20 August 2010
The government is to review a lucrative bonus scheme for consultant doctors, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley announced today.
The UK-wide review will be led by the independent Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB). Clinical Excellence and Distinction awards are given for a range of achievements, such as leadership and innovation, and are consolidated into pay, as well as pension and retirement lump sums.
In the financial year 2009/10, the NHS paid £202.2m for the bonuses, with 564 consultants receiving new awards totalling £20m. Individual awards are held until retirement, subject to reviews every five years, but the consultants retain pay protection, even if the review is unsatisfactory.
Lansley said: ‘We want to continue to reward and recognise those individuals who give outstanding patient care and go beyond the call of duty, but we must ensure that the system is effective and affordable. The NHS must recognise its responsibilities in the current financial climate.’
The review will ensure that the awards ‘are in line with other public sector and incentive schemes’, he added.
Heather Lawrence, chief executive of Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, said: ‘I would agree that the current system of rewarding clinical excellence needs to be reviewed. As an employer of over 200 consultants I need to be assured that the arrangements for rewarding excellence are both fair and affordable.’
Mark Porter, chair of the BritishMedical Association's consultants committee, said: ‘It is worth noting that
Clinical Excellence Award Schemes have already been subject to review in recent
years, with the conclusion that they are beneficial to the NHS. The innovative
practices and research activity that they encourage not only benefit patients,
but also frequently save the NHS money and bring benefits to the economy.
‘We have always believed that transparency and equity are important in award
schemes and the review provides an opportunity to keep improving this.’
The DDRB will report back in July 2011.
