A parliamentary event – the importance of friends and allies

22nd May 2025

Members of the SAS Collective would like to extend our heartiest thanks to Peter Prinsley, MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, and to the Association of Anaesthetists, for inviting us to their parliamentary event at Portcullis house yesterday. This event was focussed around the contribution SAS doctors make to the NHS, and we were invited to talk a little about the SAS six, and why we think our campaign would improve the viability of careers like ours.

 

This should be the best time in
history to be a SAS doctor
 

As Rob Fleming, one of our number, said at the meeting, this should be the best time in history to be a SAS doctor. The most recent SAS contract reform restored a senior role to progress to, with the creation of the Specialist contract. This should be a reasonable goal in any SAS career. Changes to CESR, now replaced by the “portfolio pathway”, have removed some of the needless logistical hurdles for entry to the specialist register. This should allow more doctors to become consultants if THIS is their goal. Countless documents and strategies exist, written by colleges, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, associations and trade unions, describing the importance of SAS doctors being able to reach their potential. As Rob reflected, borrowing some words from some of these documents as he did so, it should be both viable AND attractive to choose a SAS career.

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Many doctors are unable to
access even the appropriate
contract for their work

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However, we also know that many doctors are unable to access even the appropriate contract for their work, never mind loftier goals such as professional development, or reaching their rightful positions as leaders or educators. By focussing on these issues, trying to make them front and centre of the conversation, we believe our campaign is a step towards addressing this.

It was lovely to spend some time in the company of so many friends and allies yesterday. This included folks from the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Association of Anaesthetists, the Intensive Care Society, Medical Protection, the HSCA, and others. Several of the Trusts  who have started to enact the SAS six were also represented at the event, which was great to see.
 

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 We don’t all have to agree
as long as we are all trying
to make the world a better place 

Beforehand, we enjoyed a spot of lunch together, and afterwards we wandered around Westminster in the sunshine. Thanks again to all of the organisers of yesterday’s event, and to our friends and allies. We couldn’t do any of this without you. To the folks we haven’t convinced yet, that’s okay, we like you too. We don’t all have to agree as long as we are all trying to make the world a better place.

The SAS Collective