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Ava Medical
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General Practice Recruitment

GP jobs
in the NHS

General practice is the backbone of the NHS — and faces its most acute workforce shortage in decades. Ava Medical connects qualified GPs with salaried posts, partnerships and portfolio roles in NHS practices across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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Free for candidates Permanent roles only UK-wide
General Practice NHS Permanent Roles
Salaried GP£70,000 – £120,000
GP Partner (est. income)£100,000 – £140,000+
GP Registrar (ST3)£49,909 – £58,398
Working patternsSessional / flexible
Free for doctors UK-wide roles

About the specialty

General practice careers in the NHS

General practice offers a career of unmatched breadth — combining acute assessment, chronic disease management, preventive medicine, mental health, and patient advocacy across entire communities and families.

Training pathway

GP Specialty Training (GPST) is a three-year programme (ST1–ST3) after foundation training, combining hospital rotations with GP registrar placements. The MRCGP (Clinical Skills Assessment and Applied Knowledge Test) is the exit examination, leading to CCT and inclusion on the GMC's GP Register. Overseas doctors may enter via the CEGPR route. Training is competency-based and can be completed on a flexible (less-than-full-time) basis.

Typical employers

GPs work in NHS-contracted general practices — which may be traditional partnerships, limited companies, PCN (Primary Care Network) hubs, GP federations, or NHS-led provider organisations. Practices range from single-handed rural surgeries with fewer than 2,000 patients to large urban multi-site operations with 30,000+ patients and multi-disciplinary teams. NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) commission and oversee GP services in each region.

Roles we recruit

Ava Medical recruits across all GP employment models: salaried GPs (employed by the practice, with defined sessions and salary), GP partners (co-owners of the practice contract with profit-share income), and portfolio GPs combining clinical sessions with teaching, research, clinical commissioning or extended-roles work. We also support GP educators and clinical leads in ICB-funded roles.

NHS pay scales & earnings 2025/26

GP salary expectations

GP pay in the NHS is more varied than in hospital medicine, reflecting the different employment models in general practice. Figures below represent typical earnings in England 2025/26; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may differ by contract terms.

Role Employment model Typical earnings Notes
Salaried GP Employed by practice £70,000 – £120,000 BMA model contract; sessional rate typically £10k–£12k per session per year
GP Partner Practice co-owner £100,000 – £140,000+ Profit-share income from GMS/PMS contract; varies significantly by practice
Portfolio / Sessional GP Sessional / mix £65,000 – £110,000 Income depends on sessions; additional income from Enhanced Services, PCN roles
GP Registrar (ST3) Training contract £49,909 – £58,398 Junior Doctor Contract; London weighting applies; additional OOH supplement

Earnings are indicative and vary considerably by location, practice size, contract type and sessional commitment. Always obtain a written offer and seek independent financial advice before accepting a partnership. Source: NHS England, BMA 2025 GP pay guidance.

Roles we recruit

GP roles & special interests

Modern general practice extends well beyond the consulting room. GPs with additional skills and extended roles are in high demand across NHS primary care networks.

Salaried GP

Employed on defined sessions (typically 4–9 per week) with a fixed salary. Strong demand across all regions — particularly in coastal, rural and post-industrial areas with historic under-doctoring.

GP Partnership

Co-ownership of an NHS primary care contract with financial and clinical leadership responsibility. Partnership income typically exceeds salaried GP pay but involves business risk and administrative commitment.

PCN Clinical Director / Lead

Leadership roles within Primary Care Networks — overseeing multi-disciplinary team integration, population health management and Enhanced Service delivery. Growing number of funded sessions available.

GP with Extended Role (GPwER)

Special clinical interest posts in dermatology, musculoskeletal medicine, cardiology, gynaecology, ophthalmology and more. GPwER roles sit at the interface of primary and secondary care and are expanding rapidly under NHSE community diagnostics plans.

GP Educator / Trainer

Approved GP trainers and GP clinical supervisors receive NHSE educational funding and sessional recognition. A growing number of Ava Medical clients combine clinical sessions with GP training responsibilities.

Rural & Remote GP

Rural GP posts — often carrying minor surgery, obstetric or anaesthetics skills — attract additional NHSE rural premium funding and offer unique clinical scope and community impact.

