General Practitioner

Do you want the opportunity to work with a small specialist patient population and have the flexibility to manage your own clinical time?  Have you ever thought about working within the prison environment?

Are you looking for a challenging and rewarding role with career development? Then look no further…

We are looking for a General Practitioner to work as part of a friendly health care team providing care for 750 male prisoners across 2 sites which are closely linked geographically in the picturesque surroundings of rural coastal Suffolk. 

HMP Hollesley Bay is a Category D prison site with a maximum capacity of 450 men. The site is a working site, where men go out to work for local businesses, as well as working inside the prison to create a community. Category D is an open prison, with men at the end of their sentences, so there is a strong sense of rehabilitation and reintegration into normal life beyond prison.

HMP Warren Hill – HMP Warren Hill is a category C closed prison that is entirely dedicated to delivering a range of services in specialist environments to support long term or complex prisoners towards progression into open conditions or for release into the community.  HMP Warren Hill has two units dedicated to a Therapeutic Community and Psychologically Informed Planned Environment.  HMP Warren Hill’s collective capacity is approx. 250.

As a key member of our well resourced multidisciplinary team, you will be able to positively change the lives of a small group of men. These men come from hard to reach backgrounds and so a proactive approach is needed. You will work alongside an on site multidisciplinary team of professionals such as experienced nurses and healthcare assistants, a dental team, podiatrist, physios, substance misuse, mental health and wellbeing services.  You will also work in partnership with other visiting NHS services.   We have an on site pharmacy enabling you to work closely with our experienced pharmacists.  You will also provide a highly specialist resource to other healthcare staff, patients and carers and prison staff.  You will take an active lead in clinical governance.

It doesn’t end there; you will have a chance to become actively involved in audit, teaching and training, as well as helping us to adapt the service to the ever changing needs of the patients. We can offer you a manageable workload with 15-minute appointments as standard along with the flexibility to adapt your consultation times as necessary.  You will receive support from experienced prison GPs working within the Practice Plus Group. 

Appointments are 15 minutes long, to enable you to give holistic care, and your working day will be 8-4 Monday to Friday.  For the right candidates we can be flexible in order to achieve the right work-life balance. There are opportunities for remote working and paid CPD time as well as 25 days of paid annual leave, plus bank holidays!

We recognise training and development is key and this will be discussed and centred around your needs and interests.

We offer a competitive annual salary plus payment of MDU/MPS subscription and CPD days. Furthermore should you wish there are plenty of opportunities for extra shifts and overtime.

Further Job Information

This is a full time role but we are also happy to consider part time or applicants on a sessional basis. You will be working across two sites; HMP Hollesley Bay and HMP Warren Hill as detailed above.

The salary is up to £120,000 per annum for full time depending on experience along with a range of other benefits which can be found attached to this advert.

Please note that this role is subject to Practice Plus Group Terms & Conditions and offers of employment are subject to satisfactory receipt of references, enhanced DBS check and prison vetting.

Visits to the establishments for an informal look around are available. Should you wish to discuss the post further, please contact Dr Iain Brew, Deputy National Medical Lead for Practice Plus Group on iain.brew@practiceplusgroup.com

You do not need to have experience of working in secure environments – you will have the support of an experienced health in justice team.  MBChB or MBBS qualified, you’ll be registered with the GMC and on a PCT Medical Performers List. You would have great communication skills and be happy to work autonomously and show initiative in a wide range of situations.

You will have an interest in mental health and substance misuse. RCGP1 part 1/2 is desirable, or the willingness to work towards.

We’re the UK’s leading independent provider of healthcare services in prisons and youth offender establishments.

We believe in putting the patient first, regardless of the environment or their history. That’s why we’re proud to deliver quality healthcare in some of the most challenging environments; care that is equal to what you receive in the community. We’re passionate about making a difference to the lives of prisoners by improving their health, securing their well-being and helping to reduce re-offending behaviour.

We deliver round-the-clock healthcare to more than 40,000 patients at over 45 prisons of all categories. Prisons are a community like any other and we offer all of the health services any community needs in one place and with a single team. These range from reception health checks on arrival and regular GP services, to help with substance misuse, mental health, chronic or long-term conditions, podiatry, physiotherapy and optometry.