Flex GP: No- Recruitment Fee Staffing for PCNs & Practices
Primary Care, GP Staffing, PCNs
Flex GP: A Done-For-You GP Staffing Solution That Ends Recruitment Fees for PCNs and Practices
Flex GP from GP Connect offers a fully managed, done for you GP recruitment and staffing model designed specifically for PCNs, GP practices, and GP surgeries that are ready to move beyond outdated recruitment agencies and costly locum arrangements.
The Problem with the Traditional GP Recruitment Model
Practice Managers, PCN Directors, and GP Partners know the reality all too well. Traditional GP recruitment is slow, expensive, and administratively draining. You brief multiple agencies, sift through CVs, arrange interviews, negotiate terms, and still face uncertainty about whether the GP will be the right clinical and cultural fit for your GP surgery or PCN. All of this happens while clinics are short-staffed and existing teams are under pressure.
On top of the time and admin burden, recruitment fees are significant. Agencies typically charge a large percentage of the salaried GP’s annual income, payable upfront, regardless of whether the GP remains in post. There is usually no meaningful assessment period in real-world clinical operations, so you carry the full risk of a bad hire. If the appointment does not work out, you repeat the whole cycle and pay again. For many PCNs, this model is no longer sustainable.
What Flex GP Is: A Fully Done-For-You GP Staffing Service
Flex GP is GP Connect’s fully managed GP staffing solution that replaces traditional recruitment agencies entirely. It is a done for you GP recruitment and deployment service: you simply tell GP Connect what you need, and they handle everything else from that point forward. There are no recruitment fees, no complex agency contracts, and no fragmented locum arrangements. Instead, you receive a structured, predictable GP placement model built around your practice or PCN’s long-term workforce strategy.
How Flex GP Works: The Six-Step Process
You share your requirement. Provide your ideal GP specification, sessions needed, and sessional rate for your GP surgery or PCN.
GP Connect launches an ongoing recruitment campaign immediately. Targeted outreach, screening, and engagement are all managed centrally by GP Connect’s primary care staffing team.
A suitable GP is typically identified within around two weeks. You are presented with a carefully matched clinician who can start providing sessions quickly.
The GP works in your practice for up to 12 months. During this period, the GP functions as part of your team, delivering continuity for patients and stability for your rota.
GP Connect keeps recruiting throughout the full 12 months. Continuous recruitment means you can secure the very best possible clinician, not just the first available one.
At the end, you choose the next step. Either you offer a salaried GP contract to your preferred Flex GP, or GP Connect continues to support your GP staffing requirements on an ongoing basis.
Flex GP embeds clinicians into real practice life before you commit to salaried terms.
Why Flex GP Is a Game-Changer for PCNs and Practices
With Flex GP, there are zero recruitment fees. All employment costs, including employer National Insurance and pension contributions, are wrapped into one transparent annual fee, split into 12 equal monthly payments that sit comfortably within existing GP budget lines. This removes unexpected cost spikes and makes planning far easier for finance leads and Practice Managers.
Flex GP also guarantees continuity cover. If a Flex GP leaves, GP Connect provides a replacement. Sickness and annual leave are covered at no extra cost, protecting your appointment capacity and safeguarding patient access. Crucially, recruitment does not stop once a GP is placed; GP Connect continues to run recruitment for the full 12-month period so that your PCN or practice can secure the strongest possible long-term fit.
The Key Shift: Assess Before You Commit
The most important change Flex GP delivers is risk removal. Instead of making a permanent salaried GP appointment after a handful of interviews, you can assess a GP in real-world clinical operations for up to 12 months before offering a salaried contract. You see how they manage complex cases, work with your multidisciplinary team, contribute to QOF and PCN DES delivery, and fit with your culture. Only once you are confident do you convert the GP placement into a salaried role.
Ready to Ditch the Old Recruitment Model?
If you are a Practice Manager, PCN Director, or GP Partner who is tired of paying large recruitment fees for uncertain outcomes, Flex GP offers a safer, smarter alternative. You gain a fully managed GP staffing solution, predictable costs, continuity cover, and the ability to trial clinicians in your setting before committing to them as salaried GPs.
Now is the time to move away from outdated GP recruitment and towards a model built around flexibility, assurance, and value. Contact GP Connect to discuss how Flex GP can support your PCN or GP surgery, secure the right GPs for your population, and eliminate recruitment fees from your workforce planning altogether.
