Offer flexibility in work patterns, for example, shift patterns, locum, and part-time work balanced with need for effective service planning and provision | Systemic change required to make general practice sustainable, for example, flexible working, collaborative working environment | Support for portfolio careers such as working in GPED roles may allow some GPs to extend their working life, reduce early retirement and attrition, and prevent burnout |
Support GPs to broaden clinical opportunities when working in GPED services to enhance the core GP role | Support flexibility of workload organisation, for example, consultation duration | Portfolio working and novel GPED roles require structured education and support from training systems and medical royal colleges |
Support for GPs to adapt to different ways of working in GPED roles according to their career plan and aspirations | Use GPED to promote general practice to junior doctors and other healthcare professionals working in ED | Consideration of strategies to prevent/limit competition for finite GP resource |
Development of strategies to reduce competition for GP resource | Potential for core general practice to ‘borrow’ learning from the positive benefits GPs experience in GPED roles | Develop strategies that value shared learning and support for collaborative working |
Provide ‘incentives’ to work in GPED services such as support and supervision, career planning | Supporting GPs to work part-time in GPED services or other portfolio working, as well as working part-time in core general practice, may assist retention of GPs | Develop the GPED role to include input into system changes, for example, streamlining primary/secondary care referral processes |
Utilise GPs as a resource to share learning and primary care philosophies with ED colleagues | GPED roles can be used as a ‘stepping stone’ for those GPs yet to make longer-term career decisions | Professional reciprocity and broadening clinical opportunities enhances both primary and secondary care |