Trends in consultant clinical activity and the effect of the 2003 contract change: retrospective analysis of secondary data.

OBJECTIVES

To explore trends in the clinical activity of hospital specialists in English National Health Service (NHS) hospitals, and test the effect of contract reform.

DESIGN

Retrospective secondary analysis of hospital episode statistics, describing trends and testing for a contract effect using multilevel interrupted time series analysis.

SETTING

Ten surgical and medical specialties in English NHS hospitals from 1999 to 2009. Participants Hospital consultants on full time or maximum part-time English NHS hospitals.

INTERVENTION

A new contract offered to NHS consultants in October 2003, with higher pay alongside job planning and appraisal.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Inpatient finished consultant episodes (FCEs) per consultant per month, with and without accounting for case-mix differences.

RESULTS

In most specialties there was a statistically significant downward trend in FCEs per consultant per month. On average in the surgical specialties, FCEs reduced by 0.14 per month (95% CI -0.16 to -0.11) and in medicine there was a smaller reduction of 0.08 FCEs per month (95% CI -0.1 to -0.06). NHS patients symptoms have increased in severity over time, and the downward trend is reduced after case-mix-adjustment, and reversed in general and geriatric medicine. The effect of the contract on clinical activity was minimal. In five specialties there was no statistically significant effect, but in five specialties there was a statistically significant negative effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Consultant clinical activity, as measured by FCEs per month, has shown a general downward trend from 1999 to 2009. The consultant contract was not associated with an increase in consultant clinical activity rates.