Would you like to live and work in England?

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1 Would you like to live and work in England? The NHS is looking for GPs to work in the areas of NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK NHS England Gateway reference: 07950

2 INTRODUCTION The National Health Service in England is running an international recruitment campaign for family doctors. In England these are called General Practitioners or GPs. We plan to recruit around 2,000 GPs from overseas by They will work alongside GPs we train in England to develop an exciting range of health services away from hospitals and in local community settings. This brochure explains the importance of GPs in providing healthcare to our population. It tells you about the application process and what to expect when you apply. We are recruiting GPs for many areas across England. This brochure gives you an idea of the benefits and opportunities available to you if you chose to work in Norfolk and Suffolk. WHY WORK AS A GP IN ENGLAND? GPs in England are the foundation of the NHS. They are usually the first person a patient turns to for help and they deal with a whole range of health problems. They are general experts in the whole field of medicine for adults and children. They manage the healthcare of all their patients, including acute illness, long term conditions and mental health problems. GPs usually work in practices, often leading teams which include nurses, healthcare assistants, practice managers, receptionists and other staff. Practices also work closely with other healthcare professionals, such as health visitors, midwives, pharmacists, physiotherapists, mental health services and social care services. GPs provide continuing medical care for patients in the community or they will refer patients to hospital clinics for further assessment or treatment by specialists. Nine out of 10 NHS patients are seen in English general practice, and nearly nine out of 10 patients rate their experience of their GP practice as good. Because GPs often lead the continuing development of the NHS in England, we are investing an additional 2.4bn a year into general practice by The money is being used to recruit more doctors and other healthcare professionals, improve buildings and extend the use of information technology so general practice can offer more and better services to meet people s needs. Any GP recruited under the international recruitment programme and working in the UK before 29 March 2019 will be able to stay and enjoy the same rights and benefits as now and qualifications of EU doctors will continue to be recognised if they were obtained before 29 March Recruitment will go beyond March 2019 and while we do not know details of a future immigration system yet, we will make clear how it applies to this programme as soon as possible. Many GPs choose to work in England because of the attractive salaries and benefits. But the work offers much more: the chance to extend your clinical experience as part of a team of 1.3 million NHS employees, all of whom are proud to work for a national treasure and many of whom have come to England from across the globe. 2

3 GENERAL PRACTICE AND YOU If you choose to apply to work as a GP in Norfolk and Suffolk you will be supported with dedicated training programmes, help with meeting language requirements and in meeting the standards of the national Induction and Refresher (I&R) Scheme. You will have an opportunity to meet with staff from the recruiting practices and to learn more about them and the local areas. This will help you and the practices decide if this is the best place for you to live and work. Practices involved in this recruitment scheme will be offering attractive and competitive salaries. You and your family will be offered help to relocate to the area and continued support while you settle into your new community. THE CANDIDATE PROCESS If you apply to be a GP in England this is the application process you will follow: STEP 1 An initial conversation in your own country with the recruitment agency for the area you are interested in working in and some background checks (including police checks). STEP 2 You will be asked to take an English test organised by the recruitment agency. The agency will use the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Occupational English Test (medicine version) proficiency test for people wishing to study or work in English speaking countries. STEP 3 STEP 4 You will have an interview in your own country by Skype. You start your registration with the General Medical Council (GMC). The GMC is the organisation which sets standards for doctors in the United Kingdom. You need to be registered with the GMC and be on the GMC s GP Register to work as a GP in England. You will be invited to complete a self-assessment to help identify any training needs. You visit your chosen area to find out more about where you will be working and to meet other international GPs. You will have a second interview and an assessment of your learning needs. STEP 5 Once you pass your second interview you will be able to join the programme. You will be allocated to a GP practice within the region. STEP 6 You will be provided with a minimum of three months of training and observation in your employing practice to prepare you for the I&R assessments and improve your English language skills. You will then spend a minimum of six months treating patients with supervision and support from a senior GP at your practice. 3

