Consultants - paid too much?

[Mojooo]

I would like to take this opportunity to use our awesome new phrase "some of them are earning more than the Prime Minister"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12115669

Do you think their basic salaries are too high? £90k.

[okgo]

Meh.

There is so much broken with our country, this doesn't really even register.

[anonymous-user]

£90k? Not a lot for the experience and skill.

[pilchardthecat]

Mojooo said:

I would like to take this opportunity to use our awesome new phrase "some of them are earning more than the Prime Minister"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12115669

Do you think their basic salaries are too high? £90k.

I had a recent conversation with someone who works in the NHS - They aren't getting their annual pay rise this year.... apart from the £2000 they get from going up from one grade to another..... which happens every year and is based solely on time served. Normally they get an inflationary increase once a year too as well.

I don't care what they earn, as long as pay awards are merit based and not time served.

[crankedup]

If they were grouped around a operating table with my guts, or my family members guts in their hands then they are worth every penny.

[koolchris99]

I got an interview with a well known consultants tomorrow, cant wait to be earning a fortune for what is effectively bullst.

2 mates are at accenture at the moment, have no idea what they are doing, but gets charged out to whoever for a mint.

[5potTurbo]

koolchris99 said:

I got an interview with a well known consultants tomorrow, cant wait to be earning a fortune for what is effectively bullst.

2 mates are at accenture at the moment, have no idea what they are doing, but gets charged out to whoever for a mint.

I'm not sure where to start with that one!

[fadeaway]

koolchris99 said:

I got an interview with a well known consultants tomorrow, cant wait to be earning a fortune for what is effectively bullst.

2 mates are at accenture at the moment, have no idea what they are doing, but gets charged out to whoever for a mint.

wrong type of consultant

[ewenm]

koolchris99 said:

I got an interview with a well known consultants tomorrow, cant wait to be earning a fortune for what is effectively bullst.

2 mates are at accenture at the moment, have no idea what they are doing, but gets charged out to whoever for a mint.

Perhaps read the article first...

[blueg33]

£125 per hour isn't much for the skill level and experience. You would struggle to get an average lawyer for that, I pay planning consultants up to £200 per hour and Barristers even more.

[ewenm]

Mojooo said:

I would like to take this opportunity to use our awesome new phrase "some of them are earning more than the Prime Minister"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12115669

Do you think their basic salaries are too high? £90k.

No I don't think their basic salary is too high. I do think the whole NHS need to work together better - my OH is an ex-NHS Manager who left due to the ridiculous partisan culture.

[968]

Mojooo said:

I would like to take this opportunity to use our awesome new phrase "some of them are earning more than the Prime Minister"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12115669

Do you think their basic salaries are too high? £90k.

For a start the basic salary is not £90k. A new consultant is paid approx £70k, which is after 10 years of postgrad training and of course 5-6 years of med school. £90k is the rate of pay for a very senior consultant. This article relates to the pay that some consultants get for doing ADDITIONAL work, which is non-contracted for the NHS, to get waiting lists down. The long lists are most often due to poor planning from the hospital managers, and not the Consultants themselves. Also it's worth remembering that many of the additional tasks/managerial/administrative/teaching are unpaid, but expected.

I think that they are excellent value for money and far cheaper than in the US or any other western country.

DOI I will be a consultant in the not too distant future.

[Mojooo]

I agree, when I had my last Op I wanted the best

But my surgeons working pattern was unusual. He worked at 2 different NHS hospitals in different towns and also for a private hospital. So I imagine he was earning a fair wedge from that too. For 90k I would want the consultant to spend 100% of his time at an NHS hospital.

[Mojooo]

I have an appt with my surgeon next week...wonder if I should mention it

[968]

Mojooo said:

I agree, when I had my last Op I wanted the best

But my surgeons working pattern was unusual. He worked at 2 different NHS hospitals in different towns and also for a private hospital. So I imagine he was earning a fair wedge from that too. For 90k I would want the consultant to spend 100% of his time at an NHS hospital.

Why?

He's contracted to provide services for his NHS trust and his hours within that trust are carefully regulated. What he does outside those contracted hours are his business and no one elses.

[slipstream 1985]

no problem with it.

[ewenm]

968 said:

The long lists are most often due to poor planning from the hospital managers, and not the Consultants themselves. Also it's worth remembering that many of the additional tasks/managerial/administrative/teaching are unpaid, but expected.

Indeed, although in my OH's experience the consultants were just as reluctant to change ways of working and improve efficiency as the management. Which is where the "working as an integrated team" comes in rather than working as a medical hierarchy and a management hierarchy and never the two shall merge.

[randlemarcus]

968 said:

DOI I will be a consultant in the not too distant future.

Congratulations.

Looking forward to getting the handicap down a few notches?

[968]

randlemarcus said:

968 said:

DOI I will be a consultant in the not too distant future.

Congratulations.

Looking forward to getting the handicap down a few notches?

Never been on a golf course in my life. Wish I had time, too much management work to do.....

[SplatSpeed]

you pay that for some monkey working on your BMW!