PRIME MINISTER DOCTORS' AND DENTISTS

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PRIME MINISTER

DOCTORS' AND DENTISTS' REVIEW BODY NINTH REPORT

In my minute of 18 June I r e f e r r e d to recent developments i n connection with

the consultant contract and the Ninth Report from the Doctors' and D e n t i s t s '

Review Body.

Since then, the leaders of the consultants have again come to see me, i n order

to explore the p o s s i b i l i t y of my being able to give them an immediate d e c i s i o n

i n p r i n c i p l e on t h e i r proposals f o r changes i n the maximum part-time option,

which f o r them i s the heart of the matter. t h i s was necessary

They explained that i n t h e i r view

f o r the s u c c e s s f u l handling of the B r i t i s h Medical A s s o c i a t i o n ' s

Annual Representative Meeting at L i v e r p o o l next week, and that i t would e f f e c t i v e l y

ensure a period of peaceful co-operation between the Government and the consultants.

We again traversed the substance of the matter, t h i s time a l s o e x p l o r i n g some

of the more d e t a i l e d p r a c t i c a l aspects, and as a r e s u l t I was confirmed i n my

view that, f o r the reasons i n d i c a t e d i n my e a r l i e r minute, arrangements on the

l i n e s now sought by the profession would be to our advantage.

Not the l e a s t of

the a t t r a c t i o n f o r us i s that i t i s c l e a r that the cost to p u b l i c funds of the

proposed arrangements w i l l be s i g n f i c a n t l y l e s s than the f u l l year cost that the

new contract would have i n v o l v e d .

I w i l l not be asking f o r any new money i f

these changes can be agreed.

I t o l d the leaders of the consultants that i t was out of the question f o r me to

give an immediate d e c i s i o n , and that i t would f i r s t be e s s e n t i a l f o r me to have

consultations w i t h i n Government and with NHS Management. few weeks.

This would take some

I went on to say that i n the c o n s u l t a t i o n s I would make very c l e a r

my own b e l i e f that the profession's proposals had s u b s t a n t i a l merit and

should

i f p o s s i b l e be adopted, though I could give no guarantee of what the outcome

would be.

I i n d i c a t e d that because of the importance of securing a s a t i s f a c t o r y

outcome at the Annual Representative Meeting - and there i s a danger that

without some help from me the leadership would be unable to c o n t r o l t h e i r rank

and f i l e - I would be prepared t h i s week to send a l e t t e r to the BMA

confirming



what I said to the leaders of the consultants f o r use at the Annual Representative

Meeting.

The profession's representatives closed with my suggestion which,

though a good deal l e s s than what they had hoped f o r , should i n t h e i r view

s u f f i c e to prevent trouble with the profession i n advance of our being ready

to come to a f i n a l conclusion on the proposals put to

me.



I mention these developments because the Annual Representative Meeting i s a

p u b l i c occasion and my l e t t e r may therefore be reported i n the press.

My next

steps w i l l be to consult NHS Management and then to b r i n g formal proposals to

colleagues.

I am sending copies of t h i s minute to members of E Committee, the S e c r e t a r i e s of

State f o r Defence, Scotland and Wales and to S i r John Hunt.

'22. June

1979



Department of Health and S o c i a l S e c u r i t y

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