Expenses

Reimbursement of Medical Defence Fees

GPs and GP registrars are not covered by the NHS Indemnity scheme and therefore have to seek their own indemnity against claims from patients. So, the SHO subscription you have been paying won’t be enough for your work in a GP practice and you have to pay extra (don’t worry though as you can get this money reimbursed).

A few months before moving into practice (both as an ST1/2 and ST3) you should contact your defence union and they will let you know how much you have to pay. In general it is around £1000 extra for 6 months and double this for 12 months. Due to this large price difference between the hospital & GP subscriptions, Health Education England (Wessex) will reimburse you the extra so that you, in effect, pay the same as your hospital colleagues.

You can pay this as either a one off lump sum or in monthly installments. Your defence organisation will send you renewal documentation/receipt for this payment and then when you start as a registrar ask your practice manager for the reimbursement forms. Complete & send off all the paper work & hopefully you will get the money back within 8 weeks either added to your pay packet or as a separate cheque.

Medical defence organisations available:

• The MDU
• Medical Protection 
• MDDUS

Mileage Claims

During GP placements you are able to claim mileage for your drive to and from work on days that you undertake a home visit.

The rules are that:

“No mileage allowance shall be payable to a GP Registrar for their normal daily journey between their home and the practice premises except that a mileage allowance shall be payable for one return journey on any day between their home and the practice premises, up to a maximum of ten miles in each direction, when they subsequently use their car on an official journey on that day."

You will need to keep a record of your mileage and get this countersigned by your trainer. You are then able to claim this allowance through your training practice who, in turn, claim reimbursement from Health Education England (Wessex). Trainees and practices should ensure that they keep a record of any mileage claims for up to 6 years for tax purposes. Ask your trainer or practice manager for more details.

Please see the expenses section of the Health Education England (Wessex) website for the relevant forms.