Reforming the consultant contract again?: Surgeons' fees for items of service would not work

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7478.1343-b

BMJ 2004;329:1343 (4 December), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7478.1343-b

Letter

Reforming the consultant contract again?

Surgeons' fees for items of service would not work

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

EDITOR—What would happen to my fees if the patient failedto come in for surgery, or was sent home because of lack ofbeds, or my theatre list was cancelled because of staff shortages?Who would get the fee if a case was operated on by a trainee"flying solo" while the consultant sat at the back of theatre?

There are too many anomalies to even consider paying consultantsin the way outlined by Maynard and Bloor.¹

Ewen F Flint, consultant ear, nose, and throat surgeon

Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Dumfries DG1 4AP e.flint@sgri.scot.nhs.uk

Competing interests: None declared.