4 THE NHS OFFERS A COMPETITIVE PAY PACKAGE FOR GPS Once you have gained entry to the National Medical Performers List without conditions you can expect to earn a salary of between 68,000 and 72,000 per year. This salary is the same across all parts of the NHS in England excluding London where you will receive additional funds to help with the increased living costs there, known as London weighting. Alongside your salary there are many other financial benefits including paid maternity and paternity leave, parental and carers leave. THE NHS IN ENGLAND The National Health Service was founded in 1948, based on the principle that good healthcare should be available to all, regardless of wealth. With the exception of some charges, such as prescriptions, optical services and dental services, the NHS in England remains free at the point of use for all UK residents. In 2014, the Commonwealth Fund declared that in comparison with the healthcare systems of 10 other countries (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the US) the NHS was the most impressive overall. The NHS was rated as the best system for its efficiency, safety, effectiveness, co-ordination and patient-centred care. The NHS covers It deals with more than 54.3M PEOPLE 1M PATIENTS in England every 36 hours The NHS employs And has more than JOBS 1.2M PEOPLE 40,500 GPs 4

5 LIVING IN... NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK One of the most historic and enchanting places in England 5

6 HEALTH SERVICES IN NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK Norfolk and Suffolk have five major hospitals trusts - Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. There are a range of community health care providers. Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust offers mental health, substance misuse and learning disability services and the area is covered by East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust. NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK Situated on the east coast of England, the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk are largely unspoilt by mass development and boast more than 200 kilometres of coastline, beautiful countryside, nature reserves, picturesque market towns and seaside resorts. The area is one of the most historic and enchanting places in England. During medieval times, the prosperity of the wool and weaving industry turned the region into one of the richest parts of the British Isles. Norwich, the regional capital, is two hours from London by train while Ipswich is an hour. Norfolk is possibly most famous for the man-made Broads, one of Britain s most beautiful National Parks. Suffolk, its smaller sister, is full of charming villages and pristine beaches - famously captured by the artists Constable and Gainsborough. TOWNS AND VILLAGES Whether you enjoy living by the coast, life in a historical town with a vibrant nightlife, or sleepy village life, Norfolk and Suffolk have an array of attractive places to live. 6

7 LOCATION Norfolk and Suffolk Wells Sandringham Cromer Kings Lynn Downham Market NORFOLK Great Yarmouth Norwich Bury St Edmunds Newmarket SUFFFOLK Ipswich 7

8 NORWICH The city of Norwich is Norfolk s regional capital and home to a third of its population. It boasts one of Britain s finest medieval cathedrals, a large open market and plenty of bars, shops, restaurants and nightlife. There is a real mix of things to see and do in Norwich with a vibrant music and creative scene. Each May, the Norfolk and Norwich Festival transforms public spaces, city streets, parks, forests and beaches, bringing people together to share music, theatre, literature, visual arts, circus, dance and outdoor events. The Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery overlooks the city, housing Saxon gold and jewellery, while hidden gems like Norwich s secret garden offer sanctuary among beautiful plants and lawns, serving homemade afternoon tea. KING S LYNN King s Lynn lies 72 kilometres west of Norwich. Much of this market town s maritime past is still in evidence, with fine old merchants houses and cobbled streets that stretch down to the quayside. King s Lynn is known as Norfolk s festival town with an impressive array of events throughout the year including the King s Lynn Festival of Music and the Arts and the annual King s Lynn Fiction Festival. GREAT YARMOUTH Situated just over 30 kilometres east of Norwich and close to the Broads National Park, Great Yarmouth is an old-time seaside town where arcades and rides line the seafront. A popular choice is the village of Blakeney which lies within the Norfolk Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Further east, Sheringham is a traditional seaside town which grew up around an old fishing port. It s now a thriving town centre with a regular market and the North Norfolk Railway, which has steam train rides running to Holt. The pretty Georgian town of Holt, with its flint stone houses, has a good range of independent shops as well as a nearby county park, Holkham Hall. It was named as one of the best places to live in the east of England by the Sunday Times in Burnham Market on the North Norfolk coast is a beautiful village centred on the green, with a range of independent boutiques and traditional shops. SUFFOLK The main regional town for the county is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowestoft, Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, and Felixstowe, one of the largest container ports in Europe. The Suffolk Coast and Heaths are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 8

