The IMO has received feedback and queries about the Consultant pay and career proposal. Here are some of the points raised:

Incremental Scale – this is a nine point scale moving in annual steps from the individual doctor’s starting point through to the top of the scale. It is not possible to include the time spent as an NCHD prior to becoming a Consultant; the time will differ between doctors and you will already have received credit for this time while employed as an NCHD . What has been done – which was not available previously – is to have incremental credit applied for years spent in relevant activity (qualifications and/ or experience) pre-appointment to a Consultant role.

For that reason there was a focus on improvements in salary over the last offer beyond point 2 – as most new Consultants will now receive incremental credit and start at point 3/ 4 or above thereby reducing the number of increments to 6/ 7.

Incremental Credit – following on from the above point, it is agreed that each year of Fellowship training will equate to one year of incremental credit. Equally, each year spent as a permanent, non-permanent or agency Consultant will equate to one year of incremental credit.

Qualifications obtained at any time prior to appointment to a Consultant role could be awarded incremental credit. Due to the number of possible qualifications that a doctor could attain it is not possible to define each and every one of them. The incremental credit committee will meet and determine the credit to be applied to various qualifications (and, if required, experience).

There is no requirement for everyone to appear before the committee; however, if a doctor believes incremental credit criteria does not cover her/ his circumstances a case can be made to the committee. If credit is refused there is an independent appeal using the procedure in the 2008 Consultant Contract.

Performance – is not about changes for new entrant Consultants. The 2008 Contract and the LRC Agreement from September 2012 apply to ALL Consultants who have signed that contract and which makes specific reference to performance management. This is not new.

However, it has been stated in feedback that pre-October 2012 Consultants are at the top of their scale and therefore would not be affected should performance management be introduced. The conclusion being that only new entrant Consultants would be affected. This is incorrect in two main areas:

•  There are Consultants appointed between 1 January 2011 and October 2012 who are on an incremental scale that will not be completed – depending on their start date - until sometime between January 2017 and October 2018;

•  The 2008 Contract is not simply focussed on incremental credit, it covers a range of other activities Consultants could be asked to undertake under the heading of ‘Performance Management’.

It has been said that the proposal should be rejected and to go back for more improvements. That has been done and it has been stated in unambiguous terms by Government that the current offer is the final one. Should the proposal be rejected the HSE and the Department of Health will advertise the vacant posts on the basis of the 2014 proposal.

Finally, the IMO is aware that others are calling for the 2008 Contract to be honoured as a way to address the issue. It is obviously easy for others sitting outside the negotiations to use this argument to try to score points. However, the same people have sat back and done nothing since the end of 2008 when the then Minister for Health stated that payments in the contract would not be paid. They have also done nothing since January 2011 when the 10% cut across the public service was applied and they have done nothing since September 2012.

•  is currently supporting Consultant members through the courts to challenge the 2008 decision,

•  successfully argued in the Haddington Road Agreement negotiations to reverse the 2011 reduction,

•  has consistently lobbied and entered negotiations for the 2012 salary reduction to be addressed.

The NCHD Committee and the Consultant Committee of the IMO are jointly recommending that members vote to accept the proposal.