Chairman of the Central Consultants & Specialists Committee
Dr Peter Hawker
Tuesday 2 July 2002
Mr Chairman,
This has been another successful year for CCSC. We have built on our established record and continued to expand our major role in restoring and maintaining the faith of the public in the medical profession.
We have responded to problems real and perceived within British medicine. We have honestly accepted fair criticism, whilst robustly defending ourselves against inaccurate allegations. Our approach has paid dividends. Our reputation for straight talking and straight dealing is widely acknowledged. We continue to build the long term relationships with the media, other organisations, DoH, Government that are essential to benefit the profession, our patients and the service.
Two major areas epitomise our work. The consultant innovations report published last year. It attracted wide media and public interest and received the commendation of politicians from all parties including the Secretary of State who wrote a personal letter to all the consultants featured in the document.
Our work on the Quality Agenda is another example both our guide to the initiatives and organisations involved and the small but highly influential and successful conference on quality issues.
These are the tip of the iceberg. We have been working with the National Clinical Assessment Authority to develop acceptable and effective systems to the benefit of our colleagues. We have seen our concept of revalidation through appraisal become the established norm.
In the coming year a major injection of funds for the NHS will come on stream.
I believe we have ensured that CCSC's view and that of the BMA, as expressed by the Chairman of Council will be heard and responded to.
The consultant contract
Here I must thank all staff of the BMA, CCSC, PADiv, the Parliamentary Unit, HPERU and the Legal department - everyone - for their support.
You will note the absence of my friend and mentor - Sally Watson. She has done sterling work as usual and has now moved on to greater things in the BMA. Sally - good luck and simply thank you.
Douglas Bilton, tireless, hard working and patient epitomises all of our staff.
I will single out one person from the elected team, my friend, Negotiator Chair, Derek Machin. Suffice it to say the successes are his. The flaws are mine.
It has been a difficult negotiation - quiet and not high profile. It had to be to succeed. We had to achieve major concessions whilst maintaining long term relationships with the health departments and Government
Triumphalism and unnecessary confrontation are unpleasant in their own right and often counter productive. Particularly in the context that we have another craft - GPC also actively engaged in negotiating a new contract.
Our new sister craft, the Staff and Associate Specialists Committee is due to start negotiations soon. I am aware of the potential effect of our action on new, current, and future negotiations and the possible effects of anything I say.
But this deal is not just a deal, it is not just an acceptable deal, but a damned good and commendable deal.
We have met all of the criteria set by CCSC : a time limited contract, pay for emergency work, acknowledgement of availability. Pay for work done and protected time for teaching, research, continuing professional education and much more. And a large, just, pay rise.
The deal has delivered on all counts.
We have now started the process of informing the consultant body of the true nature of our efforts. Concerns have been raised and can usually be dealt with. There has been misinterpretation and even misrepresentation.
How, one colleague had gained the impression that I, as a 54 year old consultant, would have abolished the final salary pensions scheme, I will never know.
I will comment on two areas.
It is claimed we have extended the working day and week. Not true for consultants ; they remain at 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
It may come as a surprise to some that we have no concept of unsocial hours or premium rates in our contract. Indeed for most of the time we do not have any rate of pay.
We have gained the priniciple that even for consultants some hours are unsocial.
A principle that can, and I have no doubt will, be developed over the next few years.
There has been talk of excess management control.
No more than already exists. If managers try unjustly to exert their power, the BMA will be ready to resist. We are already planning individual support for consultants facing pressure to accept unreasonable job plans.
Remember the threat of a seven year ban on private practice or, and this was published in writing in the NHS plan, the very real threat of a new sub consultant grade.
There is no seven ban. There is no reason to implement a sub consultant grade
Chairman, this contract is a complex package. Not a pick and mix. There is no room for major renegotiation or cherry picking. It stands or falls as a package.
If it falls the prospect of any negotiation or even re-engagement with Government until well beyond the next election are non existent. This contract deal is too important to play with.
The spiralling emergency workload is resting on our consultant shoulders. It is set to increase substantially in two years time when the commendable efforts of the JDC on hours start coming to fruition.
I will point out that the lowest paid workers at night are not the SHOs, nurses or porters. They are the consultants. We do it for nothing.
Not so in future.
Chairman, the contract has been endorsed and recommended by CCSC. A craft decision has been made.
CCSC has developed and enhanced the reputation of the BMA and our profession.
In recommending the most significant and beneficial changes in the consultant contract for 50 years, it has demonstrated leadership.
Chairman, I move.