Medical Protection has endorsed policy proposals by the SAS Collective, a group of specialist, associate specialist and specialty (SAS) doctors working to improve the careers and retention of SAS and locally employed doctors across the UK.
The SAS Collective has outlined the ‘SAS Six’; policy proposals which would improve and protect the careers of SAS and locally employed doctors. These are:
- Every early career SAS doctor should have access to an educational supervisor.
- All SAS doctors should have equity of access to professional development opportunities relevant to their stage of career.
- All Speciality Doctors who meet the required capabilities should have the opportunity to become Specialists.
- Senior SAS doctors should be offered the opportunity to be educators at every level on a par with consultants e.g. educational supervisors, clinical supervisors, directors of medical education.
- All extended roles in leadership and management should be open to all substantive medical staff i.e. consultants AND appropriately experienced SAS doctors.
- All locally employed doctors employed for more than two years within one trust should be offered the opportunity to transfer to the appropriate SAS contract.
In Medical Protection’s forthcoming ‘Priorities for the next Government’, the defence organisation states that the next government should work with NHS England and other stakeholders to support and develop the workforce, with a particular need for SAS and locally employed doctors to be better valued and supported in line with the proposal set out by the SAS Collective.
Dr Karen Ellison, Medicolegal Consultant at Medical Protection, said:
“As a SAS doctor in urogynaecology for many years, I faced the issues the SAS Collective raise and I am pleased that Medical Protection has endorsed the important steps the collective have proposed in order to improve and protect careers.
“SAS and locally employed doctors are a vital part of the healthcare system in the UK. They provide specialist care and support to patients across different specialties, and they play a crucial role in mentoring and training junior doctors and other healthcare professionals.
“If we all better recognised and supported SAS and locally employed doctors, the NHS could ensure it retains and gets the most out of this important cohort of doctors. Medical Protection will support and push for improvements to be made.
“Medical Protection has been working to ensure we understand the needs of SAS and locally employed doctors, and the input from members of the SAS Collective have been invaluable. I am pleased that we have recently been able to make improvements to the terminology within our systems to more accurately reflect the different contracts and job roles for SAS and locally employed doctors, as well as improvements to our approach to pricing, and we are committed to doing more”.
Dr Rob Fleming, founding member of the SAS Collective, said:
“We are delighted to work with Medical Protection, and grateful that they have chosen to support SAS and locally employed doctors by being part of our movement. The SAS Collective has ambitious goals, but by working with supportive organisations and continuing to build momentum, we hope to change a lot of careers for the better.”
Medical Protection became the second organisation to formally endorse the SAS Collective, following on from the announcement by the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association in February 2024.
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