London is a fantastic place to live and work. The city is a bustling metropolis with endless choices of where to go and what to do. However, the city ‘paved with gold’ can also be daunting and we do understand how big the decision of relocating is. Where is the best place to live? Where are the best schools? Will my partner be able to find work? These are all completely understandable questions that will arise when considering relocating.
Who’s coming with you?
Whether you are moving on your own or coming with family, the NHS will offer an extensive programme of support. They will help pay for transportation of belongings and pets. London has an excellent job market filled with thriving companies, almost every field of employment is catered for. If your partner is looking for assistance in finding a job, whether that is in healthcare in another profession, the NHS will support them to learn/improve their English language and to find suitable work.
Finding the perfect home
South-East and East London have an array of different boroughs to cater for differing needs. You can choose between leafy areas such as Greenwich, and more urban areas such as Tower Hamlets. The NHS will help with organising transport and finding a home, schools, nurseries and other facilities as well as support with day to day tasks such as setting up a bank account and mobiles phone contracts. Click here for further information on the choice of boroughs to live and work in South East & East London.
What about Brexit?
The UK is in the process of withdrawing from the European Union and a specific agreement has been made that EU citizens living lawfully in the UK before 29 March 2019 will be able to stay and enjoy broadly the same rights and benefits as they do now.
If you are a national in the European Economic Area, you are free to come to the UK for work and a visa is not required. There is no limit to how long you can stay in the UK. Once an EEA national has been in the UK for 5 years, they and their family members can claim permanent residence providing they have been working or self-employed for those 5 years.
Therefore, any GP recruited from the International GP Recruitment programme and working in the UK before 29 March 2019 will be able to stay and enjoy the same rights and benefits as now. The medical qualifications of EU doctors will continue to be recognized if they were obtained before 29 March 2019.
What happens next?
Once you arrive in the UK, you will become part of the International GP training scheme. The NHS will work with you and your GP trainer to develop an education and training package to meet your individual needs. For example, this may include help with developing language skills.
During this period, you will receive a GP training salary of £3,000 net per calendar month up to a maximum of 12 weeks, and £3,500 net per calendar month thereafter until you have gained entry to the National Medical Performers List, which registers that you are suitably qualified, have up to date training, have appropriate English language skills and have passed other relevant checks.
* Some information on this blog has been sourced from NHS England's IGPR (International GP Recruitment) National Prospectus - read the full document here