Review of compensation levels, incentives and the Clinical Excellence and Distinction Award schemes for NHS consultants

At the request of the four UK Health Departments, the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) is carrying out an independent review looking at compensation levels and incentive systems and the various Clinical Excellence and Distinction Award Schemes for NHS consultants at both national and local level in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The full terms of reference for this review are as follows:

“The review is to look at compensation levels and incentive systems and the various Clinical Excellence and Distinction Award Schemes for NHS consultants at both national and local level in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The review will take place in the context of key Government documents and the remit is -

• To consider the need for compensation levels above the basic pay scales for NHS consultant doctors and dentists including clinical academics with honorary NHS contracts, in order to recruit, retain and motivate the necessary supply of consultants in the context of the international medical job market and maintain a comprehensive and universal provision of consultants across the NHS. The review will consider total compensation levels for consultants and may make observations (rather than recommendations) on basic pay scales
• To consider the need for incentives to encourage and reward excellent quality of care, innovation, leadership, health research, productivity and contributions to the wider NHS - including those beyond the immediate workplace, and over and above contractual expectations. The review should specifically reassess the structure of and purpose for the Clinical Excellence and Distinction Awards Schemes and provide assurance that any system for the future includes a process which is fair, equitable and provides value for money

The review will be fully linked into other activity on public sector pay including:

• The benchmarking work on senior public sector pay being carried out by the Senior Salaries Review Body;
• The Fair Pay Review in the public sector led by Will Hutton; and
• The review of public service pensions by the Independent Public Service Pensions Committee chaired by John Hutton

The review should consider issues of comparability with other public sector and NHS incentive schemes. The recommendations of the review must take full account of affordability and value for money. The recommendations must also respect the accrued rights of individuals.

The review is to be led by the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB). The DDRB as an independent body will work closely with a range of external stakeholders, including NHS Employers, the British Medical Association and the independent Committees which make awards in the four countries.

The review has been commissioned by Ministers of the four countries in the UK.

The DDRB has been asked to submit recommendations to UK Ministers by July 2011.”

The following document gives some background on the current Clinical Excellence Award Schemes, along with links to where more detail of the current schemes can be obtained.

DDRB review of compensation levels, incentives and the Clinical Excellence and Distinction Award schemes for NHS consultants - invitation to submit evidence

Written responses and evidence for this review should be submitted, preferably electronically, by Friday 26 November 2010 to:

ddrb_cea@bis.gsi.gov.uk

Cliff Wilkes
DDRB Secretariat
Office of Manpower Economics
Victoria House
Southampton Row
London
WC1B 4AD

Fax: 020 7271 0499

Please address any queries to Cliff Wilkes at the above address or on 020 7271 0486.

When responding, please state whether you are responding as an individual or representing the views of an organisation. If you are responding on behalf of a representative organisation, please make it clear whom the organisation represents, the size of the membership and, where applicable, how the views of the members were obtained.

If you want the information you provide to be treated as confidential, it would be useful if you could explain to us why you regard the information as confidential. However, in some circumstances we may nevertheless be required to disclose information submitted in confidence under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act.

DDRB will consider the written responses to this review and invite oral evidence from the main parties in spring 2011. It will take into account all relevant factors raised in evidence. Thereafter, the Review Body will make recommendations in accordance with its terms of reference. The Review Body expects to submit its report to Ministers by July 2011.

UPDATE - JULY 2011

The Review Body has today (7 July 2011) submitted its report to Ministers. The decision on when to publish the report now rests with Ministers. When the report is published, it will also be made available here on the OME website.