Clinical Academics
UCEA’s work in relation to clinical academics is guided by the Clinical Academic Staff Advisory Group (CASAG) which provides a forum for debate on issues affecting doctors and dentists – and increasingly other health professionals – employed by HEIs. Thirteen UK HEIs are currently represented on CASAG, which includes representation from the devolved administrations. UCEA co-ordinates the activities of the group.
UCEA supports those institution that employ clinical academics in a number of ways, including:-
1 Providing advice, guidance and information in response to telephone and e-mail enquiries from representatives at individual HEIs.
2 Provision of information, via UCEA Updates, on issues of importance to HEIs that employ clinical academics.
3 Monitoring developments in government policy and the NHS to identify any potential impact on HEIs that employ clinical academics and taking the appropriate action.
4 Representing the interests of HE employers in discussions with the Department for Health (DH), Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the equivalents in the devolved administrations, on matters affecting clinical academics.
5 Lobbying on behalf of the sector for additional funding for HEIs that employ clinical academics. This secured additional funding of £30.8 million for the four year period 2004-08.
6 Negotiating on behalf of HE employers with DH, BMA, BDA, UCU, NHS Employers and other relevant bodies on matters relating to clinical academics, eg:
- Development of new consultant clinical academic contract
- Development of new arrangements for SAGPs
- Negotiations with HMRC relating to VAT and clinical academics.
7 Translating the different salary arrangements for hospital doctors and dentists in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland into the salaries of clinical academics in the constituent parts of the UK, circulating any revisions to HEIs.
8 Delivering economies of scale in the development of model policies, procedures and other documentation, for example:
- Model policies relating to the implementation of the Follett Report
- New consultant clinical academic contract
- New arrangements for SAGPs
- Model honorary academic contract for NHS consultants (under development)
- Memorandum of Understanding with HMRC relating to VAT and clinical academics (under development)
9 Responding to issues raised by the BMA, BDA, UCU and other relevant bodies.
10 Providing input to relevant policies and procedures being developed by NHS Employers and the equivalents in the devolved administrations, where there will be an impact on institutions that employ clinical academics.
11 Representing HEIs in national level fora.
12 Providing an interface with UUK, MSC, DSC and the Council of Deans for Nursing and Health Professionals and providing representation on working groups such as the MSC/DSC working group on Women in Clinical Academia.
Enquiries relating to this area of UCEA’s work should be addressed to p.shelley@ucea.ac.uk or s.powley@ucea.ac.uk.