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BACKGROUND
The Scottish Government Health Workforce Directorate is conducting a review of how consultants are recruited.
In summer 2006, it was decided that we should undertake this review of consultant recruitment for the following reasons;
- To check that current recruitment practice was in line with changes to employment legislation. There have been substantial changes to employment legislation and Boards need to minimise the risk of litigation.
- To ensure that current recruitment practice in NHSScotland reflected best practice guidance.
- To consider the implications of reforms to postgraduate medical education introduced under Modernising Medical Careers ( MMC) and its impact on the future demand and supply of consultants and any related recruitment issues. It is expected that in the future there will be a greater number of applicants for consultant vacancies in NHSScotland.
- In response to indications from Health Boards that the current system was not working effectively and that the regulations were a substantial policy constraint.
- In response to a British Medical Journal study on obtaining consultant posts, that indicated that certain groups of staff identified constraints in the current process.
An outline of the current recruitment process is provided in Annex B.
In advance of this formal consultation, extensive pre-consultation took place with key stakeholders from summer 2006. These discussions included representatives of the Royal Colleges through the Academy and the British Medical Association ( BMA) as the professionals' representatives, and NHS employers represented through the Management Steering Group ( MSG). These discussions revealed a significant divergence of opinions on the way forward. All agreed, however, that patient safety and high standards of clinical care were key outcomes of any revised process for the appointment of senior medical and dental posts.
To inform this review the Scottish Government, in consultation with key stakeholders, appointed Work Psychology Partnership to research into best contemporary recruitment practice for senior medical and dental recruitment.
The research into best practice was undertaken in three phases between May to September 2007. The first phase involved a literature review and analysis of best practice principles, the second phase a series of 40 interviews with key stakeholders including Medical Directors, consultants, Specialist Registrars, Chief Executives and Human Resources ( HR) Directors, and finally the production of a report by Work Psychology Partnership.
A summary of the stakeholders interviewed during the course of the research is attached at Annex C.
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