There is another spin on this. If Consultants agree to normal working hours
8am and 10pm on Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm at weekends, then Staff
Grades will also have the same package! So we also have to think about our
colleagues who are Staff Grades, when we vote.

I'd also agree with, "It undermines anybody in Accident and Emergency trying
to expand consultant cover to evenings, why to do that? the pay is going to
be the same."

An increase in payment for out of hours work may mean a lower increase in
the basic salary... I suspect? Any thoughts?

Having spoken to overseas colleagues at the Edinburgh meeting there is a
wide variation in payment for out of hours work even within a country. All
had some premium on working in the evenings though, but one was as low as
10%

But, if the Consultant Body does reject the Contract we need to do some fast
PR (Public Relations) work with the newspapers and TV. You can imagine the
headlines "fat cats reject 20% pay increase" .

Ray McGlone
A&E Lancaster

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andres Izquierdo Martin" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 1:30 AM
Subject: Re: Consultant Contract


> Hi
>
> I am worry that the list is not debating the consultant contract enough.
For
> this reason, I would like to forward a few comments :
>
>
> 1 - A job plan can be forced if there is not agreement between the Trust
and
> a consultant. As the contract read, the job plan has to be agreed, "if
> possible". The appeal process will be local, but the framework of this
> appeal has not even been decided yet (Doh!).
>
> 2- The Trust has full power to link pay progression to consultant
> performance or "department performance " as the wording allow for this.
>
> 3 - Contractual activities could be scheduled at any time between 8am and
> 10pm on Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm at weekends. This is just
insulting.
> I would be grateful if anybody could mention a single profession when
> working on Sunday is considered "normal working hours" and not being paid
> extra (...OK, apart from priests). It undermines anybody in Accident and
> Emergency trying to expand consultant cover to evenings, why to do that?
the
> pay is going to be the same.
>
> 4 - The increment in the pay scale is minimal. Most of new consultants do
> not start at the bottom of the scale (mostly because they have better
> negotiation skills than some of our colleagues). Consultants in the first
> few years will take a pay cut when current intensity payments are
withdrawn.
> For bigger increments (moderate) we will have to wait 15 years. Even
senior
> consultants, who in theory get a bigger increment, will not know if this
> will count for their pension as ...surprise, surprise, this "small point"
> still have not been resolved.
>
> 5- The BMA is lying saying that the ban in private practice has been
> avoided. For the first 7 years (if Trust feels like it) a consultant will
> have to work 48 hours a week to practice privately. The European Working
> Time directive stipulate that 48 hours a week is the maximum time allowed
to
> work, This is not actively enforced, but many competent lawyers must be
> waiting just for a doctor to make a mistake outside this limit; we will
see
> how we can defended it.
>
> 6- It is going to create a two tiers system, as a new consultant cannot
> refuse to take the new contracts. About the existent consultants, I cannot
> imagine too many surgeons queuing to sign the new deal, do you?
>
>
> I read that our leader Dr. P. Hawker said that 'they are being naive if
they
> believe we can go back and renegotiate this deal . it is the opinion of
> myself and other very experienced negotiators that this was the best
> possible deal we could get.' Excuse me,  but if this if the best deal they
> could get, please go!.
>
> Anything can be renegotiated with the adequate support. The junior doctors
> balloted their member on different plans of action if negotiations were
not
> successful. I do not believe they would have gone on strike if
unsuccessful,
> but they did not went to the negotiating table shouting it,  as Dr. Hawker
> is being doing lately. Have these people ever play poker? You do not show
> your cards until the end.
>
> Also, why only thinking about strike as the only negotiating tool? If I
was
> a cardio thoracic surgeon I would be phoning my few colleagues around the
> country and starting selling my services to the NHS (e.g. chambers). A&E
can
> also do that, more complicated but very possible. More.
>
> Some A&E colleagues are worried about fighting the government on these
> premises. They think that they could decide to go ahead without A&E
> consultants. I would say, let them try!. I would be happy to see how my
> hospital (Royal Free, London) cope without us (A&E consultants), I would
> like to see the face of our friendly orthopaedic surgeons when they are
told
> that they have to cover A&E, I would like to see all the SHOs jobs
> accreditations withdrawn by the different colleges because we are not
there
> anymore.... Please, do not undervalue what we do everyday in our
> departments.
>
> This contract can be... must be renegotiated
>
>
> Andres Izquierdo Martin
>
> Consultant in Accident and Emergency
> Royal Free Hospital
> -
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