Workforce & Careers
Retention & Recruitment
International Recruitment and Skilled Worker Sponsorship (formerly Tier 2)
Support for newly qualified non-European Economic Area (EEA) GP trainees
NHS England acts as the proxy visa sponsor for international medical graduates on the GP Training Programme that require visas to live and train in the United Kingdom (UK).
After completing their training, these GPs either need to return overseas, find employment with an employer that holds a skilled worker visa or if they have already been in the UK for five years or more apply to normalise their status as a UK resident. This visa has replaced the Tier 2 one and allows individuals to come to or stay in the UK to work in an eligible job with an approved employer.
Becoming a UK Visa Sponsoring Practice
Gaining the right to be a UK visa sponsoring practice has many advantages and could form an important part of your general practice workforce planning because you need a sponsorship licence to employ someone to work for you from outside the UK.
In addition to the Skilled Worker Visa, qualified GPs working in health or adult social care are also eligible to apply for the Health and Care Worker visa instead. This is the visa which doctors applying for the International Induction Programme will need.
If your practice has GP vacancies, or is likely to have vacancies in the future, obtaining a sponsorship licence will help ensure that you maximise your opportunities to recruit into these roles.
Comprehensive current Home Office guidance on how to apply for a licence, sponsor a worker and your duties as a licenced sponsor for a worker on this route can be found here Workers and Temporary Workers: sponsor a skilled worker (accessible) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Hosting an International Medical Graduate (IMG) in your Surgery
Being an International Medical Graduate (IMG)
More information and support for practices
- Here is the UK visa sponsorship guide for employers on GOV.UK.
- Email for dedicated and prioritised visa support and advice for any NHS staff including GPs and practices: UKVINHSTeam@homeoffice.gov.uk.
- For further guidance on the sponsor licence application process please see the GP Practices Sponsor Licence Process webinar produced by the legal firm Magrath Sheldrick in association with the BMA. This is approximately 30 minutes long and provides step by step information about the application process together with the sponsor compliance requirements to hold a licence.
- For guidance on the difference between Skilled Worker and Health and Care Visa, here is some information from the Immigration Advice Service FAQs (an OISC Accredited UK immigration legal firm): Difference Between Skilled Worker Visa & Health and Care Visa (iasservices.org.uk).
- The British Medical Association (BMA) also provides an immigration advice service to its members via support@bma.org.uk.
- Here is the link to the NHS Employers International Recruitment Toolkit.
- For more information visit the NHS Futures Collaboration platform: https://future.nhs.uk/connect.ti/InternationalRecruitment/grouphome?done=OBJChangesSaved&sm_newemail=.
Trust Temps
Temporary Recruitment – Trust Temps
Do you use temporary administration staff? Is it hard to find good people and is time consuming?
Answer: Sign up to be part of the Dorset HealthCare bank administration system; Trust Temps.
The Primary Care Training Hub is funding the cost of accessing the Dorset HealthCare bank administration system for practices in Dorset.
The Bank Staff
- Receptionists, administrators, medical secretaries
- They will have been fully interviewed and had all their recruitment checks completed
- They will have completed all their statutory and mandatory training
- We are also working to ensure they will be fully trained in using system 1
Roles Available
Receptionist
Administrator
Medical Secretary
Hourly rates are in line with Agenda for Change pay bands appropriate for the role.
Do you want to use a Trust Temp? Please contact dhc.trust.temps@nhs.net or on 01202 277152.
Retention
To view resources from the NHS Leadership Academy, please click here.
To view resources from NHS Employers, please click here.
National GP retention Scheme
The GP Retention Scheme is a package of financial and educational support to help doctors, who might otherwise leave the profession, remain in clinical general practice.
The scheme is aimed at doctors who are seriously considering leaving or have left general practice due to personal reasons (caring responsibilities or personal illness), approaching retirement or requiring greater flexibility. The scheme supports both the retained GP and the practice employing them by offering financial support in recognition of the fact that this role is different to a ‘regular’ part-time, salaried GP post, offering greater flexibility and educational support.