Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to incentivise surgeons to work in areas with high waiting lists for elective procedures.

Within the terms and conditions of employment for consultants in England, there is the facility for employers to apply a local recruitment premium in addition to the base salary, time-limited for a maximum of four years. This can be used in circumstances where there is evidence of difficulties in recruiting which cannot be remedied through a non-pay solution.

The value of the premium is determined by the employer but should not typically exceed 30% of the normal starting salary for a consultant post.

As set out in the Plan for Change, we will ensure a return to 92% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment by March 2029, a standard which has not been met consistently since September 2015. The Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the productivity and reform efforts needed to return to the constitutional standard, including a focus on reforming delivery by working more productively, consistently, and in many cases differently, to deliver more elective care.