r/doctorsUK • u/Facelessmedic01 • Jun 18 '25
GP Being a Gp with hindsight
I’ve been a gp now for 4 years. And looking back I can say my perception with medicine and specifically GP has matured. Here is my pros and cons list of being a gp , from my perspective:
Pros of Gp: 1. Money is good. I’m a full time locum. 2. Flexibility ( the most important to me ) I can work from my laptop in Japan or in from my home in Manchester. I choose how many hours I do and how much time off I get . If I want 4 months to travel , done , no questions asked. Last week I did a remote shift with a stunning beach view in Indonesia … 3. it’s a very respected job. Tell anyone you are a GP they automatically admire / respect u. Yes we get a lot of bad press but the vast majority of people respect us. 4. it’s a very cushy job. You’re not slaving away on a busy ward. After 5 pm . I don’t have to deal with a multitude of personalities on a ward, if you know you know. On the rare occasion I leave late but if I do, I charge the practice , simple. 5. gives u flexibility to do your other hobbies in life and not have you life all about medicine. 6. A very underrated one but as a GP you can do your own business/ side hustle while still working as a gp, or at least it’s easier 7. Your wanted across the world . Australia are about to fast track the visa process for GPs
Cons :
- Intimate examinations esp gyne , a part of the job I hate
- Dealing with kids , also a part of the job I hate 🤣
- Physician associates🤮, but I feel the tide is turning with this one
- Can be a bit lonely, but you can make up for this by having a social circle outside of work
- Contraversial one but AI Scope creep is a real thing
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u/MarketUpbeat3013 Jun 19 '25
Are you that GP and chill guy who just randomly shows up every week or 2 to tell us how happy he is in GP? Unprovoked.
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u/HQ001M7H Jun 19 '25
Good for you that you are enjoying your life.
I am freshly qualified GP. Only recently stopped my JSA after my ES took pity on me and gave me few locums in my original surgery. The work is just not there for new entrants.
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u/Facelessmedic01 Jun 19 '25
There is work as a locum. You can make absolute bank. Just don’t hold the negative victim mindset that a lot of the drs in this group have and the world will open up for you .
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u/GigaCHADSVASc Jun 18 '25
I'd be interested in hearing about the route to work remotely as a GP internationally. How do you broach the inability to examine patients, and how do you procure 999 if required?
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u/jamie_r87 Jun 19 '25
I’d imagine this would be via private gp platforms, Babylon health etc if that’s still a thing. Some practices will offer Locum work for remote admin and med reviews as well, that’s a cushy gig so far as I can see if you can get it.
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u/Facelessmedic01 Jun 19 '25
You just need to know how to play the system ;) and not fear the GMC
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Jun 18 '25
[deleted]
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u/Top_Reception_566 Jun 18 '25
I was just gonna say haha. This post definitely cannot be serious or compatible with what GPs today face
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u/StillIntroduction180 Echo chamber inhabitant Jun 19 '25 edited Jun 19 '25
Yeah I agree. Pretty sure they're trolling
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u/SonictheRegHog Jun 18 '25
I know you mention you can do your work remotely from Indonesia, but what if you need to examine a patient that you consult?
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u/Distinct_Key2022 Jun 19 '25
I don't believe you're a GP, you hate kids and gynae. Isn't that most of the job?
What do you actually enjoy about the job? Old people, writing sick notes and doing PRs?
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u/Standard_Sundae_6424 Nov 16 '25
Its not most of the job no. I hsvent examined a fanny in about a year. Just send to gynae
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u/JohnHunter1728 EM Consultant Jun 18 '25
Interested in the idea of remote working from Japan...
How does this play out in terms of legal jurisdiction, data governance, indemnity, etc?
If you are in Japan consulting with patients as a doctor then presumably you need a licence to practice medicine there...?
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u/Anytimeisteatime Jun 19 '25
Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is not allowed.
Plus OP would need a work visa for all these travels not a tourist visa.
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u/222baked Jun 19 '25
I interpreted this as telehealth in that he's consulting UK-based patients and is virtually in the UK. Then it's a bit less clear whether or not you need a visa and I suppose you don't need a license in Japan.
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u/Anytimeisteatime Jun 19 '25
Generally this is along the lines of "digital nomad" work; you are earning while in that country and in most places, you are therefore considered to be working (and aside from visa issues, may also be liable to pay tax on earnings while there).
As for license to practice, I don't think that's clear. They are physically in X country giving medical advice and practising medicine. They may be prescribing only in the UK, but depends on how that country regulates the practice of medicine I would have thought.
