APPLYING FOR OPTIONAL OR DISCRETIONARY POINTS

Dr Elizabeth Bailey

Associate Specialist Renal Medicine

BMA SASC

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Applying for Optional or Discretionary Points

• Background

• Eligibility

• Criteria

• The Decision Making Group (DMG)

• Scoring systems

• Completing the application form

• What to do if you are unsuccessful

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Discretionary and Optional points-what are they?

• discretionary points for associate specialists• optional points for staff doctors• additional superannuable salary paid at the

discretion of the employer • reward and recognition for the quality of your

work• administered separately – no competition between

associate specialists and staff doctors

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Discretionary and Optional points-what aren’t they?

• automatic

• yours by right

• seniority payments

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Discretionary and Optional points• for associate specialists introduced in 1996

(AL(MD)7/95)

• for staff doctors introduced with the new contract in 1997 (AL(MD)4/97)

• guidelines on the process of awarding points, criteria etc. issued by DoH

• arrangements for deciding payment and the number of points to be awarded left up to the employing Trust

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What are they worth?• each optional point worth £2011 - £2444• each discretionary point worth £1713 - £2234• big contribution to final pension • maximum of 6 • salary increased by about £12,000 - £14,000 if

attain maximum points• only 10% of staff doctors and 9% of associate

specialists attain the maximum

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Number Of Points Awarded• original intention not to limit the number available

each year – no competition• some Trusts not awarding any (40% in NW

England)• setting a limit ensures Trusts award points each

year but then competition between applicants• SASC recommends a minimum of 0.35 points per

eligible doctor• individuals may be awarded more than one point

at a time• once awarded, a point cannot be taken away

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Eligibility• eligible when you have reached the top of

the automatic incremental pay scale

• staff doctors must be on the new (1997) contract

• you must apply

• remain eligible until reached top of optional/discretionary points scale

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Criteria• similar for Associate Specialists and Staff

doctors• recognise that SAS doctors spend

significant time in the service of patients• focus primarily on clinical expertise and

quality of patient care• account should be taken of overall

workload, workload intensity, staff and facilities available

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Categories

• clinical expertise (SG)

• quality of patient care (SG)

• professional excellence (patient care, service development, leadership) (ASG)

• undertaking significant heavy workload or responsibilities

• contribution to multidisciplinary team working

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Categories

• research, innovation and improvement in the service

• clinical audit

• administrative or NHS management contributions

• teaching and training

• wider contribution to the work of the NHS nationally

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The Decision Making Group

• equal number of management and staff representatives

• minimum constitution : Medical Director, Human Resources Director, SAS doctor not eligible for points, a consultant not responsible for any of the doctors applying

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Scoring Systems

• introduced by many Trusts to make judging applications more objective

• typical scoring systems weight the categories

• DMG tries to judge level of performance in each category

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Scoring Systems: level of performance

• Level 0 no activity/submission in this category

• Level 1 is performing at the level of a staff doctor or associate specialist

• Level 2 acknowledged within the directorate as performing beyond expectation in the

particular category• Level 3 lead individual in the directorate and

wider recognition outside the directorate

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Completing the application formwhat to do

• sell yourself• think carefully about your work, your role

within your directorate, your contribution to the service

• remember the DMG has to judge your application solely on the information you provide

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Completing the application formwhat to do

• take your time

• use a computer

• give detail (but be concise!)

• think where an entry will score the most

• be honest not modest

• ask for advice

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Completing the application formwhat not to do

• assume it’s easy

• assume the DMG members know how good you are

• rush

• handwrite the form

• think you won’t succeed

• not bother

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Clinical Expertise• number of years experience in your

speciality

• any higher qualifications you have and the date you got them

• what you are particularly good at and take a lead role in

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Clinical Expertise• mention procedures you do which your

colleagues do not - this makes you the local expert

• mention common procedures which you do a lot of (numbers may be useful) - this indicates that you are recognised within your directorate as being an expert in this field

