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Medical and Dental Policies

These policies and procedures only relate to medical and/or dental staff members.

Recent Updates

Appraisal during the period of Winter Pressure December 2021 – SGHD(2021)

New NES Appraiser Training Dates

Please email medical.revalidation@ggc.scot.nhs.uk if have any questions regarding the above information.

More Information

Job Planning

Job Planning is a contractual obligation for all Career Grade Medical Staff, i.e. Consultants, Associate Specialists and Specialty Doctors/Dentists.

Job Planning is required to be undertaken annually, is a prospective process and should determine new ways of working rather than reinforcing existing working practices. The Job Plan should set out the doctor’s duties, responsibilities and objectives for the coming year.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Job Planning Policy provides information for both doctors and managers to assist with the Job Planning process. This policy can be accessed here.

E-Job Plan:

Doctors within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have access to E-Job Plan (EJP) – an electronic Job Planning system which records all types of activity along with the frequency the activity is undertaken and calculates the number of PAs within the weekly plan. 

The system is web-based and you can access it from wherever you have an internet connection.  Doctors are provided with a log-in which gives them access to a Job Plan “Wizard”.  The Wizard consists of 8 pages similar to the paper Job Plan documentation, and once completed, the Job Plan can be printed or exported to “Word” to allow upload to SOAR.  The system also allows the Job Plan to be signed-off electronically by both the doctor and the Medical Manager. Guidance designed to assist the doctor with logging in, setting preferences and populating/ signing off their job plan can be found here. 

To access EJP open a new browser window and navigate to https://www.healthmedics.allocatehealthsuite.com

If you have not received a username and password to access EJP please contact:  Ejobplan.admin@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Medical Revalidation and Appraisal
Medical Revalidation and Appraisal Webpage
Discretionary Points

Consultant Discretionary Points

What are Discretionary Points?

Discretionary Points are a financial award paid at the discretion of the employer to reward excellence. To warrant payment of a discretionary point, consultants will be expected to demonstrate an above average contribution in respect of service to patients, teaching, research and the management and development of the service.

The employer, in determining the award of discretionary points, will follow the guidance in NHS Circular PCS(DD)1995/6 and the SEHD Guidance of 12 January 2000 ‘Discretionary Points for Consultants’.

Who is eligible to apply for Discretionary Points?

The application process is open to all Consultants who:-

  • Are employed on a substantive contract or Clinical Academic with an Honorary Contract
  • Are on the new contract, and have reached pay point 5 of the salary scale, (or its equivalent, for those consultants on the transitional salary scales), by 1st April of the fiscal year

OR

  • Are on the old consultant contract and have reached the maximum of the salary scale by 1st April of the fiscal year

Please note:

  • Consultants who are in receipt of a Distinction Award or 8 Discretionary Points are not eligible for payment of Discretionary Points
  • Locum Consultants are not eligible for payment of Discretionary Points
  • Part-time consultants receiving an award will be paid pro-rata to the full value of the award
  • Clinical Academics receiving an award will be paid pro-rata according to the average time per week for which they engage in clinical or public health medicine as per NHS Circular PCS(DD)1995/6
  • Consultants who deliver services between two or more Board areas will be considered on their overall contribution.  It will be the responsibility of the ‘lead’ employer to implement the nomination process, to liaise with the other employers and to consider applications from these medical staff

How many points can be awarded?

Employers have discretion on the numbers to be granted in any individual case in any particular year, and on the total number of points to be granted in any year subject to the minimum requirement of 0.35 points per eligible Consultant.

Notwithstanding this principle only in exceptional circumstances will more than two discretionary points be awarded to an individual in any single year.

How do I apply for Discretionary Points?

All eligible consultants will be written to at their home addresses and invited to submit an application.  It is the responsibility of the Consultant to ensure the Payroll department hold their current address.

Applicants will be given four weeks from the date of the invite letter to return their completed application form. Please note that this year the application form is now a web based document that can be accessed by clicking on the following link Apply. Please note applications will not be accepted if they are received after the closing date, 5pm on Friday 1st October 2021.

Consultants should not apply for discretionary points in the year following the receipt of an award apart from in exceptional circumstances. Where a consultant believes that ‘exceptional circumstances’ apply, then they should complete Section 2 of the application form.

Details on how to complete, save and submit the new form can be found in the Guidance Note on Completion of Application Form.

The Statement of Case is in Section 5 of the new form and each scoring box now has a words limit depending on the number of points available for that section. The number of words available for each box is indicated under the bottom right hand corner of the box.

