Retainees are doctors who work within the Retainer Doctor Scheme. It provides limited amounts of work for doctors with other commitments, usually women with children, enabling them to retain their skills and stay up to date. It is very restrictive at present and barely pays for the costs incurred. Revamping of the scheme is expected soon. See the chapter on Retainees.
Assistants are doctors who tend to work regularly for a practice full or part time.
Some doctors will be assistants in more than one practice or will be locums at the same time. See the chapter on Assistants. Associates are few and far between. They have tended to be in rural areas and are mainly in Scotland. They are a formal grade of non-principals, defined in the Red Book.