9 IPSWICH Ipswich is a waterfront town with a vibrant arts and culture scene, home to world-class food and drink and all surrounded by the beautiful Suffolk countryside and coastline. Christchurch Mansion and the Wolsey Art Gallery is the home of the largest collection of paintings by Constable and Gainsborough outside London. Ipswich Museum is filled with local Anglo-Saxon artefacts along with relics from Ancient Egypt and spectacular natural history exhibits. Every year, celebrating the town s international connections, there s the Indian Summer Mela, African Global Rhythm Festival and German Oktoberfest. BURY ST EDMUNDS Home to Suffolk s only cathedral, Bury St Edmunds most famous landmark is its impressive abbey ruins and their adjoining gardens. With the beautiful medieval wool towns of Lavenham and Long Melford on the doorstep and Cambridge just 30 minutes away, Bury St Edmunds is a quintessentially English market town and a shopper s delight. LOWESTOFT Lowestoft is an old fishing port on the North Sea coast, the most easterly settlement in the UK, sitting on the edge of the Broads. Lowestoft Beach has wide golden sands, beach huts and a pier. Nearby Oulton Broad offers year-round water sports, cafés, riverside restaurants and bars. NEWMARKET Newmarket is a market town considered to be the birthplace of and now a global centre for horse racing. There are lots of tours available which will provide a great insight into breeding, racing and training as well as going to the tracks for a day out at the races. FELIXSTOWE Felixstowe is a seaside town of fine Edwardian architecture, seafront gardens, colourful beach huts and six kilometres of lovely sand and shingle beaches. Felixstowe includes the largest container port in the UK and the Landguard Peninsula with its 18th century fort, one of Britain s best-preserved coastal defences, alongside the fascinating collections of the Felixstowe Museum. COASTAL LIVING Southwold is not just known for its quaint pier. It is home to the Adnams Brewery, famous lighthouse, beach huts and nearby nature reserves. Woodbridge is another attractive town that sits on the edge of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. With a combination of excellent shops, pubs and restaurants and other attractions including the beautifully restored old river Tide Mill and Sutton Hoo, an ancient royal Anglo Saxon burial ground. NOT TO BE MISSED The glorious expanse of the Broads, East Anglia s only National Park, is one of the county s prime attractions, great for boating, watersports and wildlife. Both Norfolk and Suffolk have some of the best birdwatching reserves in the country. Common and grey seals can be spotted along parts of the coast too. Arguably the best way to see both counties is on foot on the Norfolk Coast Path and Suffolk Coast Path. Or you could take a boat out to Orford Ness, an internationally renowned nature reserve - its history is shrouded in secrecy - or walk, or cycle in Thetford Forest, the UK s largest manmade forest. CULTURE / ENTERTAINMENT Both Norfolk and Suffolk boast a wide variety of galleries, museums, music venues and theatres. The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich houses the Sainsbury family art collection, a range of temporary exhibitions, lectures and gallery talks. The New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich offers drama from both national touring shows and local groups. Modern art and popular design exhibitions can be seen in Ipswich Art Gallery. 9

