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Consultant clinical academics

Information and links about joint appraisals and job plans, salary scales and pay progression.

The definition of a Consultant Clinical Academic (CCA) is those staff who:

  • Hold a substantive academic contract of employment with a higher education institution
  • Are required, as a condition of their employment to hold GMC or GDC registration and
  • Where relevant, hold a licence to practice.

They will also have been:

  • Awarded their Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT)
  • Appointed via an Advisory Appointments Committee (AAC) and awarded honorary consultant status by the NHS
  • Issued with a signed off and agreed job plan
  • Issued with an honorary clinical contract which will be interdependent to the substantive contract.

Salary grades

Current pay scales for senior Clinical Academic Staff

Clinical academic appraisal

In line with the principles of the Follett Review Report, the appraisal of clinical academics should be done annually and jointly by the substantive (university) and honorary (NHS) employer.

There are five academic components that should be included in all joint appraisals: teaching and training, research, leadership, enterprise enabling. 

The Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) has published appraisal guidance for clinical academics (PDF, 523KB).

Job planning

Job plans are part of the contract of employment. They are an annual agreement that set out duties, responsibilities and objectives for the coming year. The process should be collaborative and cooperative and the job plan should be agreed and not imposed. The following should be included or considered:

  • A timetable of activities
  • A summary of all the PAs (programmed activities) or sessions for all the type of work you are doing
  • On-call arrangements (ie your rota frequency and your availability supplement category)
  • A list of SMART objectives or outcomes
  • A list of supporting resources necessary to achieve objectives
  • A description of additional responsibilities to the wider NHS and profession. For example, being a medical director, clinical director, clinical governance/audit lead, undergraduate/postgraduate dean, etc.
  • A description of external duties (eg trade union duties, work for a royal college, etc)
  • Any arrangements for additional PAs or sessions, over and above your standard contract
  • Any details of regular private work
  • Any agreed arrangements for carrying out regular fee-paying services
  • Any special agreements or arrangements regarding the operation or interpretation of the job plan
  • Accountability arrangements
  • Any agreed flexible working arrangements.

Further information can be found on the British Medical Association (BMA) website.