BLAG

Bath Locum and Assistants Group

What is BLAG?

BLAG is a group set up to support GP locums & assistants working in Bath & the surrounding area.

Many of us don’t go from VTS straight into partnership. We tend to spend a year or so doing locums or being employed as an assistant in a practice. When we do this we leave the familiarity & support of our training practice & trainer and we no longer attend the day release course that provided us with education & a network of supportive peers.

BLAG aims to fill the gap.

We are a group of non principals (locums & assistants/salaried GPs) who come together for both educational meetings and nights down the pub!

What do we do?

The committee tries to arrange educational meetings every 4-6weeks and a regular night out for beers. The educational meetings are normally held in a restaurant in Bath with drug-sponsored meal after the presentation.

Examples of recent meetings include

• Dr Stephen Locke (GP trainer) explaining the implications of the New GP Contract,
• Mr Gallegos helped us through “Men’s Health”
• Mr Canter (Consultant ENT) guided us through “Dizziness”
• we had a dietician who gave us a very informative meeting on irritable bowel, Atkins diet & food intolerances, and
• last but not least, our own Dr Fiona Fenton-Carroll spoke about her drugs work, and management of the addict.
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We welcome suggestions of educational requirements from members and help arranging meetings if members have contacts.

Social evenings involve nomination of a pub & a date and a casual gathering of members to catch up on gossip… good & bad experiences of work, holidays recently been on or planned...

We also act as “go between” between practices and members. Practice managers often contact committee members for names of available locums & we forward advertisements to members re job vacancies both permanent & temporary (maternity locum work).

Who should you contact?

There are 6 committee members who meet every 6 weeks or so to arrange the above. We can help re advice for those setting up as a locum (eg finding work, conditions, supplementary list, pension, tax…) or those interested in assistant posts (eg negotiating conditions of work with practices).

If you wish to join BLAG or want more information please contact a committee member:

Rachel Beswick: email rbeswick@doctors.org.uk

Fiona Fenton: email ffcarroll@doctors.org.uk