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BMA calls on employers to adopt charter for SAS doctors

Charters to improve the working conditions of specialty and associate specialist (SAS) doctors should be adopted by all NHS trusts, delegates at the British Medical Association (BMA) annual representative meeting have said.

SAS roles are non-training roles where the doctor has at least four years of postgraduate training, two of those being in a relevant specialty.

BMA local negotiating committees will lobby trusts to adopt the charters, which set out requirements for employers to meet in areas including working hours, support resources and career development.

Dr Amit Kochhar, chair of the SAS committee, said: “Our local representatives and staff now work tirelessly, employer by employer, in creating a domino effect of acceptance. Progress is good, with most employers already implementing the charter.

“To those that are not doing so, I ask why their patients don’t deserve doctors with time to learn, time to teach and time to rest – because that’s all we ask for.”

There are four charters, for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and they have been approved by the national governments of the four countries.

The charter for England was developed in collaboration with NHS Employers, Health Education England and The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.

Dr Rajesh Kumar (pictured), a Lancashire associate specialist in anaesthetics and pain management, said: “The charter recognises the key role of SAS doctors in the delivery of high-quality, safe medical care for patients, and demonstrates a commitment to supporting and enabling us to realise our full potential.”

SAS roles are particularly popular with doctors who prefer the more regular hours to training posts and doctors who have difficulties getting training posts, including overseas doctors.

Dr Hani Mekhael, an associate specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology from Devonshire, accused managers in trusts of having a “disheartening and sometimes frustrating” attitude to the charter and trying “to pretend it doesn’t exist”.

(Image c. BMA)

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