Ballot on new consultant contract will take place
Press release 28 August 2003
A special meeting of the BMA’s Central Consultants and Specialists Committee (CCSC) decided today to ballot all consultants and specialist registrars in England on the acceptability of the proposed new contract at a date to be decided by the CCSC’s leaders.
Before the ballot takes place, all the supporting documents relating to the contract framework, will be sent to the doctors for consideration. These include Terms and Conditions of Service which will spell out in detail the way consultants will work under a new contract.
Dr Paul Miller, chairman of the CCSC, said: “We have been in continuous discussions with the Department of Health on essential elements such as the Terms and Conditions of Service, job planning and part-time working. CCSC was clear that each and every consultant and specialist registrar must have the opportunity to study the documents relating to the contract before being asked to vote. We will issue the documents as soon as possible and publish them on the website. When consultants and specialist registrars have had sufficient time to consider the proposals, a ballot will be held.
Notes to editors
There are 26,000 consultants and 13,000 specialist registrars in England. Specialist registrars are junior doctors nearing the end of their training.