CEM - Professional Standards Committee

Professional Standards in Emergency Medicine

The Consultant Contract and Job Planning for Emergency Medicine Consultants

The BMA has prepared guidance which provides a broad overview of the principles of the 2003 Consultant contract together with specific advice appropriate for Emergency Medicine consultants.  The objective is to enable Emergency Medicine consultants, and thus their patients, to work within and benefit from the 2003 contract.  In view of the differences in contract between each of the UK nations the document has aimed to cover the general principles with details based on the English contract and then to highlight specific differences for other nations.

Please download a copy here.

The guidance was prepared by the Emergency Medicine subcommittee of the Central Consultants & Specialists Committee with input from the Professional Standards Committee of the CEM. The document is based, with permission, upon the 2005 guidance published by the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland. Both committees gratefully acknowledge the generosity of the AAGBI in allowing us to benefit from their work.

This is a working document and the BMA and CEM welcome comments and suggestions for improvement in order to periodically update and revise the guidance as necessary. Please send any comments to philip.mcmillan@collemergencymed.ac.uk or contact the BMA CCSC EM subcommittee.

Emergency Medicine Job Planning in Practice

The College advocates, as stated in the 2003 contract, that for full time consultants the Job Plan will typically include an average of 7.5 Programmed Activities for Direct Clinical Care duties and 2.5 Programmed Activities for Supporting Professional Activities.

We would like to hear from EM Consultants if they are contracted to work Job Plans that deviate from this arrangement or if you have negotiated enhanced rates for premium time working. Please contact philip.mcmillan@collemergencymed.ac.uk.

Advice on Supporting Professional Activities in consultant job planning

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has published a statement on SPAs (Feb 2010). This includes recommendations from CEM which reflect issues relevant to Consultants in Emergency Medicine.

CEM welcomes this statement and would note the benefits for patients of Consultants having adequate SPA time to develop and maintain a high quality service.