NHS at risk of “stagnating” BMA warns

Under their standard contract, NHS consultants should have ten hours a week available for Supporting Professional Activities (SPAs), such as the introduction of new services, research, clinical governance, and training junior doctors. However, interim findings from a UK-wide survey of over 2,000 NHS consultants, indicate widespread cuts to the time available for such activities. Over a fifth (21%) said the number of SPAs in their job plan had been reduced since they transferred to the new consultant contract in 2004, or since they started. Only 7% said the number of SPAs had increased. More than one in seven (15.1%) said their employer had reduced the standard number of SPAs for all consultants, and almost a quarter (23.8%) said their employer had reduced SPAs for newly appointed consultants. Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the BMA’s Consultants Committee, said: “Pretty much every clinical service that a hospital provides has been planned during this time. If hospitals cut it, they risk stifling innovation and allowing the NHS to stagnate. This is being driven by the financial pressures we all face, but it’s a false economy, because the new services consultants develop often save the NHS money.”