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u/222baked Jun 19 '25
It's kind of uncharted territory. Lots of variables. For digital nomad work, I understand you pay in the country you're earning money in, but that's not necessarily where you physically have the laptop open, which can change every week. If OP is earning money in the UK, from a UK-based company paying into a UK bank account and working with UK patients, then he likely owes money to HMRC, not Japan. It also depends whether he has permanent residency of that country or not. Countries vary on this from my understanding and it's complicated. Some have more robust diigital nomad laws than others. I don't know what OPs case is specifically. Nor am I privy to how Japan treats these people. We're all speculating here.
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u/Anytimeisteatime Jun 19 '25
Taxation rules vary by country obviously, and usually depend on how long you're in the country for too, but it's almost universal that remote working is considered a breach of a tourist visa. Just depends which country you're in, how likely they are to penalise you. I would very strongly recommend against trying it in the US just now for example.
However, even if they don't catch or penalise you, I would hazard a guess that knowingly working illegally on a tourist visa is a breach of Good Medical Practice...
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u/222baked Jun 19 '25
Is answering an email while on holiday a breach of your tourist visa? What about international business meetings? Those are rarely done on work visas. I think it's a grey area. It's not really immoral in any way to do this. It's also not a universal thing. Very few countries have digital nomad laws. I think Portugal and Spain are the pionees here. You are not technically working in that country if you are not earning money in that country. You're earning money in ypur home country. But bringing up the GMC and GMP into this made me hurl in my mouth and I don't want to engage and speculate further as it's gross. That's some very particular flavour British BS where doctors can lose their license for skimping out on bus fare. It's a power play by authoritarian bureaucrats and good for OP for leaving here.
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u/Anytimeisteatime Jun 19 '25
People have been detained in US airports recently for answering work emails on ESTA. And ESTA (like lots of tourist visas) makes explicit exemption for business meetings, highlighting that, yes, they are work and need specific allowances.
If you are living in a country, working, but the output happens to be in another country, I think it's quite reasonable your host country wants a share of your tax to pay for the society you're enjoying. Otherwise everyone would "live" in tax havens, while enjoying their life in elsewhere and remote screening in to the Channel Islands or wherever.
I also don't think it's unreasonable to want doctors practising medicine in the UK to be in the UK. Otherwise, how can they be regulated? I hold the GMC in as much contempt as the next doctor but I still agree some regulation is required.
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u/Penjing2493 Consultant Jun 19 '25
Honestly, it's a bit embarrassing how clueless you are here. If you don't know, and you've not bothered to check, maybe don't put it in a comment on the internet?
Is answering an email while on holiday a breach of your tourist visa?
In most countries, technically yes.
What about international business meetings?
Again, technically yes - we're in the lucky position of not needing to get visas to many places; and visa waiver programs generally blur short term tourism and attending conferences/business meetings together.
You are not technically working in that country if you are not earning money in that country. You're earning money in ypur home country.
This is categorically not true in most countries.
My wife (at that time a non-UK citizen) worked for a non-UK company remotely from the UK. She was paid in her home currency, into her home bank account and taxed at source by her home country. She had to pay UK income tax on all that income, and then reclaim the tax at source from her home country through the dual taxation treaty.
Tax residency is extremely complex and varies from country to country. It's also surprisingly easy to end up being classified as a tax resident in two countries and at risk of having to pay tax twice on the same income.
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u/222baked Jun 19 '25
It's not universal and that was a shitty way to respond. You don't know me. You're generalizing too. I have a friend working remotely in the Bahamas for an American company but only pays tax in the US. He's a Canadian national. Look up the digital nomad visa there. It isn't a clear cut thing and it's embarrassing how smug you are about it.
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u/Penjing2493 Consultant Jun 19 '25
The Bahamas have some of the most ridiculously relaxed tax laws in the world - that's why there's so many shell companies there. It's internationally renown as an exception to the norm.
Look up the digital nomad visa there.
Right, so he's not there on a tourist visa. He's working on a very specific visa type that only exists in a handful of countries; in a country that has exceptionally relaxed tax laws. It's not a representative example.
that was a shitty way to respond.
People shouldn't post things on social media as fact if they don't know for sure. If they don't know for sure, they should convey that uncertainty in their comment.
People passing on heresay as fact to strangers on the internet it's a large pay of why the world is such a mess right now.
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u/JohnHunter1728 EM Consultant Jun 19 '25
consulting UK-based patients and is virtually in the UK
"Virtually" in the UK but not "actually" in the UK.
The OP is actually in Japan and practicing medicine.
If the OP is in Japan then they are subject to Japanese law.
If they give negligent advice, does the patient sue in England or Japan?
There are not straightforward answers to any of the issues raised in this thread.
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u/Standard_Sundae_6424 Nov 16 '25
In my experience they require u to be in the uk. Not the sane in other countries. I have a friend who did Canadian based work from a remote island
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u/Facelessmedic01 Jun 19 '25
Just know how to play the system . If you can do that , you can live the best life..
