Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 17 March 2011
17 Mar 2011 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Scottish Executive Question Time
Hospital Consultants Pay Structure
Health and Wellbeing
The new consultant contract was introduced in 2004. The pay structure contained within the contract has not been significantly reformed since that time. The Doctors and Dentists Review Body makes annual recommendations on the pay uplift for consultants. This year, 2010-2011, the DDRB accepted that it was difficult to justify pay increases for highly paid individuals in the current economic circumstances and recommended that there be no increase to the national salary scales. Next year, as with all public sector workers earning above £21,000 a year, there will be no uplift in their salary. Ian McKee will also be aware of my proposal to freeze the value of distinction awards and discretionary points in 2011-12, on which I shall make a final decision shortly.
In the same item of business
Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP)
SNP
5. To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in reforming the pay structure of national health service hospital consultants. (S3O-13319)
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Nicola Sturgeon)
SNP
The new consultant contract was introduced in 2004. The pay structure contained within the contract has not been significantly reformed since that time. The ...
Ian McKee
SNP
I know that the cabinet secretary is aware of the general public disquiet at the principle and scale of distinction awards for NHS hospital consultants. Is s...
Nicola Sturgeon
SNP
Given that this will be the last health question time to which Ian McKee contributes, I thank him for his interest and the significant contribution that he h...
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con)
Con
I echo the cabinet secretary’s remarks about Dr Ian McKee, as he approaches retirement.The cabinet secretary will know that distinction awards for consultant...
Nicola Sturgeon
SNP
First, I hear the views of members across the chamber about distinction awards and I point out for the record that I am, I think, the first health secretary ...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
It is not often that I agree with the cabinet secretary, but let me do so in relation to her comments on Dr Ian McKee, who has made a considerable contributi...
Nicola Sturgeon
SNP
Not for the first time, Jackie Baillie takes people’s breath away in expecting them to forget history. Apart from initiate a review in 2006 that tinkered at ...