Letter: Consultant awards
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir: Even if the system of making merit awards for medical specialists is reformed ("Minister ends consultants' `old pals act' ", 11 August), it will still remain a form of patronage and will continue to be used for persuasion or bargaining and will still be based, in the greatest number of cases, on certain untestable assumptions as to an individual's attitudes or abilities.
The system of paying specialists, that is consultants, is absurd. A consultant reaches the maximum point on the pay scale after five years or less. Thereafter, there is no increment until retirement. It is an absurd notion that a consultant five years after appointment has equal value with someone 15 years his senior, with considerably more experience. What is needed is not a revision of the merit award system; this system should be abandoned immediately and a properly structured form of remuneration for consultants implemented. This could well include greater weighting for some specialities than others and properly staged seniority payments. The contracts should in some way be sensitive to the amount of work actually undertaken.
C R RAYNER FRCS
Aberdeen
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments