Professor Frank Murray:

You are absolutely correct in identifying that there are several steps in the recruitment process for consultants. The first is that the hospital has to identify a need, either for a new post or for replacement of somebody who has retired or is coming up to retirement. If it is within the acute hospitals, it has to go to the acute hospitals to get approval for funding. That is step one. That has nothing to do with NDTP. NDTP only has a role in running the CAAC committee in respect of actual recruitment and retention. It does have a role in workforce planning but that would not have anything to do with this process at all. Once it is funded, it comes before the committee which looks at several main things, including how the application fits in with the national strategy for a particular specialty. There is a comment from the specialty lead, for instance Philip Dodd in respect of mental health posts. The committee also considers how the post is structured, whether it is feasible and workable and whether the resources are there. That would be the second issue. They are the real things that are considered at the consultants appointment committee.