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SAS Doctors

Background:

The term 'SAS doctor' includes Staff Grades, Associate Specialist, Specialty Doctors and Specialist grade doctors with at least four years of postgraduate training, two of which are in a relevant specialty.

SAS doctors are a diverse group with a wide range of skills, experience and specialties. They are an essential part of the medical workforce.

A career as SAS doctor can be a very satisfying and rewarding alternative to becoming a consultant or GP and there are many different reasons for choosing it as a long or short term career option.

SAS doctor posts usually offer the opportunity to focus predominantly on providing direct patient care and less on the other clinical and non-clinical responsibilities required of a consultant or trainee. However, depending on their personal interests and experience - and the available opportunities in their trust and specialty - SAS doctors are encouraged to be involved in teaching, service development, research or management and leadership.

Becoming a SAS doctor may allow you to:

  • work more flexibly without having to meet the requirements of a formal training programme
  • work in a specific geographical location without having to rotate to different units
  • work in a subspecialty which suits you
  • optimise your work-life balance, as the hours may be more regular than for trainees or consultants
  • gain experience to enhance your application for a specialty training post
  • have more time to study for membership exams
  • achieve a portfolio career, with several distinct roles
  • develop your knowledge, skills and experience to apply to join the GMC Specialist or GP register via the portfolio pathway (previously known as the CESR - Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration or CEGPR -Certificate of Eligibility for General Practice Registration)

Prior to 2008, SAS doctors were appointed to staff grade or associate specialist posts. Since 2008 these grades have been closed to new entrants, with all new SAS doctor appointments being specialty doctors. From 2021 a new specialist grade role was introduced which offers career progression for specialty doctors. A copy of the contract for SAS doctors (specialty doctors and specialist grades) is available in NHS Employers' NHS terms and conditions of service handbook by following this link:

Career progression for SAS doctors

Specialty doctors can progress to the new specialist grade which sits between the specialty doctor and consultant grades. Specialist grades will still mainly focus on providing direct clinical care but will also have further development opportunities such as management, additional responsibilities, research and clinical academia.

SAS doctors also have opportunities to access an increasing number of continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities through different national initiatives. They're regularly involved in teaching, leading service development, and research. 

Portfolio

SAS doctors wishing to pursue the ‘Portfolio Pathway’ can avail of the resources and support available in this Trust. Interested doctors can contact Anita.sonsale@uhb.nhs.uk for bespoke guidance on how to gather evidence for the Portfolio pathway. This Trust also provides ‘CESR fellowships’ in selected specialties to help colleagues to achieve their aspirations

SAS Charter:

This Charter sets out what SAS doctors can expect from their employers and employers can expect of them.

The SAS charter will help you to elevate your position at work, hold your employers accountable and provide greater development and working opportunities.

The themes in the charters are based around:

  • minimum conditions of employment
  • revalidation, appraisal and job planning
  • helping SAS doctors to feel effectively supported
  • opportunities for development
  • involvement in management structures.

Originally a 2004 BMA document, it has been updated to reflect subsequent changes to national contracts and to education and training, jointly with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, HEE and NHS Employers. Joint Local Negotiating Committees (LNCs) are requested to commit to using the charter to help provide an optimum working environment for this valuable group of doctors.

Further information on the SAS charter can be accessed using this link:

SAS Six Policy:

The SAS Collective has outlined the ‘SAS Six’; policy proposals which would improve and protect the careers of SAS and locally employed doctors. These are:

  1. Every early career SAS doctor should have access to an educational supervisor.
  2. All SAS doctors should have equity of access to professional development opportunities relevant to their stage of career.
  3. All Speciality Doctors who meet the required capabilities should have the opportunity to become Specialists.
  4. Senior SAS doctors should be offered the opportunity to be educators at every level on a par with consultants e.g. educational supervisors, clinical supervisors, directors of medical education.
  5. All extended roles in leadership and management should be open to all substantive medical staff i.e. consultants AND appropriately experienced SAS doctors.
  6. All locally employed doctors employed for more than two years within one trust should be offered the opportunity to transfer to the appropriate SAS contract.

Further resources regarding SAS doctors can be accessed through the West Midlands Deanery webpage following this link:

SAS Clinical Tutor Role:

  • Support and guidance to non-Consultant career grade (Associate Specialists, Staff Grades and Specialty Doctors (SAS)) doctors in the Trusts, in collaboration with their Lead Clinicians and the Director of Medical Education (DME)
  • Leadership in both the professional development of SAS doctors and the contribution of SAS doctors to education and training of trainees in relevant specialties.
  • To provide support to SAS doctors in relation to their development needs where required.
  • Lead on the implementation of the SAS appraisal system, including 360 degree appraisal with support from HR and to monitor the quality of SAS appraisals on regular basis.
  • Provide each SAS doctor with at least one opportunity per annum to review their experience, developmental objectives and needs and where necessary provide or engage appropriate further support as part of ongoing appraisal.
  • Identify SAS doctors who require further support to obtain their development needs and ensure that appropriate support is provided in collaboration as necessary with the DME and Deanery agencies.
  • Support SAS doctors wishing to apply for specialist registration (CESR)
  • Review of the induction processes for new SAS doctors

SAS Advocate Role:

  • Identifying all SAS doctors in the organisation – how and where they are working.
  • Researching and collating information on their organisation’s performance in supporting the health and wellbeing of its SAS doctors. For example, understanding the extent to which health and wellbeing conversations and career conversations with SAS doctors are taking place; whether SAS doctors have access to occupational health services; data on bullying and harassment.
  • Creating a forum for SAS doctors, this could be a virtual forum to enable SAS doctors to exchange suggestions, seek and offer advice and discuss relevant topics.
  • Including a regular item on agendas for reporting to relevant senior management meetings.
  • Engaging with local negotiating committee (LNC) as appropriate.
  • Working in collaboration with other SAS support leads, as well as guardians and champions in the organisation, for example, the freedom to speak up guardian.
  • Engaging and sharing best practice with fellow advocates in other organisations for example, through a facilitated network.
  • Being available to help and advise individual SAS doctors where required,
  • complementary to existing structures, including signposting internally and to external organisations.
  • Collating information from informal and formal complaints on bullying and harassment, to help identify patterns and enable action to deal with contributory factors such as poor management practices or excessive workloads.
  • Supporting decisions on how the SAS development funding, derived from contract reform, can be best used to support the development of SAS doctors (England only) in line with guidance.

Contact details for SAS Education Team are

Last reviewed: 19 July 2024