We receive a lot of really good feedback from our clients who hire GPs from the UK. Generally, the GPs are well trained (have extra certificates in child health/family planning etc) and they often are used to working long hours at home and have a good attitude to the work/life balance in Australia. The only challenge is that they also like to take holidays to go back home from time to time, but overall they are usually a positive addition to the practices.
There are a few things involved with recruiting a UK GP, here are the main parts to consider:
- You will need to be a sponsor for migration purposes. This is not too difficult to arrange, we can put you in contact with a good migration agent who can make the process easier, but it would be best to budget around $4,000 to get everything set up and sponsor your first GP. You can start this process around the time a GP accepts a job with you, and still have enough time for everything to be processed.
- Good induction and onboarding processes. UK GPs generally need a little more help getting started with the Australian system. So you will need to spend some time explaining medicare billing, how to refer patients and who to refer them to, and sometimes even the drug names can be slightly different.
- Supportive staff that can help when the doctor arrives. The GP will need to call on other staff when they have questions. For the first few weeks they will need a bit more help from everyone, but after 4-6 weeks they should be fine. Please note the GPs we recruit do not need formal supervision. The RACGP does require them to have a mentor, but this is not a formal supervisor. If your staff can also help them settle in on a social level (have a welcome BBQ etc) that will also be a huge help.
- It takes time. From the time you interview your first UK candidate and when they arrive and start working is around 9 months on average. It is sometimes faster, but it can also take longer. So its best used as forward planning tool when thinking about your staffing needs.
- A highly experienced recruitment agency to help the GP through all the labyrinth of paperwork. Generally, it takes between 4-6 months for a GP to get through all the paperwork so they can work in Australia (AMC/EPCI, RACGP, AHPRA and Medicare).
At Alecto Australia, our team are experts in dealing with paperwork. We can help you in every step to ensure this process is as seamless as possible.
For more information or to talk to one of our team members, contact us on 1800 604 332.
*Please note UK GPs are generally required to work in a DWS area for their first 10 years in Australia, so this option is hard to use if you aren’t in a DWS