Securing Your First Salaried GP Role: A Guide for the August CCT Cohort
This August, another wave of GP trainees will complete their Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) and step out of specialty training into independent practice. It's a genuine milestone after years of medical school, foundation training, and three years of GP specialty training but it also raises a practical question that can feel surprisingly under-discussed during training: how do you actually land, and negotiate, your first salaried GP post?
Below is a practical rundown of what newly qualified GPs should know before they start applying, covering contracts, pay, support schemes, and the questions worth asking at interview.
1. Understand your options before you commit
Not every newly qualified GP wants or needs to go straight into a salaried role. Locum work, portfolio careers combining clinical sessions with teaching or a special interest, out-of-hours and urgent care work, and salaried posts are all live options in your first year. A salaried role tends to suit GPs who want structure, a predictable income, and a supportive environment to build confidence in independent practice, while locum work offers flexibility at the cost of continuity and benefits. There's no rule that your first post has to define the rest of your career many GPs treat year one as a chance to find out what kind of practice, patient population, and working pattern actually suits them.
2. Know the minimum salary and where it comes from
If you're offered a salaried GP role at a GMS practice, the employer is required to follow the BMA's salaried GP model contract, which sets out minimum pay and conditions that have applied since 2004. The current full-time minimum salary for a salaried GP sits at just over £76,000 a year, uplifted annually in line with the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body recommendation, with pro-rata equivalents for part-time sessions. PMS and APMS practices aren't bound by the same rules in the same way, but the BMA recommends salaried GPs at these practices shouldn't accept less than the GMS minimum either. It's worth checking your offer letter against the model contract before you sign anything, and asking your LMC if anything looks unclear.
3. Look into fellowship and 'new to practice' support schemes
Several NHS England and locally funded General Practice Fellowship programmes exist specifically for GPs in their first one to two years post CCT. These typically combine clinical sessions with protected time for professional development, mentoring, and involvement in Primary Care Network projects, and are designed to ease the transition from trainee to independent practitioner. Availability and eligibility criteria vary by region and some schemes have limited places or early closing dates, so it's worth asking your training hub or ICB directly rather than assuming your practice will raise it during the interview process.
4. Ask the right questions before accepting an offer
A few areas are easy to overlook when you're keen to accept your first offer, but worth raising at interview or before signing:
- Job plan how many sessions, what the split is between clinical and admin time, and whether it's likely to change in your first year.
- Indemnity most NHS GP work is covered by the state-backed Clinical Negligence Scheme for General Practice, but check what it does and doesn't cover, particularly for any private work.
- Appraisal and CPD support how the practice supports your annual appraisal and revalidation with the GMC, and whether there's protected time or budget for further training.
- On call and out of hours expectations, mileage, and whether the practice contributes to your LMC levy, BMA, or RCGP membership.
- Longer term fit whether there's scope to develop a special interest, take on teaching, or eventually move towards partnership, if that's something you might want.
5. Get the paperwork sorted early
Before you can start seeing patients independently, you'll need full GMC registration with a licence to practise, inclusion on the relevant performers list, an up to date DBS check, and evidence of your indemnity arrangements. Processing times can vary, so it's worth starting this well before your CCT date rather than in the weeks immediately before you're due to start a post.
Where to look for roles
Locum and salaried GP vacancies across the UK are listed on work.healthcare, alongside roles across the wider healthcare, social care, and veterinary sectors. Searching by location and contract type is a straightforward way to compare salaried, locum, and portfolio opportunities side by side as you weigh up your first move.
FAQs
Do I have to accept the BMA minimum salary, or can I negotiate? The minimum is a floor, not a fixed rate you can and often should negotiate above it, particularly if you're bringing a special interest, additional qualifications, or taking on QOF related responsibilities.
Is locum work a realistic alternative to a salaried post straight after CCT? Yes, though it comes with less continuity, no paid leave, and you'll need to arrange your own indemnity and admin. Many GPs use locum work early on to sample different practices before settling into a substantive role.
What's the difference between a GMS, PMS, and APMS practice? These refer to the underlying contract a practice holds with the NHS. GMS practices are bound by the BMA model contract's minimum terms; PMS and APMS practices have more locally negotiated arrangements, so it's worth checking terms carefully rather than assuming they match GMS minimums.
Should I apply for a fellowship before or after accepting a post? Many fellowship schemes require you to already be in, or about to start, a substantive post, so it's worth raising your interest at interview stage and checking eligibility windows with your local training hub early.
Sources: British Medical Association (BMA) salaried GP model contract toolkit; NHS England General Practice Fellowship programme guidance; General Medical Council (GMC) registration guidance.
This article is provided for general information and does not constitute legal, financial, or contractual advice. GPs should check current guidance with the BMA, their LMC, and the GMC before accepting any offer.
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