Primary Care, Flex GP, GP recruitment alternative

Flex GP: 5 Myths Practice Managers Believe, and What's Actually True

You've probably heard some of these in your own practice or PCN meetings: "It's just another locum agency", "We'll never find someone in time", "What if they're not right?"

Flex GP from GP Connect is a flexible GP model designed to give practices a different way to secure GP cover for practices, without the usual recruitment rollercoaster. But like any new approach, it attracts myths. Below, we unpack five of the most common Flex GP myths and what's actually true, so you can decide if it's a realistic GP recruitment alternative for your practice or PCN.

Myth 1: "Flex GP is just another locum agency."

It's understandable this is where people's minds go. Most external GP cover still means ad hoc sessions, variable faces and a constant sense of firefighting. If that's your reference point, anything new sounds like more of the same.

Myth: "Flex GP is just another locum agency."
The fact: With Flex GP, sessions are agreed upfront with the practice, and the arrangement is built around a specific GP placed to work in your practice. You then have up to 12 months to assess that GP before moving to a salaried contract, and there are zero recruitment fees. It's structured as a flexible GP model that bridges temporary cover and a potential long-term salaried GP, rather than a purely sessional, short-notice locum set-up. For exactly how the structure works in your area, ask GP Connect for the details.

Myth 2: "Finding a GP will take months."

You know from experience that traditional recruitment can drag on. Adverts, agencies, interviews, negotiations – all while your list keeps growing and your existing team stretches thinner and thinner. No wonder many practice manager GP staffing plans assume long delays as standard.

Myth: "Finding a GP will take months."
The fact: Under Flex GP, a GP is typically placed in around two weeks. That's a very different planning horizon when the average GP in England is responsible for about 2,160 patients (BMA, August 2026). Every extra month without cover means thousands of patients effectively sitting on someone else's shoulders. If you want to understand what "around two weeks" looks like in your patch and for your required sessions, GP Connect can walk you through the current timelines.

Myth 3: "If the GP isn't the right fit, we're stuck."

Fit matters. You're not just filling a rota; you're protecting culture, continuity and patient experience. Many PCN Clinical Directors have been burned by arrangements that looked fine on paper but felt wrong in the consulting room – and then proved hard to unwind.

Myth: "If the GP isn't the right fit, we're stuck."
The fact: Flex GP gives you up to 12 months to assess the GP in your real-world setting before you move to a salaried contract. During that period, replacement cover is included, so if it's not quite right, you're not left scrambling. That trial-style, salaried GP trial period gives practice leaders space to judge clinical style, team dynamics and patient feedback before committing. For the exact process and notice points, ask GP Connect for the details.

Stable GP cover helps practices protect calm, predictable patient flow.

Myth 4: "Sickness and annual leave will leave us exposed."

This concern is completely rational. Under the 2026/27 GP contract, practices must provide same-day access for clinically urgent patients. When a GP calls in sick or disappears for annual leave, you're not just juggling diaries – you're worrying about contract compliance and patient safety.

Myth: "Sickness and annual leave will leave us exposed."
The fact: Within the Flex GP model, sickness and annual leave cover are included, so sessions don't simply vanish when life happens. That matters when same-day urgent access is a contractual requirement and a missing session can quickly cascade into complaints and pressure from your ICB. If you want to understand exactly how sickness and annual leave cover are arranged in your locality, speak directly to GP Connect.

Myth 5: "The costs will be unpredictable."

Budget anxiety is real. In a year when the National Living Wage is rising 3.9% from April 2027, most practices simply cannot absorb more volatility. Many Practice Managers have lived through opaque invoices, surprise agency mark-ups and last-minute premium rates. It's no wonder there's scepticism about any new GP cover for practices.

Myth: "The costs will be unpredictable."
The fact: Flex GP is based on one transparent annual fee split into 12 monthly payments, with zero recruitment fees. Everything – including replacement, sickness and annual leave cover – sits inside that agreed cost, so you can build it into your practice or PCN budget with far more confidence. For a detailed breakdown of what's included and how it maps to your funding streams, ask GP Connect for the figures.

So is Flex GP right for every practice?

Not necessarily – and that's important to say out loud. Whether Flex GP is the right GP recruitment agency alternative for you depends on your list size, how many sessions you actually need, your existing team mix and your local funding arrangements. Some practices will want a stepping stone towards a salaried GP; others may be looking mainly for short-term resilience.

Before you decide, check any funding scheme eligibility with your ICB, including how the practice-level GP reimbursement scheme under the 2026/27 GP contract might support your plans. Then have an open, no-pressure conversation with GP Connect about how the Flex GP model, and its rota and session tracking portal, could work alongside your current systems.

If you're ready to move beyond rumour and get a clear view of what Flex GP could mean for your practice or PCN, talk to GP Connect. Ask questions, kick the tyres, and see whether this flexible GP model can give your patients, and your team, the stable cover they deserve.