Job Advert
Prison General Practitioner Lead
Integrated Primary & Community Care Group – Manx Care
Isle of Man Prison
About the role
Are you an experienced UK General Practitioner with a background in prison or other secure healthcare settings, looking to combine hands‑on clinical work with genuine clinical leadership in a well‑supported, manageable custodial environment?
Manx Care is seeking a Prison General Practitioner Lead to deliver and lead high‑quality primary care medical services within the Isle of Man Prison. This is a senior clinical role, fundamentally grounded in direct patient care, with clear responsibility for medical leadership, governance, and service development.
The Isle of Man Prison is small by UK standards, with a population of approximately 150 patients. As the only full‑time GP on site, you will work closely with a skilled prison healthcare nursing team and a dedicated Healthcare Administrative Officer, supported by a small group of salaried portfolio GPs who provide sessional cover, including during annual leave.
This is a role for a clinician who understands the realities of custodial healthcare and values continuity, autonomy, and professional judgement—without the scale, pressure, or fragmentation common in larger UK establishments.
Clinical practice
You will deliver comprehensive primary care to a complex and diverse patient group, many of whom present with overlapping physical health, mental health, substance misuse, and social needs.
Your clinical work will include:
- Assessment of newly arrived prisoners, including those requiring ongoing or acute substance misuse management
- Delivery of regular GP and primary care clinics within the prison
- Ongoing review and management of acute illness, long‑term conditions, and complex multimorbidity
- Prescribing, monitoring, and medication review
- Managing referrals into secondary and community services
- Reviewing and acting on pathology and radiology results
- Maintaining high‑quality, defensible clinical records using EMIS
You will work daily alongside nursing, mental health, and Drug and Alcohol Treatment teams, enabling genuinely holistic, multidisciplinary care within a secure environment.
Clinical leadership and governance
In addition to direct clinical care, this role carries clear medical leadership responsibility.
You will:
- Provide senior clinical leadership within Prison Healthcare
- Offer supervision, guidance, and professional support to sessional GPs
- Play a key role in service development, quality improvement, and clinical governance
- Contribute to healthcare planning and multidisciplinary meetings as required
- Maintain mandatory Manx Care, professional, and prison‑specific training
Within Prison Healthcare, the Prison GP Lead is a core member of Manx Care’s triumvirate leadership model, working collaboratively alongside the Operational Lead and Nursing/Professional Lead to shape service quality, safety, and development in a small but complex custodial setting.
All care must be delivered in a way that protects dignity, promotes inclusion, and is tailored to individual health and social care needs.
Why this role appeals to experienced prison GPs
- A manageable prison population allowing continuity and depth of care
- The opportunity to practise true generalism with adequate time and support
- Clinical autonomy within a robust governance framework
- Senior influence without excessive managerial burden
- A healthcare system that is similar to, but separate from, the NHS, allowing space from current NHS pressures while remaining professionally aligned with UK practice
Our values – CARE
Manx Care is guided by our CARE values:
- Commitment & passion
- Accountability & reflection
- Respect & inclusion
- Excellence & innovation
These principles underpin how we recruit, support, and develop our clinicians and how we deliver care.
A workplace that invests in you
✔ Competitive salary, increasing annually until the maximum is reached
✔ Annual leave starting at 32 days plus 10 Bank Holidays
✔ Eligibility to join the Isle of Man Government Unified Pension Scheme 2011, a defined benefit scheme broadly comparable to the NHS Pension Scheme
✔ Paid study leave and expenses for approved conferences and workshops, supporting continued links with UK medical practice
✔ Access to Keyll Darree, Manx Care’s on‑site education and training centre, including a modern medical library and state‑of‑the‑art simulation facilities
✔ Ability to apply for an unpaid career break after three years’ service
✔ Cycle to Work scheme (after first year)
✔ Free on‑site parking
✔ Access to Learning, Education and Development facilities exclusively for Public Service employees
✔ Staff canteen access at Noble’s Hospital
✔ Free access to the Isle of Man Government Staff Welfare Service, providing confidential counselling and emotional support
✔ Relocation package of up to £7,000, based on receipts
✔ Accommodation may be available at a reduced rate for up to six months (subject to availability)
Making the Isle of Man your new home
The Isle of Man offers an exceptional quality of life, combining unspoilt coastline, outstanding natural landscapes, and safe, close‑knit communities with excellent connectivity to the UK via frequent flights and ferries.
Many professionals benefit from significantly higher take‑home pay compared with England due to lower personal tax rates and a tax cap. Shorter commutes, less congestion, and a genuine work–life balance make the Island an attractive long‑term base.
To learn more, including an estimate of your take‑home pay, visit www.locate.im.
Things to note
- On completion of pre‑employment checks, the successful applicant will be supported through inclusion on the Isle of Man Performers List
- An enhanced police check with barring is required; the cost will be covered by the Isle of Man Government
- All staff must comply with Manx Care policies on confidentiality, safeguarding, health and safety, and custodial security
Ready to apply?
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact the Recruiting Manager at:
Martin.Rankin2@gov.im
Applications will be assessed against the Job Description and Person Specification, with shortlisting based on evidence of clinical experience, leadership capability, and alignment with Manx Care values.