NHS Consultant contract proposals – August 2002

Many members of the LCA have asked for advice regarding the discussions and vote on the new NHS consultant contract.

The LCA have not taken a stance on the contract proposals believing this to be a matter for individual consultants. The new contract will be primarily a NHS issue but there is no doubt that it will, if accepted, impact on private practice in a gradual but definite way.

It seems clear that some insurers and hospital providers are seeing this time as a watershed in their relationships with the profession and are considering alternative working arrangements with consultants. It is possible that consultant employment by private hospitals will move up the agenda. At the moment this applies to a variable extent to service specialities such as radiology and pathology with regard to fee charging. The concept of formal employment of these and other specialties by hospitals is currently being discussed and could become a reality.

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