined as NHS employment
January 2005
1 Model terms and conditions for salaried GPs employed by both General Medical Services (GMS) practices and Primary Care Organisations (PCOs) were published in April 2003 as part of the supporting documentation to the new GMS contract. In accordance with clause 10 NHS Employment is defined as the total periods of employment by a National health Service Trust, Primary Care Trust, Strategic health Authority or Special Health Authority, or any of its predecessors in title of those bodies or the equivalent bodies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, together with the total periods during which the practitioner provided or performed Primary Medical Services.
2 Not withstanding clause 1 above, a break in service is disregarded as continuity of service (but not counted as a period of NHS Service) when it falls into one of the following categories:
(a) employment under the terms of an honorary contract;
(b) a period of up to 12 months spent abroad as part of a definite programme of postgraduate training on the advice of the Postgraduate Dean or College or Faculty Advisor in the specialty concerned;
(c) a period of voluntary service overseas with a recognised international relief organisation for a period of 12 months which may, exceptionally, be extended for a further 12 months at the discretion of the employer which recruits the employee on her return;
(d) absence on an employment break scheme in accordance with the provisions of Section 6, part C of the Whitley Council Handbook.
(e) absence on maternity leave (paid or unpaid) while in NHS service.