School Student
What's surgery like?
Obtaining a consultant post
Once you are offered a job, you need to think about contract details, terms and conditions, etc. Whilst the College cannot become involved in matters of employment terms and conditions, the following advice and signposting is offered:
Your Contract of Employment
Consultants are employed under national terms and conditions of service, which have been agreed between the British Medical Association and the Department of Health. Your contract of employment however, will be between you and the employing Trust. The BMA website offers advice for members on such matters.
Job Planning
Your contract will be based on an agreed job plan, which should be reviewed annually. The NHS Employers website provides a toolkit to assist consultants with job planning. It contains:
- Job planning handbook - tools and discussion points aimed at provoking thought in the development of effective job planning
- Training package - to help clinical managers and others to develop effective job planning
- Evaluation framework - to help organisations and clinicians to assess the impact of implementing the contract and an improved job planning process
- Reference Manual - containing all published contractual and guidance documentation relating to the 2003 contract and the new standards of best practice in job planning
The Consultant Contract
The BMA provides information about implementing the consultant contract, the main principles of the contract, local flexibilities, implications for PCTs etc. The site also provides a 'ready reckoner', which will help to give some indication of salary.
There is specific guidance available for you to assist with negotiating College representative roles within your job plan (for example, examiner, surgical tutor, regional deanery adviser, etc).
