ABSTRACT
General practitioner assistants are GPs who are employed long-term by practices and work for the principals of the practice. They have limited responsibilities; in particular they do not have financial responsibility for the practice, as the principals do. A number of new types of GP assistant posts have been developed over the past few years in order to encourage GPs with particular interests. Some may be attached to academic departments of general practice and combine clinical work in practices with research, teaching and personal development projects. These posts are often taken by newly trained GPs who do not yet wish to make a long-term commitment to a particular practice and become a principal. It is likely that, over the years ahead, the variety of GP posts will increase in order to make a career in general practice even more interesting and attractive.
