UK
Negotiators meet for first time to discuss new deal for staff grade and associate specialist doctors
By NHS Employers
Apr 19, 2005, 17:24

A new contract for thousands of hospital doctors came a step closer this month when negotiators met prior to formal negotiations.

NHS Employers and the BMA will be negotiating a new contract for staff grade and associate specialist doctors, aiming to improve their career progression and offer fairer recognition and reward for their work with patients. It is hoped that the new contract will be implemented from April 2006.

Each organisation has a team that will be negotiating on its behalf. Team representatives include doctors, chief executives and medical, clinical and HR directors. The two teams met for the first time last week prior to starting formal negotiations.

Heather Lawrence, chair of the NHS Employers negotiating team and chief executive of Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust, said: �Our initial pre-negotiation meeting was both useful and productive. It was a good chance for us to start to get to know the BMA team and to listen to their views. The two teams hope to agree a contract that will be attractive to both employers and doctors, and will ultimately lead to improved patient care.�

Mr Awani Choudhary, lead negotiator and joint deputy chair of the BMA's Staff and Associate Specialists Committee, said:

�A better contract for staff and associate specialist doctors is not only in their interests, but also those of patients and employers. I believe we have a real opportunity to improve SAS doctors� working lives and ensure their skills are put to the best use. Progress is already being made and we are all optimistic about the upcoming negotiations.�

The negotiating teams plan to meet formally for the first time in the near future to take negotiations forward. Both teams are supported by an extensive network of staff from the BMA and NHS Employers.

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