Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) and annual leave for consultants

From Mmc

Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) and annual leave for consultants

13 April 2007

The CCSC has become aware that, as a result of the MTAS difficulties, a trust is threatening to cancel already agreed annual leave for consultants so that they will be available to take care of patients during the transition period in August. The CCSC is examining the legal implications of such a move and should be able to publicise more detailed advice very shortly. The CCSC believes that such action is unhelpful and detrimental.

The BMA will fully support members who have already booked holiday and are consequently threatened in such a way and believes that trusts should be perfectly capable of providing adequate cover where necessary. Although this is a fairly unique circumstance due to the MTAS debacle, consultants shouldn't have to pay the price for these planning failures by being forced to cancel holidays with their families.

Consultants have already sacrificed significant portions of their time, often unpaid, to try to make the best of this troubled process, but believe that this is a demand too far. Consultants will continue to assist the service, juniors and other colleagues as much as possible wherever they can, as they always have, to achieve a successful outcome to this sorry saga. Such belligerent approaches by Trusts are likely to backfire with loss of consultant support for this and other problems faced by the NHS.