To ask what a consultant surgeon typically earns in the UK?

[Pottedpalm]

Just that really;there are published pay scales but I don’t know how much ‘overtime’ is typical.
Also, if a consultant sets up
in private practice in addition to nhs work, is the sky the limit?

Most of the consultants at my NHS hospital have stopped doing overtime because of a change to their pensions a year or so ago. I can't explain it because I can't remember, but one of the surgeons did explain it to me ages ago: he basically said isn't worth their while to do NHS overtime because of the effect on their tax/pension contributions or something.

As a result, most of them have stopped doing extra lists at the weekends, and waiting times have gone up.

www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/24/nhs-consultants-turning-down-work-avoid-huge-pension-tax-bills

Ah, it's longer than a year ago, 2016! I remember a couple of the consultants I work with told me they had received a tax bill which was more than my yearly salary! So no more overtime for them.

They don’t really do overtime. Most where I work will have private clinics, that’s where the really increase earnings as although nhs is a good wage it’s not massive.

are you the loon who posted the other day about the ‘rich’ surgeon who she decided she may use to father her child even though he sounded like a knob?

The boundary where they lose most of their annual pension allowance has since gone up to 200k due to this.

Agree re PP. most of the surgeons I’ve worked with earn between 110k and 150k pro rata. Don’t get paid overtime generally speaking but May pick up a couple of Waiting list initiatives at around £500 a go (pre deductions) for a half days work. but many stopped doing this due to the pension issue. Indeed many reduced their activities to counter this.

their pay is based on the number of Programmed Activities (PA) they do, many places insist that 10 is bare minimum you have to do before being “allowed” to also do private work for those that do nhs and private. Most people I know do between 11 and 14 PAs a week as full time consultants and some will do 2-3 sessions private (one clinic, one theatre list and admin time a week).

but yes private work can hike their income up depending where they are in the country, but again it’s all taxed so not as much as initially seems.

they also have a lot of membership and insurance fees to pay too, like nurses and other AHPs do (which I think is scandalous but hey ho)

(this info might be old as I haven’t worked with surgeons in a few years and now work with the medical consultants)

why do you ask though?

why do you ask though?

Right? Agreed - good question - but will we ever hear the answer

I have a friend who is a consultant surgeon, she says the pay is not what people expect. They've got strict rules on hours, if she was to do private she then has to pay for office space at the private hospital, pay for a medical secretary, pay for any nursing help etc. She told me she's on about £65 with the NHS because of their pay structure.

Published pay scales and OT is not paid on top of that. Extra sessions can be done for extra pay, but unless they're desperate to fill the sessions, this is not at an enhanced rate.

Private practice isn't as lucrative as it sounds either, dependant on the clinic/hospital to you use, many still require clinical staff to pay for admin/nursing/anaesthetic staff from their fee. Many have packages for this, not all.

Then there's tax.

No!
I’m well past child bearing age, thanks!

Why does it matter?

The one who keeps trying to move home/be pregnant/get her DP to work part-time/commute but only on set days. He's also a hosp doc and who is career focussed? That one again ?

Mostly £100-£150k a year for a full time role. But some will work part time for NHS and then have a private practice too, so will earn less than that as it would be pro rata'd.

This will give you an idea of Doctor pay scales. www.bmj.com/careers/article/the-complete-guide-to-nhs-pay-for-doctors

Not everyone is inclined to do private work - after all you are basically doing it on your day off.
To be a high earner on private work you have to: 1. be in a specialty that has a lot of private work, 2. have a serious reputation to draw in the clients.

So to give examples, I remember watching an episode of surgeons at the edge of life where a transplant surgeon said it's hard to recruit transplant surgeons as the hours are dreadful and there's no private market.

Alternatively DH spent an inheritance on having eye surgery with the clinical director at Moorfields Hospital when the NHS were leaving him to go blind. There was a full set up for private clients in the hospital as it clearly earned the hospital a lot of money, the surgeon was brilliant but no way would I have wanted his life as he seemed to work 24/7 with no time off. Actually in his rare time off, he ran marathons to raise money for Moorfields. Not many people are that single minded.

I've always felt there is no amount of money in the world that would compensate for a patient having my mobile number.

Thank you; what does a Programmed Activity involve? A clinic/surgery? Or is it time related, say a half day?
I have seen several consultants recently, some privately, and know a few socially. They live affluent lifestyles with children in private education, etc. and partners who do not work
outside the home.

NHS scale band 9, so 110k upwards, add on private clinics as and when, which won't be that many a month as they've little time.

@AnnaMagnani
why would a patient have your mobile number? Appointments are made online or through the hospital and there is a secretary for any other communication.

Nope. You must have a lot of time on your hands to scroll through threads..

Again!!

I was a rota manager for NHS and most are in £100-£130k. They can also make a fortune by leaving and going locum, I had some on equivalent of £250k by doing this.

Seriously I've seen a lot of patients with their private doctor's mobile.

No way. Never. Just no.

114 k for full time40 hours per week
no overtime is tally paid, and I reckon all do unpaid overtime
some do private work but that’s on top of a full time job. Lots people would not want to deal with such workload. It’s not as much as you might think.
most I know are not living particularly affluent lifestyles and just basic maths- taking tax into account- should clarify that they generally cannot afford private school, stay at home spouse, large mortgage

Depends on the specialty @Pottedpalm
Eg my friend had her ob's mobile number. Private drs may have long standing clients who call directly too, all at a price of course. Unusual but not infeasible I would suggest work calls are - if this is regarding "work calls" on a mobile being a cover for an affair I would think quite possibly

That is terrible if true.

Even £110k sounds low for a surgeon!

It matters @Pottedpalm because your tone is unusually combative and defensive for someone who is asking about this.

I mean you’ve just stated:

”what does a Programmed Activity involve? A clinic/surgery? Or is it time related, say a half day?
” I have seen several consultants recently, some privately, and know a few socially. They live affluent lifestyles with children in private education, etc. and partners who do not work outside the home.”

Why are we talking about their lifestyles and their partners not working?

has a consultant surgeon overcharged you? Are you trying to find out what they earn to see if it’s worth sueing? Or dating? Or you have a frenemy and you’re rubbernecking? thinking of retraining in your later years? 😃

Seriously though, without context this thread is just very weird and specific, and it is a bit snippy when you refuse, unlike other OPs, to give context as to why.