The WCC (Welsh consultants committee) is a standing committee of the BMA and represents all consultants working in Wales.
We lobby the Welsh Government and keep the UK CC (consultants committee) informed on developments in health, care and the hospital service in Wales. We also collaborate and coordinate with UKCC on UK matters.
Our priorities
Fixing consultant pay in Wales
Consultant pay in Wales has dropped by nearly a third in real-terms over the last 15 years. With more of us deciding to retire early or reduce our hours whilst waiting lists continue to be high, now more than ever we need to restore pay to retain and attract the future consultant workforce and protect the integrity of our profession.
Find out more about our campaign to fix consultant pay in Wales
Post COVID working in secondary care
Extension to the Advisory Pay Notice
WCC believe that an extension of the agreement would allow individuals to easily agree to work outside their personal contractual arrangements in order to support NHS recovery and deal with the backlog of patients needing to be seen.
Recycling of employers pension contribution
WCC think that many consultants would take on additional sessions if they were able to opt-in and out of the NHS pension scheme at various times each year, in line with general practitioners. Employers’ contribution paid directly to the individual would offer a cost-neutral way of retaining consultants' experience and expertise in the workforce, and it would help work through the huge backlog of work as a consequence of the COVID pandemic.
Raising the profile of secondary care in Wales
We have negotiated new annual recruitment and retention payments for those joining, or already on, the first part of the consultant pay scale from 1 April 2020 in Wales.
These payments are non-consolidated and non-pensionable, but we hope that they will prove a small incentive to attract and retain new consultants, alleviating the pressure on the wider consultant workforce across Wales.
Representing consultants interests at MDBG
The MDBG (Medical and Dental Business Group) was set up in order to work in social partnership through the principles of a substantial and sustained commitment by employers, staff side and Welsh Government to seek genuine consensus on issues that affect employer/employee relationships. The role of the MDBG is to advise the Minister accordingly on such matters.
Our people
Chair: Dr Stephen Kelly
Deputy chair: Dr Vivek Goel
Voting members for 2023 – 2025
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
Dr Sameh Bekhit
Dr Vivek Goel (Deputy chair)
Dr Hemang Mehta
Dr Ajit Kumar Verma
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Dr Stephen Kelly (Chair)
Dr Manish Adke
Professor Philip Banfield
Dr Arundoss Gangadharan
Dr Simon Hugh Burnell
Dr Madhusudhan Raghavendra
Cardiff & Vale University Health Board
Dr Trevor Pickersgill
Dr Kinnari Mehta
Mr Ravindra Nannapaneni
Dr Ieuan H Davies
Mr Argiris Asderakis
Dr Mohid Khan
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
Dr Simon Poulter
Dr Kishore Kale
Dr Ajay Sharma
Dr Monica Chawathe
Hywel Dda University Health Board
Dr Paul Underwood
Dr Anthony C Smith
Vacancy
Powys Teaching Health Board
Vacancy
Swansea Bay University Health Board
Mr Simon Hodder
Dr Nicky Leopold
Dr Everard Bennett
Dr Karthikeyan Somasundaram
Dr Monika Vij
Velindre University NHS Trust
Vacancy
Our meetings
The WCC meets four times a year to discuss the latest issues affecting consultants in Wales.
Meetings are open to members of the WCC only, but non-members can apply for the BMA committee visitors scheme. Travel expenses to and from meetings can be claimed.
All meetings take either virtually or at:
BMA Cymru Wales
5th Floor
2 Caspian Point
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff
Meeting dates
- Thursday 14 September 2023, 10.30 – 3.30 (in person to be held at BMA Wales Office, Cardiff Bay)
- Thursday 16 November 2023, 10.30 – 3.30 (virtual)
- Wednesday 28 February 2024, 10.30 – 3.30 (virtual)
- Tuesday 21 May 2024 10.30 – 3.30, (in person to be held at BMA Wales Office, Cardiff Bay)
How to join
There are many advantages to becoming involved in our committees. You can actively influence BMA policy-making and negotiations, represent your colleagues' voices and develop your leadership skills.
Each committee has a few routes to becoming an elected member. In the case of WCC UK, this is:
- Seats/term - every three years, health boards and Trusts in Wales elect 30 representatives for a three-session term. Seats are distributed evenly between boards based on the number of consultants employed in the board area.
Health board/Trusts seats distribution:
- Swansea Bay University health board - 5 seats
- Cwm Taf Morgannwg University health board - 4 seats
- Cardiff and Vale University health board - 6 seats
- Aneurin Bevan University health board - 4 seats
- Hywel Dda health board - 3 seats
- Betsi Cadwaladr University health board - 6 seats
- Velindre NHS Trust - 1 seat
- Powys Health Board - 1 seat.
- Timeline - elections are usually held in May or June.
- Eligibility - all consultants who are BMA members are eligible to stand and vote if they work in the relevant health boards/Trusts.
Elections
Elections are now closed.
Get in touch
If you are interested in finding out more about the work of the WCC, please email us or call 02920 474604.
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