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Clinical Expertise

• any procedures you perform which would otherwise have to be done by a consultant

• how much of the service is led by you without consultant input

• involvement in CPD activities

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Quality Of Patient Care

Think about aspects of your work which have improved patient care even if indirectly. Examples might include:

• extra clinics you’ve held

• outlying clinics you do - this takes the service to the patients

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Quality Of Patient Care

• your positive response to audit findings

• introducing new treatments

• changes to ward/clinic/ theatre practices you’ve introduced to benefit patients

• writing treatment protocols

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Quality Of Patient Care

• regular meetings you’ve set up with other team members to plan patient management

• your role in innovations which have improved patient care

• unsolicited correspondence from patients demonstrating the quality of care you provided

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Undertaking Significant Heavy Workload Or Responsibilities

• how many fixed sessions you work

• whether you have any on call commitments

• whether your department is understaffed

• flexibility with covering for absent colleagues

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Undertaking Significant Heavy Workload Or Responsibilities

• if you cover for absent consultants

• if you travel long distances to do outlying clinics

• if you are the only provider of a certain aspect of service

• your role in helping the trust to meet its objectives 

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Contribution To Professional & Multidisciplinary Team Working

You need to demonstrate that you are a key player and not just an ordinary member. It is worth including:

• details of team meetings which you have introduced

• meetings you have chaired

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Contribution To Professional & Multidisciplinary Team working

• presentations you’ve made

• professions you work closely with

• how you keep other team members informed e.g. newsletters, written reports

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Research, Innovation And Improvement In The Service

• research projects - mention if your research has been presented at conferences or if it has been published

• if you have been or are a lead investigator in a clinical trial

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Research, Innovation And Improvement In The Service

• your involvement in changes to practices and procedures which have improved efficiency, reduced waste, saved money etc.

• implementation of improvements to the service from literature

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Clinical Audit

• your role in conducting audit projects

• data collection

• data analysis

• feedback of results to the team - your role

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Clinical Audit

• your response to audit findings

• if you have a wider role in audit within the region e.g. Regional Audit Steering Groups

• any changes in clinical practice implemented

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A bad example

• Clinical audit

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Administrative Or NHS Management Contributions

Consider including:• if you are responsible for preparing on call

rotas• if you are involved in preparation for

meetings e.g. planning agendas, inviting speakers

• if you sit on any committees whether related to your speciality or to the Trust or a union e.g. BMA

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Teaching And Training

Include here: 

• informal teaching of staff

• formal teaching sessions and who you teach

• if you train junior medical staff in certain procedures

 

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Teaching And Training

• if you give educational talks to other groups e.g. patient associations

• your role in organising special educational study days for your department

• your activity within your department’s CPD sessions e.g. case presentations

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Wider Contribution To The Work Of The NHS Nationally

you could include: • activities you undertake for medical royal

colleges, specialist societies and other professional bodies

• participation in conferences• BMA committee work• participation in any other relevant advisory groups

(e.g.. patient support groups) 

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Further help

• examples of what to put for each category in the handout

• guidance issued by BMA SASC available

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What To Do If You Are Unsuccessful

• do not be disheartened• ask for feedback from the DMG• think about your work and what you can do to

enhance your chance of success in future applications

• you can appeal against the decision if you think you have been treated unfairly

• Trusts are obliged to operate a non-discriminatory policy

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What to do if your Trust is not awarding points• write to your Director of Human Resources

• copy your letter to the Chief Executive, Medical Director, Chairman of LNC, SAS Rep and BMA IRO

• ask for a copy of the procedure for awarding points and an explanation for why points have not been awarded, why you have not been invited to apply etc

• ask for a response within 21 days

• if response is not positive, write to Chairman of LNC and ask for this issue to be raised at the next LNC meeting (copy your letter to BMA IRO on LNC)

• your Regional SASC will try to help you

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Take Home Messages

• spend time on your application

• sell yourself

• be honest not modest!

• remember you are worth it (but you’ve got to prove it on your application)!