Consultants call for contract clarity

Safeguards for unsocial hours and the timescale of a new contract for consultants were among the topics discussed in a BMA webchat this week. BMA consultants committee negotiators Vish Sharma, (pictured above), and Phil de Warren-Penny took live questions on Monday night in an online session that attracted more than 800 doctors. In December last year, the final face-to-face meeting took place between the BMA, NHS Employers and the Department of Health over a proposed new contract for consultants in England and Northern Ireland. However, discussions are ongoing and the BMA is waiting for a final offer from the Government. Many doctors asked about safeguards for unsocial hours and the Government’s proposal for consultants to work a maximum of 13 weekends per year.   'Absolute maximum' Dr de Warren-Penny said in response: ‘The BMA views this as an absolute maximum — there is no maximum currently — but do not expect that the vast majority of consultants would be working this frequency routinely. 'In addition, the BMA has sought to agree additional protection for those on full shift rotas and a limit on the number of weekends worked for delivering elective care.’ Replying to a question about the length of the negotiations, Dr Sharma said the BMA did not believe the Government was ‘deliberately delaying the new contract'. He added: 'There has been a lot to discuss and there are some ongoing discussions on aspects that are not aligned.&...
Source: BMA News - Category: UK Health Source Type: news