Specialty Doctor and Associate Specialist contract – in summary
Following negotiations between NHSe, employers and Health Departments from the
devolved administrations and the BMA, the new contract for Specialty Doctors and
Associate Specialists was introduced from 1st April 20087.
The contract was designed to deliver a new pay structure which would:
 Improve patient access
 Improve patient experience
 Improve overall capacity
Broadly based on the 2004 consultant contract, the new contract created a new
career grade, known as a Specialty Doctor. It aimed to make this grade a positive
career choice for medical staff and one which would promote and encourage
flexibility of movement in/out of training.
PICTURE OF PROPOSAL
CCT or access
to register
Training
Grades
Basic
Specialist
Training
F1 + F2
Existing
AS Grade
Specialist
Register
via
PMETB
New Career Grade
(graduation of
competence?)
(Not to any
pay-related
scale)
The structure of the new grade was for one grade progressing through two
thresholds, moving from doctors being a competent practitioner with experience in a
specialty rising up to be a highly competent practitioner with areas of expertise.
Those doctors currently at Associate Specialist or eligible to apply for regrading to
this level had access to a new Associate Specialist contract. However when all of
those currently entitled to access the Associate Specialist grade have done so this
grade will be closed.
The new contract contained provisions for job planning and annual appraisal aimed
at giving these career doctors a structured and rewarding career path.
The arrangements agreed for Scotland were that, although the new contract became
operational from 1st April 2008, Scottish doctors moved on to the new contract at the
pay point that they would have been on had the contract been implemented from 1 st
April 2007.
The proposed benefits of the new contract for the NHS were:
 Improved ability to manage doctors time
 Greater clarity of objectives and more opportunities to engage doctors in
action to improve service delivery
 Greater opportunity to arrange care in the evenings and at weekends
 Guaranteed CPD for doctors contributing to improved delivery of patient care
The perceived benefits of the new contract for individual doctors were:






More input in to work organisation
Specific time allocated to development activities
More recognition for out of hours working
Integration of optional/discretionary points into salary scales
More transparent opportunities for pay progression
Significant pay increase for flexible working arrangements
Employers and SGHD officials have been working with BMA Scotland’s SAS
Committee through the Specialty Doctor and Associate Specialist Contract
Implementation Group to implement the new contract across Scotland as smoothly
and efficiently as possible.