Moorfields SAS Seminar | 8 June 2026
Defined, Not Restricted
SAS career development, specialist readiness and safe autonomous practice
Scope of practice is not a ceiling imposed by job title. It is a current, evidence-based description of what a doctor can safely do, what decisions they are expected to make, where advice or escalation is required, and how that work is supported by appraisal, job planning, governance and revalidation.
How to Use This Reading Material
This document sits alongside the two shorter pre-reading handouts on SAS doctors' leadership, autonomous working and role design. It is deliberately more detailed, written for two audiences at the same time.
For SAS Doctors
Plan career development, build evidence and prepare for specialist SAS roles without assuming that the only senior route is the Portfolio Pathway.
For Clinical Managers
Understand how safe autonomy, specialist posts and workforce redesign should be based on current capability, service need and governance — not on assumptions about job title alone.
What This Document Will Help You Do
01
Understand SAS careers
As a positive career framework rather than a default alternative to training.
02
Distinguish the specialist SAS route
From the Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR), without presenting either route as superior.
03
Prepare a structured evidence portfolio
For specialist-grade readiness with mapped, current evidence.
04
Use the language of current competence
Defined scope and governance when discussing autonomous practice.
05
Avoid unhelpful tests
Such as 'consultant equivalence', whole-specialty coverage or title-based assumptions.
06
Use GMC and NHS Employers positions accurately
Without weakening safeguards or creating artificial restrictions.
07
Have more productive conversations
Between SAS doctor and clinical manager about service need, job planning and development.
For delegates: Do not treat this as a slide deck. Bring one example of your current or desired scope of practice to the session: a clinic, procedure, on-call role, pathway, leadership function or teaching responsibility. The most useful discussion will start from real work.
At a Glance: Eight Practical Messages
Eight core messages that define the practical framework for SAS career development and safe autonomous practice.
1
SAS is a career in its own right
A doctor can build a senior, stable, respected and leadership-focused career as an SAS doctor. SAS and LED doctors are increasingly vital to NHS delivery, but their roles and contracts should not be confused.
2
Specialist grade is a senior SAS progression route
Designed for experienced doctors who meet generic capabilities and role-specific requirements, and who wish to work at a senior level within the SAS framework.
3
Portfolio Pathway has a different purpose
It is for doctors seeking specialist or GP registration. It is valuable, but it is not the only route to senior practice, leadership or recognition.
4
Scope is current and local
A scope of practice should describe present capability, actual duties, limits, escalation and governance for the post being undertaken.
5
Registration, contract and scope answer different questions
Specialist registration, consultant appointment rules, contractual grade and pay are important, but none replace current competence assurance for the work being done.
6
Managers should define safe autonomy, not block it by title
The right question is: what can this doctor safely do, with what evidence and within what governance arrangements?
7
Evidence matters more than assertion
Use job plans, appraisals, multisource feedback, patient feedback, audits, logbooks, governance outcomes, teaching, leadership and references to show capability.
8
The aim is better patient care
Specialist SAS roles can strengthen continuity, retention, supervision, direct clinical care, leadership capacity and workforce resilience.
1. SAS Careers: Not a Side Route, But a Workforce Route
Specialty, associate specialist and specialist doctors are an essential part of NHS medical care. In many services, they provide continuity, direct clinical care, supervision, education, governance, research, leadership and institutional memory. The key problem is not usually a lack of regulation — it is an inconsistent understanding of what the existing framework already permits when competence, service need and governance are properly defined.
The RCP's SAS priorities for 2026–30 place recognition, career development and representation for SAS doctors at the centre of its programme. The rules and routes already exist — the practical task is to make the language more precise and the governance more consistent.
Understanding the Main Categories
Specialty Doctor
A permanent SAS post on nationally agreed terms. Entry normally requires at least four years of postgraduate experience, including at least two years in a relevant specialty.
Career planning should not assume one fixed ceiling. Some specialty doctors already work with significant autonomy and may be preparing for specialist-grade readiness.
Specialist Doctor
A senior SAS grade introduced in the 2021 contract reforms. Entry requires full registration, a licence to practise, substantial post-qualification experience and evidence against the generic capabilities framework.
This is the main senior SAS progression route for doctors who want to remain SAS and work at high responsibility within a defined scope.
Associate Specialist
A closed senior SAS grade. Many associate specialists have long-established autonomous practice, leadership and educational roles.
Their roles should be job-planned, governed, and recognised in the same practical way as those of other senior doctors.
