What standards and terms of employment should respiratory practitioners with a special interest expect from an employing organisation?

The UK Department of Health (DoH), with input from with the Royal College of General Practitioners and UK General Practice Airways Group (GPIAG), has drawn up guidelines for the appointment of General Practitioners or other Practitioners with a Special Interest (GPwSIs or PwSIs, respectively) in respiratory medicine. This Discussion paper is based on the deliberations of a GPIAG-organised multi-professional Working Party held in November 2005. It highlights the three key roles of respiratory GPwSIs/PwSIs, and it aims to provide existing and potential specialist practitioners with a checklist of specific points to consider when drawing up a contract with their employing authority. Whilst this system is particular to the provision of primary care in the UK, other countries may choose to follow this model.