How To Thrive as a New Resident Doctor in Scotland

Congratulations on your new post as a doctor in Scotland!

It may have been your dream to work here, or it may have been an unexpected move, but we are really pleased to have you here.

This article is a list of things which you may find helpful whilst starting out with your new work in NHS Scotland.

Contracts

If you have not already received your contract, you should do so in the next few weeks. Usually this comes from your employing or lead health board; if you don’t receive it, you should contact your human resources (HR) representative. It is important you read through and understand your contract. Most contracts for resident doctors are based on a model contract, but subtle differences do occur between health boards. The British Medical Association offer their members a service to check their contracts and advise on any variations in it.

Understanding Pay

Pay for resident doctors in Scotland is set by the Scottish Government. Resident doctors are paid a base salary dependent on years of NHS service/ experience and grade www.bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/pay/resident-doctors-pay-scales/pay-scales-for-resident-doctors-in-scotland. Depending on your role or rotation, you may be paid a supplemental uplift known as banding if you work more or more antisocial hours. This is paid as an additional percentage of your base salary.

Buying or renting a house

Finding somewhere nice to live is one of the most difficult and important parts of moving for a new job. The rental market in parts of Scotland can be very competitive. If you are struggling to find somewhere, it is worth asking your colleagues as some people will let out rooms. You can also find Facebook groups or use websites like Spare Room www.spareroom.co.uk.

If you are renting and the owner doesn’t live in the property, make sure they are registered on the landlord register https://landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk and that your deposit is protected by a deposit protection scheme www.gov.scot/policies/private-renting/tenancy-deposit-schemes/. Shelter Scotland has more information on your rights when renting https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/tenants_rights. 

Buying a house in Scotland is a slightly different process to elsewhere in the UK. Most properties are listed as an offers over price, have a home report (survey) which has an estimated value, and can typically sell for 5-15% over this home report value. This extra money must come from cash, as a mortgage will only cover the home report value. Finding a property which is on sale for a fixed price or a new build can be a workaround for this. You can use your contract or 3 months’ payslips as proof of income for a mortgage. It is worth making an appointment with a mortgage advisor rather than a bank first https://scotland.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice/housing_options/buying/mortgage.

Relocation expenses

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for relocation expenses of up to £8,000 from your lead employer. The amount you are eligible varies on whether you are moving between rental properties or buying and selling a property and must be because you are relocating within 6 months of starting your new job. You should contact your human resources department to ask for more information on this.

Turas

NHS Education for Scotland runs the Turas website https://turasdashboard.nes.nhs.scot which is an essential tool to all resident doctors in Scotland. It is important

Training Portfolio

It is well worth getting to know this section of Turas well if your training programme uses it (such as the Foundation Programme). This is where you will have to gather evidence of meeting your programme curriculum requirements and submitting supervised learning events (SLEs) and recording evidence of teaching and other core and non-core learning.

People

Turas People acts as a link between a resident doctor and their lead employer and placement board. Here you can download proof of employment, your contract and any other important files in the ‘Filing Cabinet’. It will also show details of your training programme, current and next placements. There are staff engagement, occupational health, and fitness to practice forms which are mandatory to fill out.

Learn

The Turas Learn section has a bank of resources and learning modules covering a range of topics. It can also be used to book and manage courses.

Scottish Online Appraisal Resource (SOAR)

SOAR is a website used for doctors beyond foundation training as a tool for annual appraisal and ARCP. If you need to use it, you will receive further guidance on it nearer the time.

The Mental Health Act (2003) and the Adults with Incapacity Act

If you are new to working as a doctor in Scotland, these are key pieces of legislation to understand, particularly if you are working as an FY2 or above. The Mental Health Act relates to the detention of someone with a suspected mental disorder e.g an emergency detention certificate and differs to the rest of the UK. The Adults with Incapacity Act relates to providing medical treatment to those who do not have capacity under an ‘Adults with Incapacity (AWI)’ form. It is well worth doing an eLearning module on these and this will meet the foundation programme curriculum requirements.

Ralph Shackleton
CT2 Anaesthetics, WoS