Locally Employed Doctor (LED)
A doctor employed on local terms rather than a nationally negotiated SAS contract. LEDs are valuable and often essential to service delivery, but their roles, permanence, progression and protections differ from national SAS terms.
The SAS and LED distinction matters and should not be used to devalue LEDs.
Important distinction: SAS and LED doctors are both essential to the NHS. The point is to avoid using LED roles as a substitute for substantive SAS workforce planning where the service actually needs senior continuity, defined scope and national SAS terms.
Leadership Within the SAS Framework
Senior leadership from within the SAS framework is not an exception to regulation. It is possible when competence, accountability, scope and governance are recognised in practice. SAS doctors can lead services, contribute to strategic workforce planning, develop job descriptions, define competencies, manage governance, supervise colleagues and carry out senior clinical duties where the evidence and governance support that scope.
The employment contract still matters. A doctor who is not on a consultant contract is not appointed to that contract and is not paid as a consultant. But the professional question of safe autonomous practice is broader than the contract label. It depends on current capability, role design, evidence, job planning and governance.
2. The Core Principle: Scope of Practice is Defined, Not Restricted
A scope of practice should not be a vague statement such as 'works under consultant supervision' or 'works autonomously'. It should be a clear, current and reviewable description.
Clinical Areas Covered
The clinical areas, patients, pathways, procedures or services covered by the role.
Independent Decisions
The decisions the doctor is expected to make independently, and the complexity and uncertainty they are expected to manage.
Escalation Requirements
The circumstances in which advice, referral, peer discussion or escalation is required.
Governance and Review
The governance, job planning, appraisal and review arrangements that support safe practice.
Phrase to remember: Scope of Practice is defined, not restricted. A properly defined scope protects patients, supports doctors, helps managers make fair decisions and makes senior SAS contribution visible.
What Official Guidance Says When Read Carefully
GMC Good Medical Practice
The GMC does not regulate autonomous practice by job title alone. It requires doctors to be competent in all aspects of their work and to work within the limits of competence under the level of supervision appropriate to their role, knowledge, skills, training and the task being carried out.
GMC Delegation and Referral
A colleague's role, grade and training can provide reassurance, but the central test is whether the colleague has the necessary knowledge, skills and training, or adequate supervision, for the task. Title is not the test.
NHS Employers Specialist Guidance
Describes specialists as autonomous workers who work to a level of defined competencies agreed within local clinical governance frameworks.
Practical interpretation: A contract does not need to use the word 'autonomous' for autonomous responsibility to exist. The safer question is: what is the doctor expected and authorised to do, what evidence shows competence, what governance applies, and how is that work reflected in the job plan and appraisal?
Reframing the Language of Scope
How we frame questions about SAS practice determines whether we unlock capability or create unnecessary barriers. The table below contrasts unhelpful framings with better alternatives.
❌ Unhelpful Framing
- 'SAS doctors cannot do that because they are not consultants.'
- 'Autonomy means working without support.'
- 'Specialist grade must equal the whole consultant role.'
- 'Portfolio Pathway is the only serious development route.'
- 'A job plan records what already happens.'
- 'A defined scope means a restricted scope.'
- 'The college says this grade sits below that grade.'
✅ Better Framing
- 'Can this doctor safely do this work within a defined scope, with evidence, job planning and governance?'
- 'Autonomy means taking responsibility within agreed lines of accountability, peer support, escalation and review.'
- 'A specialist role should match service need and defined specialist capability, not a generic consultant-equivalence test.'
- 'Portfolio Pathway is one route to specialist registration. Specialist grade is a legitimate SAS progression route.'
- 'A job plan should actively recognise, resource and govern current and developing scope.'
- 'A defined scope means the work, decisions, limits, evidence, accountability and review arrangements are explicit.'
- 'Use college guidance when it clarifies standards, but do not convert imprecise hierarchy language into a ceiling on evidenced competence.'
Working definition for managers and SAS doctors: A defined scope of practice is a locally agreed description of the work a doctor is expected and authorised to undertake, based on demonstrated competence, service need, patient safety, escalation arrangements, job planning, appraisal and governance review.
3. Specialist Registration, Consultant Appointment Rules and Competence
The aim of this section is not to diminish the Specialist Register or consultant appointment standards. They are important safeguards. The aim is to avoid a different error: treating specialist registration as if it were the only possible marker of current competence or the only basis for senior clinical decision-making.
