What is the probationary period for GP staff?

Probation is usually defined in a company’s employee handbook, and is given to new employees when they first begin a job. The probationary period allows the employer to terminate the employment for an employee who is not performing well in their job or is otherwise deemed not suitable for the position for which they are employed.

So why is it that many employers do not properly avail of the Probationary period when employing a new member of staff?

Many employers do a quick induction at the beginning of the employment period. They provide basic training on the role and generally do a short induction which covers health and safety, confidentiality and maybe some tutorials on the software packages which are used in a Healthcare Practice. In my area of expertise, this is often where training and induction starts and ends.

General Practice, in particular, is such a busy environment and probably quite unique in that it’s almost impossible to plan any given day. All plans or ‘to do lists’ that you have in the morning are usually placed on hold, as you deal with whatever unique challenges the day presents.

Days, weeks and months go by as both Doctors and Staff get on with their respective roles and all of a sudden, the probationary period for an employee comes and goes and then suddenly you start to get indications that things are not quite right. It could start with complaints from patients or other staff or it could be a realisation that tasks which you have requested over and over have not been completed or any other number of things.

Case Study

Mary started out as a Medical Receptionist with a single-handed GP who we’ll call Dr Jones. Everyone in the community loved Dr. Jones as he not only provides a brilliant service but he also knows all of his patients so well having provided GP services to the locality for more than 25 years. Mary had taken over from his previous secretary Jackie who had been with him from the beginning. Dr. Jones never really knew what Jackie did in her job but she was lovely to all the patients and that was all that he was really concerned with.

Just before Jackie was due to retire, he heard about a lady called Mary and he was told that she had recently been made redundant from the local bank. She sounded like someone who would be used to dealing with people and would have some understanding of figures which was an added bonus!

He was happy when she applied for the role and he interviewed her. She seemed to have a pleasant enough demeanour which was very important, so he offered her the job of medical receptionist to take over from Jackie. She had big boots to fill but he was confident that over time, she would get used to everything.

The Probationary Period

The probationary period was set at 6 months and this was clearly outlined in the contract of employment which was issued prior to her commencement. It was agreed that his Practice Nurse who had been there for almost 10 years would provide Mary with a basic induction and introduce her to all the day to day processes, including the Practice Software System. Jackie had also stayed on for 3 extra weeks to help train Mary into the role.

All was going well and Mary settled in nicely. Patients seemed to like her and she was always pleasant and friendly. There were many occasions where Dr. Jones noticed a number of things that had not been done in Mary’s day to day duties but he put it down to her still learning the ropes and he didn’t like making a fuss. There was also a certain amount of tension between her and the Practice Nurse over the previous few months but again Dr. Jones didn’t like getting involved in those types of issues and assumed they would sort it out between them.

The probationary period came and went and the challenges that were appearing along the way didn’t really go away. As weeks turned to months, the Practice Nurse was getting more and more frustrated and she started to become very unhappy in her job. Dr. Jones was also getting more frustrated as the things that were not being done were now beginning to accumulate.

In short, the probationary period was not properly utilised in this case. The probationary period should have included a structured induction, clearly defined responsibilities, regular check-ins and feedback, and documented performance assessments at key milestones (e.g. 1 month, 3 months, 5 months).

What should have happened?

If a structured probationary process had been in place, performance issues would have been identified and addressed early. Either Mary would have been supported to improve, or the decision to end the employment would have been made within the probationary period — before the situation escalated and affected the wider team.

The probationary period is one of the most valuable tools available to any employer, yet it is one of the most underutilised. It is not about being harsh or unfair — it is about protecting your Practice, your team, and your patients by ensuring that the right person is in the right role.

If you would like to find out more about how Best Practice can help you put proper structures in place, including probationary frameworks, induction programmes and ongoing performance management, please get in touch.