Local clinical excellence awards: from 1 April 2022
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.
National position on LCEAs following negotiations
Following the end of negotiations that did not reach an agreement, Schedule 30 has now been updated to remove redundant terms. The Schedule has been updated in agreement with Trade Unions to show the terms and conditions for Local Clinical Excellence Awards (LCEAs) from 1 April 2022.
Information for pre-2018 LCEAs and the four years covered by the interim arrangements from 2018/19-2021/22 can be found in previous versions of the terms and conditions.
More information on previous award rounds can be found on the pre-1st April 2022 web page.
Variations to previous arrangements can be implemented in consultation with your joint local negotiating committee (JLNC) or other consultant representative bodies where no JLNC exists. This should be a process of incremental improvement, and we hope that it will offer opportunities for you to incentivise and reward this vital part of your workforce in ways which works for your trust, and your doctors.
Schedule 30 requirements
There are some fixed contractual requirements, as set out in schedule 30 such as:
- awards must be non-pensionable and non-consolidated
- the need for processes for appeals and reviews of pre-2018 awards.*
*The contract does stipulate that reviews of pre-2018 consolidated awards need to be carried out. The underlying principle being that we move towards a state of rewarding current excellence.
Resources
We have developed resources to help with designing your LCEA arrangements.
National Clinical Impact Awards (NCIAs)
Access guidance from the Advisory Committee for Clinical Impact Awards (ACCIA) on the National Clinical Impact awards.
If you have any questions surrounding NCIAs, please email accia@dhsc.gov.uk