Please note that there is also a box in Section 5 to list any publications or research etc,

Please ensure that your application is anonymised (including any list of publications, research etc.). Failure to comply with this will result in your application being disqualified.

Applications that are not completed in accordance to the guidance specification will be disqualified. As it is an applicant’s responsibility to ensure that their application meets the guidance specification you are advised to double check your form prior to submission. All applications received by the closing date will be submitted to the decision making panels who will decide if an application meets the guidance specification prior to the scoring process. If an application does not meet the guidance specification applicants will be notified in writing of their disqualification from the process.

To apply you will need to read and follow the Guidance Note on Completion of Application Form and complete and submit your Application Form and the Equality Monitoring Form by 5pm on Friday 1st October 2021. To submit your completed application click submit at the bottom of the Application form. Please remember to email your completed Equality Monitoring Form to DiscretionaryPoints@ggc.scot.nhs.uk.

How will my application be considered?

  • All applications are anonymised and scored independently by members of the Sector/Directorate Discretionary Points Committee comprised of the following individuals:-
  • Sector/Directorate Director
  • Chief of Medicine
  • Clinical Director
  • Service General Manager
  • Non-Eligible Consultants nominated by MSA
  • Head of People & Change (Non-Scoring)
  • Local Negotiating Committee Observer (Non-Scoring)

The committee composition has equal numbers of management to MSA Representatives

  • The scores are discussed at a meeting of the Discretionary Points Committee and the award of points is discussed and agreed
  • The deliberations of the Discretionary Points Committee is confidential (subject to the terms of the Appeals Process)
  • All applicants are informed of the outcome of their application by letter to their home address. If the application is successful the payment of award will be made in the January 2022 salary.
  • A list of those individuals who have been awarded points in the current year are posted on HR Connect

Will I be able to appeal for the outcome of my application?

Consultants may wish to discuss their application with the relevant Chief of Medicine before deciding on whether to proceed with a formal appeal

In the event that a consultant believes that the process of awarding discretionary points has been unfair i.e. they believe they have been disadvantaged by the assessment or in regard to how many point they have been awarded, there is the right of appeal. 

The purpose of the appeal hearing is for an independent panel to review the consultant’s original application and the scores awarded by the Discretionary Points Committee, to assess whether the process of awarding points has been carried out fairly.  It is not an opportunity for the consultant to present new information.

Appeals must be made in writing to the Head of People & Change within one month of the candidate receiving notification that they will not be receiving an award. The grounds of appeal must be clearly stated by the applicant in their letter of appeal.

On receipt of an appeal the Medical Staffing Unit will arrange an appeal hearing, within two calendar months of the completion of all the Discretionary Points Committee’ meetings. The appeals panel is comprises of the following individuals:-

  • Board Medical Director
  • Deputy Director of Human Resources & Organisational Development
  • Two individuals nominated by the Local Negotiating Committee

Following the appeal, the appellant will be informed in writing within three working days of the decision.

The decision of the Appeals Panel will be final.

What is the Internal Audit Process?

At the end of each Discretionary Points round, a random selection of anonymised applications will be subject to internal audit to verify accuracy, on an annual basis

Where can I find further Information regarding the Discretionary Points Process?

Medical Staff Leave: Management Guidelines

The document “Medical Staff Leave: Management Guidelines” provides medical staff and managers with information on the process to be followed when applying for various types of leave, how it should be recorded and who can approve it.

The types of leave covered are:

  • annual leave;
  • study leave – European and outwith Europe;
  • other forms of leave which adversely impact on direct clinical care.

The document also includes a copy of the leave request form, which should be used for each application for leave.

Business Travel Policy

Please note:-  Staff should make themselves aware of the changes to the Business Travel Policy which comes into effect from 1st July 2019.   Staff will no longer be able to arrange their own travel when the costs exceeds £50, (excluding bus & taxi journeys).  All travel will need to go through the purchasing department travel team and must be booked electronically (use the travel form link below) paper copies will no longer be accepted.  You will no longer have an option to claim back expenses for travel exceeding £50.

Please use the links below for the Purchasing Department Travel Team contact details and Travel Form

Managing Conduct and Competence for Medical and Dental Staff

Please find below links to a number of policies and procedures which will help support you through the process of managing conduct and competence issues and/or concerns for medical and dental staff:

NHSGGC Relocation and Removal Policies
Guidance on Annual Leave and Public Holiday Entitlement for Consultant & Specialty Doctors/Associate Specialists

Please click to access Guidance on Annual Leave & Public Holiday Entitlement Consultant & Specialty Doctor/Associate Specialist (SAS)  

Consultant Sabbatical Leave Policy

Consultant Sabbatical Leave Policy