10 Every July, Southwold plays host to the music event Latitude Festival, while Folkeast, Suffolk s biggest folk festival, takes place in August. For classical music lovers the Aldeburgh Festival, founded by composer Benjamin Britten, takes place in June each year. And of course Suffolk is Constable country, so you can explore the picturesque Stour Valley and Dedham Vale, the areas made famous by his paintings. EDUCATION In Norfolk there are more than 370 state primary (5 11 years) and 69 secondary schools (11 16 years). Sixth forms (for 16 + A level education) can be found in larger towns. There are 12 independent schools. Further education and training courses are offered at City College Norwich and the College of West Anglia. Easton & Otley College provides agriculture-based courses for the county, parts of Suffolk and nationally. The University of East Anglia, ranked 12th in the UK, and Norwich University of the Arts are both based in Norwich. Suffolk has 264 primary schools and 68 secondary schools and, like Norfolk, sixth forms are in the larger towns. Further education and training is available at Lowestoft College, Easton & Otley College, Suffolk New College (Ipswich) and West Suffolk College (Bury St Edmunds). The University of Suffolk, based in Ipswich, has four other sites in Lowestoft, Bury St. Edmunds, and Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. FOOD AND DRINK Norfolk has some of the best fresh, seasonal produce in the UK, from Cromer crab to Brancaster mussels, artisan cheeses, farmers markets, the best malting barley and more than 50 breweries - as well as an English whisky distillery. Suffolk is blessed with a broad range of quality local produce including smoked fish, Suffolk ham and pork, quality beef and lamb, hand-picked asparagus and strawberries, cheese, honey and jams. Try the Norwich food and drink festival or the Aldeburgh food and drink festival to taste the best of local delicacies. HOUSING From beautiful countryside and coast, to traditional English villages and bustling towns, there s a setting for every lifestyle. You can choose from modern apartments and town houses, a house by the sea to Grade II listed townhouses or flint stone cottages in smaller villages. In Norfolk, the average residential property price is just slightly lower than the national average, but property values in Norwich and the most attractive rural and coastal areas tend to be higher. In Suffolk you can expect to pay more, especially in the more sought-after locations such as Newmarket, Woodbridge and Southwold. SHOPPING Norwich is one of the top 10 shopping destinations in the UK and has a mix of individual shops and high street names, set out on attractive streets and lanes. It is also home to one of Britain s largest outdoor markets, open six days a week. There are several shopping centres in Suffolk such as the Arc shopping centre in Bury St Edmunds. Bury St Edmunds medieval streets are also lined with independent shops, as are the charming streets near Ipswich s waterfront, where you ll find everything from vintage boutiques to modern cafés. The abundance of independent shops is one of the best reasons to go shopping in Suffolk. Woodbridge, Southwold and Beccles boast fantastic boutique and independent shops. 10

11 SPORT With its waterways and stretches of coastline, all types of sailing and boating are popular in this part of the world, as well as kite surfing, water skiing and paddle boarding. Norwich City and Ipswich Town football clubs are in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league. With thousands of local sports clubs, societies, activity centres and open countryside, whatever sport you like you are likely to find it in Norfolk and Suffolk. TRANSPORT Norfolk is one of the few counties that has no motorway, but there are strategic trunk roads that provide connections to the rest of the region and the wider UK. ROAD The A11 road runs south west, from Norwich to London and the south east of England via the M11/ M25. The A47 crosses the county west to east, linking to Peterborough and the Midlands. The A17 provides a main road link westwards to Lincolnshire and the north. In Suffolk, the A12 as well as the A11 / M11 serve as the county s arterial roads to London. The A12 starts at Lowestoft and runs through Colchester and Chelmsford to the capital. And the A11 connects to the M11 at Cambridge. The A14 is the main east to west route from Felixstowe to the Midlands. It passes through Cambridge and Kettering before linking to the M6. TRAINS Norfolk s towns and villages are served by local stations. There is a direct train service to Cambridge from Thetford station, and to both Cambridge and London from King s Lynn and Norwich stations. The latter also offers a direct route to Liverpool. There are direct trains from Ipswich to London Liverpool Street, which take around an hour and a quarter. AIRPORT Norwich has its own international airport, offering worldwide destinations via Amsterdam. WEATHER Norfolk and Suffolk tend to be drier than much of England. Spring and Autumn can be mild, with April and September the peak months for spotting migratory birds. The warmest weather is in July and August. MORE INFORMATION If you would like more information about our international recruitment programme or about living and working in Norfolk and Suffolk the following websites will be useful: Visit Norfolk Norfolk Travel Tourist Information Guide Norfolk City Council Visit Suffolk Suffolk County Council 11

12 NHS ENGLAND S PARTNERS: FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: Published April 2018 by NHS England

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