Private Practice (Hansard, 11 February 2000)

§ Mr. Austin
To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Chief Medical Officer's proposals for appraising doctors, set out in "Supporting Doctors, Protecting Patients", will(a) involve examination of the amount of private practice carried out by doctors and (b) make NHS employers responsible for monitoring the amount of private work carried out by consultants. [109884]

§ Ms Stuart
The aim of appraisal is a positive one; to help a doctor develop and progress as a health professional. In the National Health Service the appraisal process will include consideration of the achievement of the doctor's contractual obligations.
It is for employers and employees to agree the balance between consultants' private and NHS work. Consultants' responsibilities for the clinical care of their NHS patients must come first.

§ Mr. Austin
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what responsibility NHS employers have for monitoring consultants' private practice. [109883]

§ Ms Stuart
The vast majority of our consultants work hard for the National Health Service and more than fulfil their contractual duties.
NHS terms and conditions of service requires hospital consultants and the general manager responsible for the management of their contract to agree a job plan for the performance of duties under their contract of employment.
A whole time consultant is permitted to have private practice earnings of up to 10 per cent. of their gross NHS salary. If asked by their employer, they must provide fully audited accounts showing their gross income from private practice. If their private practice income exceeds 10 per cent. of their NHS salary in two consecutive years, they have the option of a maximum part-time contract, which means that the consultant foregoes one eleventh of whole time salary, in return for the removal of the restrictions on private practice earnings. However whether on a whole time or maximum part time contract there is a clear contractual obligation to devote substantially the whole of their professional time to their NHS duties.