I am a newly qualified GP, and would be interested in readers’ thoughts about the nomenclature used by GPs in the UK to describe their role. It is of course important to accurately describe this both to colleagues, and provide a transparent description of this to the public. Looking through various social media and employment websites, I see other UK GPs describing themselves as primary care physicians, family physicians, medical practitioners, and variously as portfolio/locum/freelance/independent/private GPs. These are in addition to the more traditional terms of salaried/partner/principal/non-principal GPs. I feel rather mundane describing myself as a ‘general practitioner’, but is there any guidance from the College about this area? Also, do certain titles give an over-commercial label to GPs, such as, ‘freelance GPs’, and although an accurate description, how do these affect the public’s view of our specialty and role?
I think my ideal name would remain general practitioner without an additional descriptive term, because this is in common usage with both patients and healthcare professionals.
No doubt a few of my freelance private locum friends will disagree!
- © British Journal of General Practice 2013