Government makes U turn on private practice ban

The UK government has been forced to backtrack on its commitment to ban newly qualified NHS consultants from working privately for at least seven years after qualification.

As part of a new consultants' contract, launched last week at a BMA conference in London, the heavily criticised ban on private practice outlined in the government's July 2000 NHS Plan will be abandoned (BMJ 2001; 321:317). Several changes in the pay structure and working practices of consultants will be implemented in its place.

“The government has had to …