Specialist roles

The introduction of the specialist grade in 2021 provides a career progression pathway for speciality doctors, as well as opportunities to strengthen workforce stability and expertise. This page offers guidance on establishing specialist roles.

What is a Specialist?

A specialist is a senior doctor with extensive experience who meets the Generic Capabilities Framework and works autonomously within locally agreed clinical governance frameworks.

Eligibility criteria for specialist roles includes:

• England, Wales, and Northern Ireland: Minimum 12 years of postgraduate experience with at least 6 years in the relevant specialty.
• Scotland: Minimum 10 years of postgraduate experience, with at least 6 years in the relevant specialty.
• Evidence of clinical skills and specific competencies through workplace assessments, logbooks, audits, appraisals, and job planning records.
• MRCOG exams and specialist registration are not essential.

Why create a specialist role?

As well as providing career progression and recognition for experienced specialty doctors who have chosen an SAS career, the specialist grade offers an opportunity to support workforce development and service continuity in several ways:

• Addressing hard-to-fill posts.
• Tackling waiting lists.
• Supporting new service developments and workforce modernisation.
• Retaining senior doctors within the workforce.

Establishing a specialist role

Specialist roles are created to meet local service needs, and individual person specifications and job plans are created accordingly. They are filled through a competitive recruitment process. There is no automatic regrading process for specialty doctors.

Key considerations include:

• It is recommended that specialist roles are advertised internally first to provide career progression opportunities for local specialty doctors.
• Vacancies should be reviewed by the SAS Advocate, SAS Tutor, and SAS Local Negotiating Committee (LNC) representative.

For detailed guidance, refer to the NHS Employers' specialist grade information and resources including their guidance on Establishing the Specialist Role.

Resources to support employers

There are a number of resources available to support employers with the introduction of specialist posts. 

For detailed guidance, refer to the NHS Employers’ specialist grade information and resources, including their guidance on Establishing the Specialist Role.

Additional resources include:

• The AoMRC, SAS: A viable career choice, report further elucidates the benefits of making SAS a positive career pathway, including outlining the ways SAS can contribute to the workforce in additional roles such as in education, research, appraisal and leadership.
• NHS Employers have produced guidance to support with thhttps://www.nhsemployers.org/publications/sas-contract-2021-implementation-guidancee implementation of specialist grade contracts .

Resources to support new or aspiring specialist doctors 

• The BMA have provided information on specialist contracts, including a contract checking service.
• The BMA and NHS Employers have produced specialist grade appointment guidance, to support specialty doctors collate evidence against the capabilities framework
• We have collated information to support SAS doctors with their career development.
• SAS advocates promote and improve the support for SAS doctor’s health and wellbeing.