Welsh surgeries have suffered further recruitment problems purely due to having separate performers lists for England and Wales, the British Medical Association Cymru Wales (BMA CW) argued today.
In response to a consultation by the Welsh government on encouraging recruitment, BMA CW said: “We explained in [evidence to the Commons Welsh affairs committee] that there had been a negative impact on recruitment to GP practices in Wales owing to GPs on the English performers list not being immediately able, as a result, to take up vacancies that may exist in practices in Wales.”
The Welsh government wants to change the law so it is easier for GPs registered in England to also work in Wales for short periods of time, without needing to make a full application to join a Welsh health board’s “performers list”.
The Welsh Government is proposing that English GPs are included on a health board performers list once their applications have been received, while validation checks are carried out.
BMA CW’s statement continued: “We also said that having separate lists can prevent GP colleagues in nearby practices on either side of the border from simply being able to cover for each other… having separate lists also limits the availability of locums for border practices, as locums on the English performers list aren’t then easily able to undertake shifts in Welsh practices and vice versa.”
