NHS consultants are to engage in talks about new contracts ensuring more evening and weekend work and seven-day care.
Formal contract negotiations with NHS Employers would start in the autumn and the British Medical Association (BMA) has asked its members how pay could be made fairer and what they think about greater consultant presence in hospitals at weekends and evenings.
In a statement the BMA said: "We have been clear in these talks on the fundamental principle that the contract must be fair to consultants and beneficial for patients.
"This means a national contract, to ensure consistency and efficiency. It means ensuring consultants have time and space for professional development and service improvement and it means no reduction in the amount of money available overall for consultants."
Only BMA and NHS employer representatives for England and Northern Ireland are to discuss possible changes to consultants' terms and conditions. BMA consultants' committees in Scotland and Wales believe a UK-wide approach is not in the best interests of their consultants in.
Mark Newbold, chair of the NHS Confederation hospital forum added: "Consultants are essential in providing high-quality care and need to be further empowered to do so, rewarding their career choice and enabling them to use their skills at best. It is therefore important to ensure that consultant contracts contribute to meet these objectives."
