The vast majority of consultants working in the NHS in Wales are employed directly by Local Health Boards (known as Health Boards).

If you are considering an appointment to a particular Health Board it is vital that you ask for information on the terms and conditions of service that will apply.

If you are a BMA member you can contact an adviser for help.

Terms and conditions of service

Read the terms and conditions of service applicable to doctors in Wales.

Please note this is the TCS for hospital medical and dental staff and doctors in health medicine and the community health service in Wales, but it covers the TCS for consultant in wales. 

Model contract

Use the model contract for consultants in Wales.

Less Than Full Time Training

Where a consultant’s training has been lengthened due to training less than full time or has undertaken dual qualification, the employing organisation will credit the consultant with additional seniority. The allocation of additional seniority will be in line with the pay threshold they would have attained had they trained full time or on a single qualification basis. For example, training extended by two years counts as the equivalent of two years’ seniority as a consultant on first appointment as a consultant.

This pay circular informs employers of amendments to the Terms & Conditions of Service for staff employed on the National Consultant Contract in Wales, effective from the 1st December 2023. (See amendments)

COVID-19 disruption and additional training time

The above provision also applies to colleagues who have had additional training time due to COVID-19 disruption, such as an ARCP Outcome 10.2. The employing organisation will therefore allocate additional seniority in the same way for consultants who have had their training lengthened due to training less than full time or undertaking dual qualification.

Further information about COVID-19 disruption and the ARCP outcomes can be found Guidance-on-annual-review-of-competency-progression (nhsemployers.org).