Why Ava Medical

Why GPs choose Ava Medical

  • Primary care model expertise. We know the structural difference between a GMS partnership, a PMS practice, a super-partnership and a PCN hub. We explain the financial and contractual implications clearly, so you choose the right model for your career stage.
  • IMG and CEGPR pathway support. International Medical Graduates seeking the CEGPR (Certificate of Eligibility for GP Registration) receive dedicated support — from GMC application guidance to connecting with appropriate GP trainers for supervised practice periods.
  • Performers List guidance. NHS performers list inclusion is mandatory for GP work in England. We guide internationally trained GPs through the NHSE/I application, including the declaration of health and conduct history required at registration.
  • Location-first matching. With GP vacancies across virtually every region, we prioritise finding you a practice whose location, patient demographic, team culture and contract model genuinely suit your preferences — not simply whoever is advertising.
  • Partnership due diligence. We ensure GP partners we work with are transparent about practice finances, list size trends, staff turnover and QOF performance before you commit. We encourage independent legal and accountancy advice on any partnership deed.
  • Free for all candidates. Whether you are a GP registrar approaching CCT or an experienced partner exploring a move, every element of our service — from practice introductions to contract review — costs you nothing. The practice pays all fees.

Pay & conditions

What you can earn

Consultant basic pay (2026/27). NHS consultants in England earn £113,565–£150,569 on the 2003 contract. Wales runs higher — up to £166,585 — and Scotland to £148,064, each on its own national scale.

Most consultants earn well above basic pay through on-call availability supplements, additional programmed activities, clinical excellence & impact awards, and the NHS Pension Scheme — one of the most valuable defined-benefit pensions in the UK. Source: BMA consultant pay scales, 2026/27.

Explore more

Related NHS roles

Browse other specialties we recruit for, or see every current vacancy on the live board.

Common questions

General practice recruitment FAQ

You need full GMC registration with a licence to practise, CCT in General Practice (or CEGPR), and inclusion on both the GMC's GP Register and the relevant NHS performers list for the country in which you will practise. In England, NHS England manages the performers list; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have equivalent bodies. You also need to demonstrate satisfactory NHS appraisal and revalidation compliance if you are already practising.
The CEGPR (Certificate of Eligibility for GP Registration) is the route for doctors who trained in general practice outside the UK. Applicants submit evidence of their training, qualifications and clinical experience to the RCGP for assessment against the MRCGP standard. Some applicants may be required to undertake a period of supervised NHS GP practice before the certificate is granted. UK-trained GPs from MRCGP-equivalent countries (e.g. Australia, Canada, certain EU states) may benefit from streamlined assessment. Ava Medical provides guidance on the process and connects applicants with practices that accept CEGPR candidates on supervised placements.
This depends on your priorities. Salaried GP posts offer employment security, defined working hours, paid leave, employer NHS pension contributions, and freedom from business management. Partnership typically offers higher income potential and greater strategic control over your working environment — but comes with shared financial liability, administrative and governance responsibilities, and exposure to contract risk. Many experienced GPs move from salaried roles to partnership after 2–5 years in NHS general practice. We discuss the trade-offs with every candidate before identifying the right position.
PCNs are groups of GP practices covering 30,000–50,000 patients, working together under NHS England's Network Contract DES (Directed Enhanced Service). Since 2019 all practices in England have been required to join a PCN. PCNs employ additional roles (pharmacists, paramedics, physiotherapists, mental health practitioners) funded by NHSE. GPs working within a PCN may take on a Clinical Director role (approximately 1–2 additional sessions per week, funded by PCN income) or contribute to PCN-delivered Enhanced Services. Understanding the PCN landscape is important when considering any salaried or partnership role in England.
Yes — some of the most clinically rich and career-enhancing GP posts are in rural and semi-rural areas. Rural GPs often carry a broader clinical scope (including minor surgery, obstetrics, anaesthetics and emergency medicine) and achieve faster progression to partner and trainer status than colleagues in large urban practices. NHSE Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme (TERS) also provides financial incentives for GPs taking up posts in under-doctored areas. Ava Medical specifically identifies rural and coastal GP posts with strong support structures, training programme links, and realistic workloads.

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Questions? Email jack@avamedical.co.uk or call 07814 506719