BMA should convince The BMJ not to advertise non-standard posts, say SAS doctors

The BMA should convince The BMJ not to advertise non-standard grade posts, said delegates at the BMA’s staff, associate specialist, and specialty (SAS) grade doctors’ conference this week.

Representatives voted in favour of a motion that “deplored” the creation of non-standard grade posts and “urged” the BMA to “help convince The BMJ not to advertise these posts.”

Presenting the motion, Amir Landeck, from the London Thames SAS committee said, “People who do the same job should be paid the same, yes? People doing the same job should have the same contract, yes? So, if they do not get the same contract, pay, or terms, does that not infringe on their basic right of equality? I ask you to support this motion to ask the BMA to suggest to The BMJ not to advertise these positions.”

However, Mark Porter, the BMA’s chairman of council, pointed out that the BMA could not interfere with decisions at The BMJ. He said, “With regret I can take no action on this, whether you pass it or not. The reason for this is the articles and bylaws of the BMA are very clear that the editor should be responsible for all that appears within the journal, and I cannot interfere.

“I have to say that every now and again I do get people writing to me asking me to do so. On my desk upstairs is a complaint about the bias inherent in The BMJ in publishing matters about cannabis. Fortunately, my get-out in these matters is to point out that the integrity of the journal rests entirely on its editorial independence from the BMA, even though the BMA owns the journal.”