20.09.13
‘Once-in-a-lifetime’ chance to renegotiate consultants contract
The BMA has decided to renegotiate the consultants contract – which has been labelled a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” by NHS Employers.
The decision was taken at a special meeting of the BMA consultants committee on Wednesday. Its chair, Dr Paul Flynn, said: “In the coming months, we will work with NHSE to address issues raised in the draft heads of terms such as job planning, working hours, pay and professional development.
“The feedback we received from consultants was that they wanted a fairer and more transparent system of pay and rewards, one which recognised the antisocial, emergency and out-of-hours work they do. While the majority of consultants already work weekends and evenings routinely, there is a genuine openness to greater consultant presence out of hours.
“As long as it is properly resourced, fairly remunerated and weekday services do not suffer from reduced staffing levels.”
Consultants in Scotland and Wales will not be part of the talks, but medical and dental consultants in England and Northern Ireland will be directly affected.
Dean Royles, chief executive of the NHS Employers organisation, said: “The NHS and its patients urgently need the consultants contract to be modernised, so we are extremely pleased that the BMA wants to negotiate changes. This is a once-in-a generation opportunity to help reshape the way the NHS delivers care.
“These negotiations won't be easy. The BMA is a powerful trade union but they will help set the scene for doctors to take a leading role in transforming working patterns in the NHS, to ensure quality care and as a stepping stone towards future advances in seven-day NHS services.
“There is an increasing consensus from the medical establishment that we need more of our most senior doctors on duty and in hospitals later into the working day and at weekends.
“We are hopeful that we can work in partnership to negotiate changes which will be better for doctors, employers and crucially our patients.
“This year NHS Employers reached agreement on changes to the terms and conditions of nurses and other healthcare staff. If we can also now revise the doctors contract it really will exemplify how mature partnerships are as strong as ever in the NHS.”
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