Common use of Private Practice Clause in Contracts

Private Practice. (a) All consultants will have a standard contract, which may be either full-time or part- time depending on the weekly number of programmed activities carried out for the NHS. The type of contract will take no account of the extent of a consultant’s earnings from private practice. (b) There will be a new set of contractual provisions governing the relationship between consultants’ NHS commitments and any private practice they undertake. This will include private practice in respect of both private patients and NHS patients. These rules will be designed to minimise the potential for conflicts of interest – or perceived conflicts of interest – to arise between private and NHS commitments. (c) Employers will be required to satisfy themselves annually that a consultant is meeting the requirements set out in these rules in determining eligibility for pay progression. Compliance with these rules will (with some possible exceptions) also be a contractual requirement. (d) The areas covered by the new rules will include (see Annex D): • disclosure of information about private practice • scheduling of private work • transfer of patients between the NHS and private sector, and management of NHS waiting lists • use of NHS facilities and staff for private and other fee-paying work • engagement with measures to increase NHS capacity, including appointment of new consultants