What the Specialist Register Does
The GMC describes the Specialist Register as a list of doctors eligible to take up appointment in fixed-term, honorary or substantive consultant posts in the NHS, while noting that specialist registration is not a legal requirement for those posts in foundation trusts. The GMC also notes that doctors can practise in a specialty not shown on their Specialist Register entry.
What NHS Employers Clarifies
NHS Employers states that specialist registration is not a legal requirement for appointment to consultant posts in foundation trusts, but foundation trusts must still satisfy themselves that the doctor is competent for the post — and that entry to the register is to some extent a snapshot of a particular point in time and not proof of specific current clinical competencies.
Common Misunderstandings vs Accurate Interpretations
Implication for SAS autonomy: If even consultant appointment processes require current competence assurance for the actual post, it is inconsistent to deny SAS autonomy by title alone. The same professional logic applies: define the work, assess competence, agree governance, support development and review the scope.
Foundation Trusts, Locum Exceptions and Why Language Matters
Foundation Trusts and Locum Consultant Exceptions
NHS foundation trusts are not covered by the consultant appointment regulations, although they may follow the standards as good practice. Historical appointment frameworks also allowed short-term locum consultant appointments without the same specialist registration requirements. These features should not be used to make casual arguments about titles.
The important point is not that foundation trusts have freedom to appoint outside the usual consultant appointment regulations. The important point is why that freedom exists: competence for a role can be determined by the employer against the actual duties, evidence and governance requirements of the post.
Why Language Matters: The 2021 Specialist Doctor Title Debate
A useful example of how national language can create local barriers can be seen in the 2021 BMA Consultants Conference agenda. Motions tabled raised concerns that the proposed title 'Specialist Doctor' might confuse patients because entry to the grade did not require entry on the GMC Specialist Register. Some motions described the term 'specialist' as being normally reserved for doctors on the Specialist Register.
A conference motion is not, by itself, proof of final BMA policy or of the position of all BMA structures. The value of the example is different: it illustrates how quickly discussions can conflate contractual title, Specialist Register status, consultant appointment eligibility, specialist expertise and autonomous decision-making. These concepts are related, but they are not the same.
Constructive Challenge
Patient clarity matters. Titles should not mislead patients. But clarity should not be achieved by erasing senior SAS doctors from the category of specialist decision-makers. The safer approach is to define the work, define the evidence, define the governance and define the accountability.
Responsible Clinician Language
Responsibility for the overall management of a patient must be clear to patients, colleagues and systems. Responsible-clinician arrangements should be explicitly described, coded and governed, rather than inferred from title alone — particularly where senior SAS doctors run independent clinics, procedural lists, inpatient pathways or subspecialty services.
4. Specialist SAS Route and Portfolio Pathway: Two Legitimate Routes
Many specialty doctors ask whether they should prepare for the Portfolio Pathway or the specialist SAS grade. The answer depends on the doctor's career aim. These are two distinct routes with different purposes — neither is superior to the other.
A Viable Alternative if You Want to Remain SAS
For doctors who want to remain SAS, the specialist route may be more aligned with their career goal than Portfolio Pathway. The choice should be deliberate: decide whether your aim is specialist registration and consultant eligibility and terms/pay scales, or senior SAS practice with defined scope, responsibility, development and recognition.
Can They Overlap?
Yes. A specialist SAS post may provide development and evidence for a future Portfolio Pathway application. A doctor can remain SAS by choice or later pursue the Portfolio Pathway if their career aim changes.
Misunderstanding to Avoid (Portfolio Pathway)
Portfolio Pathway is not the only proof that a doctor is senior or capable. It is one route to specialist registration — not the only route to senior practice.
Misunderstanding to Avoid (Specialist Grade)
Specialist grade is not a shortcut to the Specialist Register or a consultant contract. It is a different career outcome: recognition and responsibility as a senior SAS doctor within a defined role.
5. Career Development for SAS Doctors: What to Focus On
Clinical knowledge alone is rarely enough for progression into senior roles. Specialty doctors preparing for specialist SAS posts should think in terms of evidence, impact, leadership and current scope. A strong application does not simply list years of service — it shows what the doctor does, how safely they do it, what outcomes or improvements they contribute to, how they work with others, and how they respond to complexity and uncertainty.
The Seven Areas to Develop Deliberately
1. Clinical Expertise
Manages relevant presentations, procedures or pathways; handles complexity; recognises limits; makes safe management plans.
Useful evidence: Clinic/list logs, procedure logs, case discussions, outcome data, peer review, guideline work, referrals, audit.
