Guidance

Interaction between LCEAs and NCIAs

These flowcharts demonstrate the interactions between local clinical excellence awards (LCEA) and National Clinical Impact Awards (NCIA).

31 January 2023

Future LCEA award rounds form part of the consultant offer being put to vote by trade unions in an effort to resolve the current industrial action dispute. If members vote in favor of the offer, the contractual entitlement to new LCEAs will cease from 1 April 2024. The 2023/24 award round should continue to progress as agreed and planned locally to ensure that the required minimum investment funds are spent on eligible consultants. Employers may decide to pause development work on 2024/25 award round designs whilst the vote takes place. We expect the outcome of the vote to be announced by the 25 January 2024.

About the National Clinical Impact Awards scheme

The National Clinical Impact Awards are awarded by the Advisory Committee on Clinical Impact Awards (ACCIA). The awards recognise the national impact of work undertaken over and above contractual or other paid activities in the NHS (in England and Wales).

They specifically recognise the dissemination and implementation of that work and its impact on the wider NHS and on public health. There is no requirement to hold any local award to be eligible to apply for a national award.

There are 3 levels of national awards in England:

  • national level 1 (N1)
  • national level 2 (N2)
  • national level 3 (N3)

N3 is the highest award.

Scenarios and flowcharts

The following flowcharts demonstrate the interaction and protections between local and national awards. We have provided scenarios of what protection would be provided when an applicant is successful or unsuccessful when applying for national awards. 

Does the consultant currently hold an NCIA or LCEA?

Yes

The consultant can apply for an NCIA and/or LCEA but cannot hold both. If successful for both would need to choose which to accept.

No

If the consultant is eligible, they can apply for an NCIA following the ACCIA online form or an LCEA following the local application process.

  • For the purposes of the flowcharts the following definitions will apply: 

    LCEA: Local clinical excellence awards granted from 1 April 2022. 
    NCEA: National clinical excellence awards granted under the NCEA scheme. 
    NCIA: National clinical impact awards granted under the NCIA scheme.  


    Scenarios

    1. Consultant applies for an NCIA, they currently hold NCEA Silver which is due to expire, they are awarded an N2 NCIA.
        
    A consultant who successfully receives an NCIA for an equivalent or higher level of performance but attracting a lower value of award will receive an additional payment so that they are paid no less overall than the cash value of their NCEA. The overall payment for consultants who hold an NCEA will be pensionable up to the value of the consultant’s award in the NCEA scheme.  

    NCIA N2 secured: £30,000​      
    NCEA Silver: £47,582​ 
    Consultant receives £47,582 (pensionable)

    2. Consultant applies for an NCIA, they currently hold NCEA Platinum which is due to expire, they are awarded an N1 NCIA.

    A consultant who receives an NCIA for a lower level of performance will receive an additional payment so that they are paid no less overall than the cash value of the equivalent lower award in the NCEA scheme.   The overall payment for consultants who hold an NCEA will be pensionable up to the value of the consultant’s award in the NCEA scheme.  

    NCEA Platinum £77,320 (This award expires and is not needed for calculation purposes)
    NCIA N1 secured: £20,000     
    Equivalent to NCIA N1 is NCEA Silver £47,582​ 
    Consultant receives £47,582 (pensionable)

    3. Consultant applies for an NCIA but is unsuccessful. 

    if their NCEA is due to expire and their application for an NCIA has been unsuccessful, the consultant will revert to an Pre-2018 LCEA in line with the reversion process (Schedule 30 paragraph 8b) Pre-2018 awards shall remain pensionable and consolidated but subject to the review process.

    Level 7 £24,128 (pensionable)
    Level 8 £30,160 (pensionable)
    Or no award if score is lower than 14

    4. Bronze NCEA holder achieves an N3.

    In this instance, the NCIA value (£40,000) is higher than the previous award (£36,192) so no top up is required, but pension contributions would be paid on the value of the previous NCEA only

    5. LTFT NCEA holder achieves NCIA worth more.

    e.g. a Bronze holder being paid 80% of their award (£28,953 pro-rata under the old terms) achieves an N2 (£30,000). Under the NCIA terms there is no pro-rating and because the NCIA is higher they would receive the full £30,000, but pension contributions would be paid on the value of the previous pro-rata NCEA only

    6. LTFT NCEA holder achieves NCIA worth less.

     e.g. a Bronze holder being paid 80% of their award (£28,953 pro-rata under the old terms) achieves an N1 (£20,000). They would receive the NCIA plus top up to the previous pro-rata amount with pension contributions on the whole amount
     

The below flowchart demonstrates the interaction between the funding flow of the local and national awards.