Our Trust recognises the essential contributions of our Specialty, Associate Specialist, and Specialist (SAS) doctors in delivering outstanding care to our patients and communities. As part of our commitment to valuing and supporting SAS doctors, we are proud to share our pledge aligned with the SASsix principles developed by the SAS Collective, a group of passionate SAS doctors dedicated to advocating for Specialty and Specialist doctors in the NHS.

Our pledge outlines key areas of development, including equitable access to professional and leadership opportunities, educational support, and career progression pathways. We are already making strides in these areas and will continue to build on this work with transparency and collaboration.

The #SASsix

The SAS Collective has identified six essential improvements that aim to enhance career development, job security, and professional satisfaction for SAS doctors:

  1. Every early career SAS doctor should have access to an educational supervisor.
  2. All LE doctors employed for more than two years should be offered a SAS contract.
  3. Senior SAS doctors should be offered the opportunity to be educators at every level.
  4. All SAS doctors should have equity of access to professional development opportunities.
  5. All extended roles in leadership and management should be open to SAS doctors.
  6. All Specialty Doctors who meet the specifications should have the opportunity to become Specialists.

Our SASsix Pledge:

We are committed to ensuring that SAS doctors are valued, supported, and provided with opportunities to thrive in their careers.

In alignment with the SASsix principles, we pledge to:

  • Work towards ensuring that every early-career SAS doctor has access to an educational supervisor to support their development.
  • Promote equity in access to professional development opportunities, tailored to the stage of career of each SAS doctor.
  • Create pathways for specialty doctors who meet the required capabilities to achieve specialist status.
  • Enable senior SAS doctors to take on educator roles at all levels, equitably alongside consultants, including opportunities as educational supervisors, clinical supervisors, and directors of medical education.
  • Open leadership and management roles to all substantive medical staff, ensuring that both consultants and suitably experienced SAS doctors are considered.
  • Ensure that all SAS doctors have equitable access to leadership development opportunities, while encouraging and supporting them to showcase their leadership skills across our clinical teams.
  • Support locally employed doctors (LEDs) who have been with the Trust for over two years to transition to the appropriate SAS contract, where eligible.

This pledge reflects our ongoing efforts and dedication to creating an environment where SAS doctors are recognised and empowered to reach their full potential. We understand that achieving these ideals requires time, resources, and collaboration. While we are already making progress on several of these areas, we will continue to build on this work with transparency and determination.