Supporting SAS Doctors

SAS Doctors make a hugely valuable contribution to UK health services, and the number of doctors choosing to work in these roles is increasing. HEE has outlined a number of shared commitments they have to support SAS Doctors.

These shared commitments are:

– NHS Improvement and Health Education England (HEE), with partners, will continue to develop an improved data set about SAS doctors, including use of the Model Hospital.

– NHS Employers and NHS England and Improvement (NHSE/I) will support the implementation of the SAS Charter, and in doing so will help to understand and address the current challenges.

– NHS E/I and NHS Employers will work with providers and SAS doctors to raise awareness of guidance for the induction and revalidation of SAS doctors.

– HEE and NHS provider organisations will ensure SAS doctors are offered development opportunities linked to service need, their experience and career aspirations.

– HEE will work with the GMC to explore the extent to which developments in credentialing can include opportunities to develop SAS doctors.

– The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) will work with the Royal Colleges to encourage access to e-portfolios for SAS doctors who require it.

– HEE will work with the GMC to explore how SAS doctors who wish to return to formal training can be better supported to do so.

– AoMRC and HEE will explore how SAS doctors can be involved more effectively by colleges as a part of the education process, specifically as educational and clinical supervisors for doctors in training.

– HEE, with partners, will ensure that the SAS role is supported, developed and promoted as a viable alternative to training and consultant grade roles.

– HEE, NHS E/I and NHS Employers will ensure that SAS doctors have a clear role to play in workforce transformation and planning.

– HEE will ensure consistency of funding for SAS doctors, in terms of geography and in activities funded through SAS tutors, associate deans and/or a nominated individual with responsibility for SAS doctors.

To find out more about how HEE will be supporting SAS Doctors read the maximising the potential: essential measures to support SAS doctors report. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has also produced some useful guidance on opportunities for SAS doctors: https://www.aomrc.org.uk/sas-doctors/.

GMC SAS Doctor workplace experiences survey

To help widen the understanding of SAS workplace experiences, the GMC ran a survey dedicated to gathering SAS Doctors views. This took place between May and June of 2019, and all SAS Doctors from across the UK were encouraged to take part. You can read about the initial findings and check the results for individual questions by reading our SAS and Locally employed initial findings report, published in January 2020.

BMA SAS Charter

The BMA SAS Doctor Charter sets out what SAS doctors can expect from their employers and employers can expect of them. It also sets out the objectives and the support mechanism that HEE promotes and provides through individual Local Education Training Boards (LETBs) and Local Education Providers (LEPs). To find out more, read the Charter for SAS doctors report.