2. Decision-Making and Autonomy
Makes independent decisions within a defined scope; documents reasoning; escalates appropriately; manages uncertainty.
Useful evidence: Job plan, scope agreement, sign-off, governance records, case-based discussions, consultant/peer letters.
3. Patient Safety and Quality
Participates in audit, QI, incident review, mortality/morbidity review and service improvement.
Useful evidence: QI reports, audit cycles, incident learning, action plans, outcomes, presentations, governance minutes.
4. Leadership and Teamworking
Coordinates teams, chairs meetings, supports rotas, leads pathways, mentors others, and contributes to service design.
Useful evidence: Leadership roles, meeting minutes, project plans, feedback, examples of conflict resolution and MDT work.
5. Education and Supervision
Teaches, supervises, assesses, mentors or supports trainees, LEDs, SAS colleagues and the wider MDT.
Useful evidence: Teaching feedback, supervisor training, named educational/clinical supervisor roles, teaching programmes.
6. Professional Values and Communication
Practises with integrity, empathy, cultural awareness and effective communication; uses feedback constructively.
Useful evidence: MSF, patient feedback, compliments/complaints reflection, appraisal reflections, equality/diversity activity.
7. Scholarship, Innovation and Systems Thinking
Uses evidence, research, guidelines, digital tools or service data to improve care.
Useful evidence: Publications, posters, protocol development, research participation, data dashboards, pathway redesign.
Evidence: Quality and Currency Matter
A portfolio should not become a dumping ground. It should tell a coherent story about current capability. For specialist-grade readiness, evidence should be recent where possible, triangulated from more than one source, mapped to the generic capabilities framework and linked to the post-specific scope.
Portfolio discipline: For every item of evidence, ask: What capability does this show? Is it current? Is it specific to my intended scope? Does it show impact or safe judgement? Would a fair panel understand why it matters?
What Not to Rely On
Years alone
Duration of service is important, but it does not prove specialist-level capability without evidence of what was done during that time.
A narrow technical log alone
Procedural numbers help, but senior practice also requires judgement, communication, safety and leadership.
Informal autonomy
If you are already working independently, ensure the scope is documented, governed and reviewed — not just practised informally.
Generic praise
References should describe actual responsibility, decisions, scope, complexity, outcomes and behaviour — not just general commendation.
A consultant comparison
Your evidence should demonstrate readiness for the defined specialist role, not imitate a whole consultant job description unless that is genuinely the role being assessed.
A royal college label used without analysis
Specialty guidance should support standards, not create an unexamined ceiling based on title.
6. Preparing for a Specialist SAS Post: A Practical Pathway
There is no single national training programme for SAS doctors preparing for specialist grade. That means the pathway has to be created deliberately through job planning, appraisal, mentoring, evidence collection, service need and local governance. The lack of a formal training number should not mean the lack of a structured development plan.
Each phase requires parallel action from both the SAS doctor and their manager. The pathway is collaborative, not unilateral.
The Manager's Conversation That Changes Everything
A specialty doctor preparing for specialist grade should not begin with the question, 'Can I be upgraded?' A better opening question is:
What senior clinical work does the service need, and how can I develop, evidence and job-plan the capabilities required to do that work safely within a defined scope?
Suggested Email from SAS Doctor to Clinical Lead
Template
Dear [Clinical Lead/Line Manager],
I am sharing this reading material from the SAS seminar because I would like to have a structured discussion about my career development and current/future scope of practice.
Rather than asking simply whether I can apply for a specialist post, I would like to discuss the service need, the senior responsibilities I already undertake, the evidence that supports my current scope, and the development gaps I should address.
Could we arrange a meeting to review my current job plan, appraisal objectives, evidence portfolio and any potential pathway towards specialist-grade readiness or formally defined autonomous practice?
Best wishes,
[Name]
Dear [Clinical Lead/Line Manager],
I am sharing this reading material from the SAS seminar because I would like to have a structured discussion about my career development and current/future scope of practice.
Rather than asking simply whether I can apply for a specialist post, I would like to discuss the service need, the senior responsibilities I already undertake, the evidence that supports my current scope, and the development gaps I should address.
Could we arrange a meeting to review my current job plan, appraisal objectives, evidence portfolio and any potential pathway towards specialist-grade readiness or formally defined autonomous practice?
Best wishes,
[Name]
7. What Clinical Managers Should Do Differently
For clinical managers, the main task is not to decide whether an SAS doctor is 'like a consultant'. The task is to define the work the service needs, identify the capabilities required, assess whether the doctor has or can develop those capabilities, and then put the right job plan, support and governance around the role.
