Job Planning for Consultants

Participation in job planning has been a requirement under national terms and conditions of service for consultants since 1991.

The review of job plans is an annual process, which leads to agreement upon, and documentation of, the following.

• Job content.

• A job schedule, ie a timetable of commitments.

• A description of the consultants' managerial responsibilities.

• A description of the consultants' accountability arrangements, both professional and managerial.

• Personal objectives for the forthcoming year.

• A description of the supporting resources that the consultants may require in order to meet the requirements of their job plan.

• Consultant job plans set out the number of programmed activities for which the consultant is paid by the NHS and also the consultant's annual objectives and agreed supporting resources. Job Planning since November 2003

• Effective job planning should enable the NHS employer to plan the most effective use of overall resources to meet organisational objectives. Why Have a Job Plan?

• Adherence to job planning is a requirement for movement through pay thresholds under the revised version of the consultant contract, first introduced in November 2003. Modernising the NHS

• The job plan should be reviewed annually and separately from the annual appraisal process, although it is recommended that job planning occurs as soon as possible after the appraisal meeting. The Job-planning Process

• The job planning process should include discussions not only about consultants' day-to-day clinical duties but also activities within or in the interests of the wider NHS, such as work with the General Medical Council and Royal Colleges. Duties and Responsibilities to be Included in Job Plans

• A job plan should set out agreed personal objectives for the consultant and their relationship with the wider service objectives of the NHS. Personal and Service Objectives in the Job Plan