GP Survival have had confirmation from NHS England’s Pensions Review team that GPs moving area, or starting work after qualifying, do not need to be on the Performer’s List to work.
This is confirmed on the PCSE website, which states:
- GP registrars who have newly-qualified can work wherever they wish to while a Performer’s List change happens, as long as they have notified PCSE of their change in circumstances – they do not need to be on the Performer’s List at the time they start work.
- The change in Performer’s List status does not require approval from NHS England’s medical director, nor from an individual’s Responsible Officer, as this is a routine administrative process.
- Should a medical director or delegated officer receive an enquiry regarding a GP’s status either from the recently-qualified trainee or an organisation wishing to use their services, MDs or their delegated officers should assure themselves that the trainee has completed their training by either checking the GMC register, and or liaising with HEE if they are a GP registrar. If the MD or their delegated officer can assure themselves via this route, the trainee should be permitted to practise independently whilst the administrative change in status is undertaken.
- If a GP trainee knows that they plan to move areas after qualification, they can submit an application to PCSE to change their Performer’s List status, and PCSE know that they can start checks at that point without waiting for the individual to get their CCT. Although the ongoing process may still take 12 weeks from qualification, it will not delay anyone from working in future.
This followed GP Survival raising the case of Dr. Jenny Hartley with NHS England – her story has been covered in Pulse, and illustrates the problems the Performer’s List has caused – she was told by PCSE/Capita that she would be unable to work for up to 12 weeks after CCT while they sorted out her performer’s list, and that they could not start the process in advance as she had asked.
The repercussions of this for individuals left unable to earn or work after completing training have been huge, and we know of dozens of GPs who’ve been affected historically, some for up to six months, dating back to at least 2017. At the time, the Department of Health declined to compensate them for the earnings they lost due to the administrative failings the department oversaw.
If you are moving area, or finishing training (CCT-ing), please ensure that you have submitted the appropriate form to update your performer’s list status. These can be found on NHSE’s website, linked from the Performer’s List website, and there are different forms if you’re moving within-area or to a new area. Once this is submitted, you are able to work normally pending the change.
GP Survival will continue to discuss the purpose of the Performer’s list in light of this change, and we are grateful to Dr. Jenny Hartley for raising her situation with us, and to NHS England’s pensions team for ensuring that bureaucratic box-ticking will not in future prevent doctors from working, nor patients from receiving care.