For news, opinion and updates from CC UK, read the latest newsletter
The UK CC takes an interest in all matters concerning the professional lives of consultants, in addition to negotiating national terms and conditions.
Our priorities
UK CC works on a number of issues affecting consultants. Here are our top priorities.
Pay
Read the latest about our pay campaign.
Protecting consultants from COVID-19
Whether calling for properly-fitting PPE and individual risk assessments, helping doctors resist pressure to adopt untenable workplans, or securing rights for those suffering from long COVID, the committee has been quick to respond to every problem the pandemic has posed to consultants across the UK.
CC has pushed for measures to protect consultants from COVID-19, called attention to the greater risks facing vulnerable groups, aided those facing redeployment, and fought for renumeration for the extra hours contributed to the fight against the virus.
Protecting consultants from the aftermath of COVID-19
While acknowledging COVID-19 is far from being eradicated, the focus on the disease has shifted to a focus on the elective backlog. The committee is dedicated to safeguarding consultants’ right to rest after the pressures of 2020/21, and to raising awareness of the moral injury arising from the pandemic.
Pensions
While the BMA’s lobbying led to a change to tapered annual allowance rules – which has removed consultants with a threshold income of less than £200,000 from the effects of the taper – CC and the pensions committee continue to push for pension tax reform.
The Fairness for the Frontline campaign demands a reversal of the government’s decision to freeze pension lifetime allowance. The pensions committee are lobbying for a tax unregistered scheme for doctors similar to the one recently offered to the judiciary.
CC continues to demonstrate that the current state of pensions poses a threat to retirement, and offers practical solutions to address this problem and prevent consultants from reducing their workload and leaving the profession.
CEAs
The committee’s negotiators are constantly working to improve local and national CEAs. Whether addressing attainment gaps, ensuring awards are properly distributed, or pushing for changes to the application and rewarding processes, the CC ensures the consultants' voice is part of all CEA conversations and decisions.
Improving consultants’ work lives
CC works on a range of projects to improve consultants day-to-day life - from simplifying appraisals, to improving the primary and secondary care interface, to raising issues with current IT systems.
The committee’s officers lobby politicians, NHS leaders, and the GMC amongst others for change, while its specialty leads regularly meet with Royal Colleges to better the working lives of consultants across hospital departments.
Creating a sustainable consultant workforce
As the committee’s recent consultants’ workforce reports for both England and Scotland explain, the UK needs more consultants. Current gaps in staff rotas will only be made worse by conditions forcing consultants out of work and a rapidly aging population.
CC promotes ways to better recruit, retain and train consultants, and in doing so preserve our national health service for generations to come.
Our people
The UK CC is represented by the chair, deputy chairs and voting and non-voting members.
Co-Chairs – Helen Neary and Shanu Datta
Deputy chairs for the UK CC for negotiations: Mike Henley
Deputy chair of the UK CC for healthcare policy: Simon Walsh
Deputy chair of the UK CC for development, communications and professionalism: Andy Thornley
The UK CC is comprised of representatives from the regional consultants committees in England, the national committees of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, members elected by the representative body, and representatives from other committees and organisations.
Voting members:
- 10 members elected by the representative body at the annual representative meeting, with at least one member elected to represent each of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- three members appointed by each of the 13 regional consultants committees in England
- two appointed by the Northern Ireland consultants committee
- two appointed by the Welsh consultants committee
- six appointed by the Scottish consultants committee.
- one by the Central Committee for Hospital Dental Services of the British Dental Association.
Non-voting members:
- five ex-Officio posts – chair of council, treasurer, chair of the representative body, chair of the UK consultants conference and the BMA president
- three visitors from the UK consultants conference
- seven representatives from other BMA committees
- three representatives nominated by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
- five observers from external organisations
- up to three visitors through the BMA visitors scheme
- up to three co-opted members.
Associated committees
Take part in one of our free courses designed to give you the right skills to:
- break down equality and inclusion bias (CPD-accredited)
- value difference and inclusivity
- live our BMA behaviour principles.
Our meetings
The UK CC meets four times a year to discuss the latest issues and develop national policy and strategy. Meetings are open to committee members only, but non-members can apply for the BMA committee visitors scheme.
Meeting dates:
- Thursday 19 September 2024 - 10am -5pm Hybrid
- Thursday 5 December 2024 9.30am - 4.30pm Virtual
- Wednesday 5 March 2025 10am - 5pm Hybrid
- Thursday 5 June 2025 9.30am - 4.30pm Virtual
All meetings take place either virtually or at:
BMA House
Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9JP
For more information please email [email protected]
Conference
The UK consultants conference is your opportunity to discuss issues that affect you and to influence the work of the BMA consultants committee on issues ranging from the annual and lifetime allowance, to the NHS long term plan and what it means for the future of consultants.
2025
The next UK Consultants Conference will be on Tuesday 4 March 2025.
2024
The UK Consultants Conference 2024 was held on Wednesday, 5 March 2024 in a hybrid format.
2023
The UK Consultants Conference 2023 was held on Wednesday, 1 March 2023 in a hybrid format.
How to join
There are many advantages to becoming involved in our committees. You can actively influence BMA policy-making and negotiations, represent your colleagues' voices and develop your leadership skills.
Each committee has a few routes to becoming an elected member. In the case of UKCC, these are:
- Seats/term - elections for 29 seats on UKCC from each of the regional consultants committees take place. The frequency of elections and the length of terms may vary across RCCs.
- Timeline - these elections are run by regional staff and timelines may vary.
- Eligibility - all voting members of the regional CC are eligible to stand and vote in these elections.
- Seats/term - elections on UKCC from the consultants committees in the devolved nations take place for the following seats:
- NICC - 2 seats
- SCC - 6 members
- WCC - 2 seats.
- Timeline - these elections are run by staff in the devolved nations and timelines may vary.
- Eligibility - all consultants voting members of NIJDC, SJDC or WJDC are eligible to stand and vote in this election.
- Seats/term - every year, elections for 10 seats on CC UK, with at least one member representing each of the devolved nations, take place for a one-session term.
- Timeline - the nomination period opens a month before ARM and voting closes a few days after ARM.
- Eligibility - all UK consultants who are BMA members can stand for election but only ARM delegates can vote.
The election section below is kept up to date with details about any running elections via ARM, so make sure you keep checking it throughout the year.
Should you wish to join via the regional elections, get in touch with your RCC to check when the next elections are taking place in your region.
Elections
Election to CC is closed.
Get in touch
If you are interested in finding out more about the work of the UK consultants committee, please contact [email protected].
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