Start With the Service Need
What does the service need that is not being met sustainably?
This prevents specialist posts from being treated as personal promotions detached from workforce planning.
Which parts of the role require senior autonomous decision-making?
This identifies the true scope rather than relying on a broad or vague title.
What capabilities are key for this role, and which are required but not key?
NHS Employers expects employers to tailor the person specification to the role and distinguish the depth of expertise required.
What evidence would demonstrate safe current practice?
This makes assessment transparent and fair.
What must be escalated, referred or discussed?
Defined escalation is part of safe autonomy; it is not a sign of weakness.
How will the role be reviewed and governed?
Autonomy must remain current through appraisal, outcome review, audit, CPD and job planning.
How will the role be recognised in the job plan, SPA, coding and leadership time?
A role that is not resourced, coded or recorded will remain invisible.
Avoid this error: Do not ask, 'Can this doctor cover the entire specialty like any consultant?' unless that is truly the post being advertised. Ask, 'Can this doctor safely undertake the defined specialist scope that the service needs, with the evidence and governance required for that scope?'
The RCP Job-Planning Shift
Recent RCP job-planning guidance does not treat specialist and associate specialist doctors as an afterthought. It describes the roles that consultant physicians and specialist doctors deliver within the NHS and beyond, and explicitly defines 'specialist doctor' as including specialist-grade doctors under the 2021 SAS reforms and associate specialist doctors. Job planning should recognise the work required, the time required, the professional responsibilities carried and the support needed for safe patient care — not rely on title alone as a proxy for contribution.
Practical consequence: A clinical director or medical manager should be able to job-plan a senior SAS doctor for clearly defined autonomous clinical work, leadership duties, education, governance, research or service development when the evidence and service need support it. The grade determines the contractual framework; the scope and job plan describe the work.
Common Pitfalls in Specialist SAS Role Design
Understanding what goes wrong in specialist SAS role design is as important as knowing what to do right. The following pitfalls are common and each causes real harm to doctors, services and patients.
Consultant-Equivalence Test
Why it causes harm: It imports a different contract and career outcome into a specialist SAS decision.
Better approach: Assess against the specialist-grade framework and role-specific scope.
Whole-Specialty Comparator
Why it causes harm: It may reject excellent candidates who are safe and expert in the actual defined service role.
Better approach: Define required breadth and depth based on service need.
Title-Based Ceiling
Why it causes harm: It treats contractual title as if it were the regulator of all autonomous practice.
Better approach: Use competence, evidence, job plan and governance to define scope.
Informal Autonomy
Why it causes harm: The doctor carries responsibility without recognition, coding, support or governance.
Better approach: Document scope, evidence, escalation, review and job plan.
No SPA or Development Time
Why it causes harm: The doctor is expected to develop and maintain senior capability without protected time.
Better approach: Include SPA, CPD, audit, teaching, leadership and appraisal support.
Conflating SAS and LED Roles
Why it causes harm: It obscures different contracts, permanence, progression and workforce planning functions.
Better approach: Value LEDs while creating substantive SAS posts where the service needs stable senior capability.
Treating Specialist Post as a Reward Only
Why it causes harm: It can detach appointment from patient care and workforce need.
Better approach: Build posts around service need, capability and governance.
No Manager Ownership
Why it causes harm: The doctor is told to produce evidence but is not given opportunities to develop it.
Better approach: Agree shared responsibilities for opportunities, feedback and review.
Uncritical Use of Specialty Guidance
Why it causes harm: Ambiguous college language can unintentionally reinforce hierarchy or bias.
Better approach: Use specialty guidance to define standards, but test wording against GMC, NHS Employers and job-planning principles.
8. Ophthalmology and Moorfields Context
Although the principles in this document apply across specialties, ophthalmology provides a particularly strong context because SAS doctors are a major part of the Hospital Eye Service and often deliver highly specialised clinical activity in outpatient, procedural, surgical, laser, emergency and subspecialty settings.
Scope of Practice is defined, not restricted. For Moorfields and other specialist eye services, experienced SAS doctors provide continuity, specialist clinical expertise, procedural capacity, training, supervision, governance and service development.
Why does this matter in eye services? In high-volume services, the workforce question is not simply 'How many consultants do we need?' It is also 'Which experienced doctors can safely deliver which defined parts of the pathway, with what evidence, job plan, support and governance?'
