Media centre

Press release: NHS Employers response to Kings Fund report on the consultant contract

10 May 2006

NHS Employers' Deputy Director Alastair Henderson said:

"The new consultant contract was the first time the way consultants work had been reviewed
since the NHS was set up in 1948 and it encompassed major changes in the way consultants are rewarded and managed. Implementing it has been a major task and a major achievement.

"NHS Employers believes the contract remains a good tool for rewarding consultants and planning their work to best deliver and improve local patient services.

"Implementation was not an easy process and so it is not surprising that that has been main focus so far. However, the focus is now turning to realising the benefits that can be provided for patients.

"We recognise that the way the funding was allocated caused real problems for some organisations and that the overall costs have been above what was expected at this stage.

"The Kings Fund itself acknowledges its report is based on a limited study and that it is not surprising at this early stage that the contract hasn't fully delivered the potential benefits for patients. Extrapolating information from five trusts is not necessarily a fair reflection of what is happening across the country. NHS organisations have worked hard to implement the contract and many are making progress in using it to bring patient benefits.

"There are examples of good use of the contract for improving services and developing team-based work. One such example is Hampshire Partnership NHS Trust, which has used the new contract to start offering late afternoon and evening clinics to make it easier for patients to access mental health services at times more convenient to them. Doctors and managers job planning together have moved some of the tasks that consultants used to do to other staff in the healthcare team. This has freed up consultants to spend more time with patients who need their expertise the most.

"NHS Employers is working with trusts to promote the benefits of pay modernisation and sharing good practice and will provide additional support if required."

Notes for editors

Further information on NHS Employers is available at www.nhsemployers.org

Contact details

The press office provides a comprehensive service to keep journalists informed about the work of NHS Employers.

If you have a media enquiry, please contact the press office team:

• Gemma Jeffcoate
  0207 074 3308 or gemma.jeffcoate@nhsemployers.org
• Emma Stafford
  0207 074 3307 or emma.stafford@nhsemployers.org

For out of hours media enquiries, please contact the duty press officer on 07880 500726.

Back to media centre