Career Gap
£15
/ 1 mo (12 payments)

Stay professionally connected and supported during career transitions.

Maintain access to professional support, wellbeing services, advocacy, and community while taking time away from practice due to illness, caring responsibilities, career breaks, or other life circumstances.

Membership Details

Category

Members holding Career Gap Membership may fall within either the Ordinary Membership category and/or the Associate Membership category depending on their professional registration status and current practice status.

Ordinary Membership Category

  • For members qualifying for this status who were in a standing network (Anaesthesia, Primary Care/Secondary Care/Educators), you will retain membership of the original Ordinary Member category and gain dual Associate Member status to entitle you to the benefits of this membership. You will retain membership within the standing network you were in at the point the gap occurred. You will retain all benefits of membership within your original category (except DSIC for new disputes occurring within the gap period that don’t relate to previous clinical work) including the right to vote, represent and stand for leadership positions.

This may include members who are taking a temporary career break, parental leave, sickness absence, sabbatical, relocation, or other temporary period away from active practice.

Associate Membership Category

  • For Members who were not yet able to obtain work and gain membership within a Standing Network, you will retain only Associate Member Status within the New Grad Network. You will be able to gain the rights to ordinary member status the moment you gain employment in a primary network.

Associate Membership status under Career Gap Membership does not confer rights reserved to Ordinary Members under the UMAPs Rule Book, including any rights which are restricted to Ordinary Membership categories.

Duty to Notify

Members are under a continuing duty to notify UMAPs of any change in circumstances which may affect their membership category eligibility, including changes to registration status, practising status, or professional eligibility.

UMAPs reserves the right to reclassify a member between Ordinary Membership and Associate Membership categories where appropriate under the Rule Book and MPIPP.

Eligibility

  • Qualified Physician Associates 
  • Qualified Anaesthesia Associates 

General Benefits

Career Gap Members have access to:

  • Collective advocacy in relation to pay, terms and conditions of employment 
  • Collective advocacy regarding workload, supervision, recruitment, and professional sustainability 
  • Representation of the profession at national stakeholder level 
  • National media and public relations advocacy in support of Medical Associate Professionals 
  • Mental health and wellbeing resources provided or commissioned by UMAPs 
  • Access to a secure online member community 
  • Voting rights in accordance with the UMAPs Constitution and governance rules*
  • Eligibility to stand for election or appointment to UMAPs roles, subject to governance eligibility criteria*
  • Participation in UMAPs workgroups, committees, or task-and-finish group 
  • Regular member communications, including newsletters and updates 
  • Access to leadership development, human resources, and legal training continuing professional development (CPD), when available 
  • Access to in-person training opportunities, including clinical skills training, where offered 
  • Access to a 24/7 confidential counselling helpline for members and their immediate family, subject to provider terms 

* Voting rights, eligibility to stand for election, eligibility to hold representative or leadership positions, and other governance rights are dependent upon the member’s constitutional membership category and network status. Members retaining Ordinary Membership status alongside Career Gap Membership will retain these rights subject to the UMAPs Constitution and governance rules. Members holding Associate Membership status only do not hold rights reserved to Ordinary Members unless and until they transition into an eligible Ordinary Membership category.

Limitations

All employment-related advice, support, and representation is provided at the discretion of UMAPs and subject to eligibility, timeliness of membership, and compliance with relevant policies. UMAPs does not guarantee representation or financial assistance in every case. 

Relevant Policies: 

  • Membership, Processes, and Indemnity Provision Policy (MPIPP)
  • Pre-Existing Case Policy 

Clarification of Scope of Support

Career Gap Membership does not include access to Discretionary Employment Dispute Assistance (DEDA). Access to such support is available only through applicable upgraded membership categories, subject to the Membership, Processes, and Indemnity Provision Policy (MPIPP).

Support in relation to misconduct, disciplinary, or performance matters under this membership is limited to employment-related processes only. This membership does not include access to Discretionary Secondary Indemnity Cover (DSIC).

All support is subject to the Membership, Processes, and Indemnity Provision Policy (MPIPP).

Payment Plan

Rate: £15 per month

Payment method: monthly instalments

Membership is entered into as a 1-month term. Following the initial term, membership will automatically renew for one successive month period unless cancelled in accordance with UMAPs MPIPP. Cancellation does not take effect until the end of the active membership term.