Ophthalmology Examples of Defined Scope
The practical question for SAS doctors and clinical managers is therefore not simply: What is the doctor's title? A better question is: What work does the service need this doctor to do, what evidence demonstrates that they can do it safely, what governance is required, and how should that scope be formally recognised in the job plan, job description and appraisal process?
Appendices: Practical Tools
Appendix A. Specialist SAS Readiness Self-Assessment
Use this grid before meeting your line manager. Keep each entry brief but evidence-based. The aim is to identify what is already strong, what needs formal recognition, and what needs further development.
Appendix B. Scope of Practice Definition Template
This is the key practical tool. It can be used for a whole post, a specialist clinic, a procedure list, an inpatient responsibility, a leadership role or a service pathway.
1
Clinical/Service Area
Which specialty, subspecialty, pathway, clinic, ward, procedure, MDT or leadership function is included?
2
Patient Group or Case Mix
Which patients are included? What complexity is expected? What is excluded?
3
Independent Decisions
What decisions can the doctor make without prior discussion? Include diagnosis, treatment, discharge, referral, prescribing, procedures, follow-up and escalation.
4
Limits of Scope
What must be discussed, referred, escalated or excluded? Specify red flags, complexity thresholds, procedural exclusions and governance triggers.
5
Evidence of Competence
Which evidence supports current capability? Include logbooks, outcomes, peer review, audit, appraisal, MSF, patient feedback, teaching, leadership and references.
6
Supervision, Peer Support and Escalation
Who provides peer support? Who is contacted for escalation? Is supervision direct, indirect, remote, prospective or retrospective?
7
Accountability and Responsible Clinician Arrangements
Who is the responsible consultant/clinician where relevant? When is the SAS doctor named? How is accountability documented and communicated to patients and colleagues?
8
Governance and Review
What audit, outcome review, incident review, morbidity/mortality review or quality metrics will be used? How often is scope reviewed?
9
Job Plan and SPA
Which PAs, SPA time, leadership time, teaching, QI, research and CPD are needed to sustain the role?
Appendix C. 30-60-90 Day Plan for Specialty Doctors Preparing for Specialist Grade
Appendix D. Questions for a Joint SAS Doctor–Manager Meeting
Current Work
Which duties am I already carrying out at senior level? Which are formal, informal, unrecognised or not job-planned?
Service Need
Where does the service need senior autonomous clinical care, continuity, leadership, supervision or pathway redesign?
Scope
What exactly should be included and excluded from my current or proposed scope?
Evidence
Which evidence would convince a fair panel or manager that this scope is safe and current?
Governance
How will outcomes, complications, feedback, incidents and learning be reviewed?
Support
What mentoring, supervision, peer review, SPA, CPD and study leave are needed?
Recognition
How will this be reflected in job plan, coding, appraisal, leadership objectives and workforce plans?
Next Step
Is the next step a development plan, formal autonomous working agreement, job-plan change, specialist post proposal or Portfolio Pathway support?
The NHS cannot afford to waste experienced doctors because of imprecise language or title-based assumptions. SAS doctors who want to remain SAS should have a credible senior career route. Clinical managers should have a clear framework for recognising, developing and governing that senior contribution. The specialist grade gives the system an opportunity to do this properly.
Define the scope, evidence the competence, support the development, govern the work, and recognise the contribution.
Scope of Practice is defined, not restricted.
Sources and Further Reading
The sources below informed this reading material. They are included so delegates can check the underlying official guidance and use the same language in local discussions. Contextual sources are identified separately so readers do not mistake them for guidance to follow.
Prepared by Dr Naeem Aziz DGM FRCP — SAS Lead and Council Member, Royal College of Physicians. Associate Specialist | Clinical Director, Community/Care of the Elderly Directorate | Corporate Lead for SAS and Locally Employed Doctors / SAS Advocate, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Clinical Director | Strategic Lead for Medical Workforce Planning, Governance and Clinical Services, Powys Teaching Health Board.
This document is intended as educational pre-reading for SAS doctors, clinical leads, line managers, medical staffing teams, SAS advocates and SAS tutors. It is not legal advice. Local employment terms, national contracts, country-specific arrangements, clinical governance policies and medical director approval processes remain essential.
This document is intended as educational pre-reading for SAS doctors, clinical leads, line managers, medical staffing teams, SAS advocates and SAS tutors. It is not legal advice. Local employment terms, national contracts, country-specific arrangements, clinical governance policies and medical director approval processes remain essential.