College News - December 2012

18 December 2012

DoH Response to Independent Reports on Distinction Awards and Junior Doctor Contracts

The Department of Health has today published its response to the Doctors and Dentists’ Review Board report on distinction awards and the NHS Employers’ report on Junior Doctor Contracts.

Key recommendations accepted by the Department of Health include –

Consultant Contracts and Distinction Awards

• Rewards for clinical excellence should be linked to performance including patient feedback;
• Rewards for clinical excellence should be capped nationally at £40,000 and locally at £35,000;
• Awards should be awarded for no more than five years nationally and normally one year locally;
• A new “principal consultant” grade should be introduced, paid between £100,000 to £120,000, to reward very senior and outstanding doctors (capped at 10 per cent of consultants across the country);
• Progression through the current consultant grade (£74,000 to £100,000) should be based on performance and contribution rather than time served; and
• Awards should also continue to recognise excellence in medical education, teaching and research.

Junior Doctor Contract

The Junior Doctor contract will be renegotiated nationally to provide –

• More flexible working patterns and better training;
• A single contract for trainees so that all trainees have the same fair conditions, regardless of whether they are training as a hospital doctor, GP specialty trainee or dental trainee; and
• More support for doctors’ work/life balance, including recommending that changes are made so that junior doctors are given more notice before they need to move cities or areas for their training rotations.

Further information

3 December 2012

Revalidation Starts

Revalidation comes into effect today. This is the process by which all doctors in the UK who are licensed with the General Medical Council (GMC) will regularly be required to demonstrate that they are up to date and fit to practise.

Between December 2012 and March 2013 all licensed doctors will receive notification of their revalidation date from the GMC. Every licensed doctor will revalidate for the first time between December 2012 and March 2018.

Whether you are a licensed doctor or doctor in training access information about how the RCPE can support you through this process . Alternatively email our helpdesk on revalidation@rcpe.ac.uk with your questions on revalidation.