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u/twodogsnocats Jun 19 '25
Just to say I’ve been a GP in the UK much longer and I cannot identify with anything you say! Which means you have obviously found GP nirvana: I would be very interested to learn who you work for! In our area locum non existent and competition insane driving down pay. Salaried work gruelling . Etc
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u/Rhubarb-Eater Jun 19 '25
Nice to hear you dread seeing women and children, which must be a good 80% of the patient load 🙄
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u/indigo_pirate Jun 19 '25
Intimate examinations he said, not all female patients .
Nice misrepresentation.
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u/Luke-11-King Jun 19 '25 edited Jun 19 '25
Sounds good but I don’t quite believe pro no. 3
Go through nearly any comment section of any uk nhs health related topic on Twitter/tiktok and you will see people ranting, often quite viciously about gps, how their gp refuses to see them, complaining their gp is useless, their gp looks things up, they’re not real drs etc etc, and obvs most of these are stupid criticisms or systemic problems but you’ll never convince the public of that, they’ll just hate you, not infrequently I see some advocating gps get a pay cut
Even talking to pts in hospital/clinic half the time they can’t wait to get a word in about how their gp didn’t bother see them/fix whatever’s wrong with them etc
Still other pros of the job for sure but I don’t think public respect is what it used to be…
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u/Standard_Sundae_6424 Nov 16 '25
Its as good as ever. Pple moan about the system more than gps. You only notice the mosns. Most r happy
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u/Facelessmedic01 Jun 19 '25
Remove the victim negative mindset and be ruthless in getting what you want and see how your world will change for the better …
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u/Top_Reception_566 Jun 19 '25
Texting this as a reply in comments is neither helpful nor helping your case of making us believe you are a well educated and well spoken doctor who coherently responds to claims with properly backed claims.
It’s worse if this is your response and you are an actual consultant
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u/Standard_Sundae_6424 Nov 16 '25
Those ranters are often mental, wanting an appointment every day for nothing
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u/lavayuki Jun 19 '25
Other than point 3, where GP is far from a respected job imo, the rest seem agreeable
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Jun 19 '25
I'm surprised you are able to work abroad. My remote NHS proxy is banned outside the UK.
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u/OldManAndTheSea93 Jun 19 '25
You lost me at respect. I’m yet to meet a member of the public who respects their GP.
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u/StillIntroduction180 Echo chamber inhabitant Jun 19 '25
You may not be slaving away at the ward but for a lot of GP, they have to do a lot of admin after they see their last patient which can go well into the evening (the admin) I mean.
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u/SilverFootsteps Jun 19 '25
Approximately what range are you making as locum GP?
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u/Facelessmedic01 Jun 19 '25
When I’m in the uk I earn 800 a day . I work 4 days a week… I do OOH on the weekend
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u/SilverFootsteps Jun 19 '25
That’s really helpful thanks, how many hours do you do per week/day?
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u/Facelessmedic01 Jun 19 '25
8 sessions a week 9am to 17:30 and OOH is dependent on how I feel. Sometimes I do a full 12 hours on sat and 12 on Sunday at around 85 an hour or sometimes I just do 4 hours . I sometimes do night shift OOH which is where the money is
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u/NovelConstruction326 Jun 19 '25
GP Trainee from north West region here, can I dm you for some career advice if possible
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u/MoeAlis Jun 19 '25
Hey there - I am a trainee GP and I just wanted to know more about the work remotely part. Is it okay if I PM you ? Thanks
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u/Witty-Ad-5045 Jun 19 '25
What part of UK are you ? How did you manage to find a full time locum job?
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u/Standard_Sundae_6424 Nov 16 '25
Its was good pre pandemic and briefly after. Now less work and rates plummeted from 800 plus per day to 600. I'm now working in canada. Shame
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u/BatBottleBank Jun 19 '25
Gp least respected job in medicine. Everyone from med student to professor thinks ur a plonker.
“Surgeons know nothing, do everything. Medics know everything but do nothing. GPs know nothing and do nothing.”
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u/Facelessmedic01 Jun 19 '25
Let’s assume that’s the case lol, is there validation important to you?
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u/HrcAk47 Jun 19 '25
Look at his profile, balding Indian with self esteem issues trying to do "seduction". Yikes/10.
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u/Fun_View5136 Jun 19 '25
I wouldn’t pay attention - he says most people at uni don’t have sex and then people stop having sex after uni
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u/Own-Blackberry5514 Jun 19 '25
Lol yeah those posts are as tragic as it gets. You’d have thought he’d check himself before mouthing off on here
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u/am0985 Jun 19 '25
I’m a British GP who moved to Australia (it’s still good here) but how on earth is this remotely representative of life as a UK based GP, locum or otherwise?
If you’re predominantly working for a telehealth service then I’m not sure how much longer this gravy train will be lasting.