Ahmed

This blog post is on claiming tax back while working in the NHS. Some official websites: https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/tax/tax-guidance/tax-relief https://www.gov.uk/claim-tax-refund https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees I am going to address this in the form of frequently asked questions. What is this about? https://www.gov.uk/claim-tax-refund https://www.gov.uk/tax-relief-for-employees So does this mean I can claim tax on all my expenses? You can claim tax on certain expenses which you paid VAT for while working in the UK. What does that mean? In simple terms, you can claim tax on items/services you used when you came here on a work visa. What does this include? As doctors we can claim tax on : 1. Stethescopes and any other professional equipment we have purchased which is necessary for our jobs. 2. Professional fees which includes GMC fees, indemnity insurance fees, BMA membership. 3. Fees on Royal Colleges - like members of the RCP, etc. 4. Fees on exams/cour...

Most HR teams are very reasonable and accommodating. However they are overworked and some even do 2 jobs at the same time ( ie are working in the HR department on some days and manage the rota on other days). The reason behind this is that there are not enough funds to hire full time HRs and even if a trust has a full time HR manager, (s)he is swamped with paperwork. They not only sort out paperwork for junior doctors but also for other healthcare workers, trainees and liaise with other departments ( like occupational health, payroll, interviewing consultants) This post is in no way demeaning HRs. I have worked in the NHS for a few years now and I know how hard working they are and by no fault of theirs, they are extremely busy and try their best to prioritize our issues. They are the stars of the NHS and I would not be here had it not been for the amazing and efficient HRs I have dealt with ( I have been very lucky to have good HRs). Here are a few reasons why HRs may not re...

This is frequently asked question by a lot of international medical graduates. The main reason they are in this cold and wet country is for training.  Usually, IMGs start as a non trainee and then apply for a training post once they have got used to the system.  However some have been encouraged to apply for training posts as soon as possible. This can pose some problems which I have noticed in colleagues who have applied for training posts pre-maturely.  1. Managing on calls    When you accept a training post, you are expected to be on the on call rota from the first day. You cannot say that you would like to observe your colleagues.  If you are not used to working in the NHS and doing on calls, you will not be to work efficiently. Unfortunately, things have changed a lot in the NHS - Efficiency is kety. We have to clerk patients, manage acutely unwell patients, ensure they are seen by a medical consultant ASAP and handover the least number of patie...

Gastroenterology is a wonderful specialty, however it is quite different than what we see back home. I am going to go through the common cases and how we manage them. Please note that this is only for educational purposes and if in doubt, kindly refer to your local guidelines and ask your seniors. Please remember that these guidelines vary from trust to trust which you will be introduced to during your induction and your first few days in your trust/ when you work in this specialty. Also read the junior doctors handbook here: https://www.bsg.org.uk/bsg-sections/trainees/online-learning.html Here are a few common cases we see: PARACETAMOL OVERDOSE  https://cks.nice.org.uk/poisoning-or-overdose#!scenario We see this all the time. Each trust has a paracetamol overdose pathway. Follow it and remember to escalate if their bloods are deranged: https://www.mdcalc.com/kings-college-criteria-acetaminophen-toxicity Refer them to the mental health team even if their bloods are ...