Contracts and Job Planning for SAS

Contracts

Since 2022, all newly appointed SAS grades in Scotland will be appointed on either the Specialty Doctor / Dentist or Specialist contract,  depending on their role and level of experience. Details of these contracts and the appropriate salary scales are all available at: Specialty Doctors & Specialist Doctors | MSG (scot.nhs.uk).

BMA also has information at their webpage New Scottish SAS contracts (bma.org.uk). 

Progressing to the Specialist grade

The BMA and Management Steering group (NHS employers) have agreed the policy for career Progression / regrading for Specialty Doctor to Specialist grade in Scotland.  Please see Pay and conditions of service 2025-26: Policy for the Career Progression/Regrading of Specialty Doctor/Dentist to Specialist Grade  for details and a link to their application form, as well as the BMA guidance  https://www.bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/contracts/sas-doctor-contract/how-specialty-doctors-and-can-be-regraded-to-specialists-in-nhs-scotland . Please note, this a health board delivered process, and is not administered / delivered by the SAS Development Programme. If you are a BMA member, you can contact BMA for further guidance.

Where SAS Development funding can help: 
Specialty Doctor/Dentists and their line managers should be discussing career development as part of regular appraisals and job planning. These discussions should include consideration of the competencies and skills described in the generic capabilities of the Specialist grade, especially when the experiential elements of the eligibility criteria have been met. As part of ongoing appraisal and PDP, the line manager will, in consultation with the Specialty Doctor/Dentist, help to identify and support opportunities within the Specialty Doctor/Dentist’s existing role for them to develop these competencies and skills where they do not currently meet them. This may include supporting secondment opportunities to develop clinical and other skills where services can support this safely. Consideration should be given to whether the SAS Development Fund Application Process | Scotland Deanery   SAS Development Fund may be a source of support for this development.
Applying for other roles
For those interested in new jobs roles in Scotland, all new vacancies including those working for NES are published on the NHS Scotland national recruitment system, Jobtrain. Click here to view and apply. Please note that this site covers all internal & external NHS Scotland vacancies; using the left hand menu, you can filter the entries to 'Medical & Dental' to see relevant roles. Some generic roles within NES (such as Associate Postgraduate Dean) are available to SAS grades.

 

Job Planning and Contract Resources

Please find below relevant links:

This page was last updated on: 04.12.2025 at 15.28