NHS consultants enter talks over working weekends One of the most vexed questions will be pay, with NHS Employers wishing to keep costs down, after the current contract, introduced in 2003, saw consultatns receive pay rises of up to 28 per cent, despite declining productivity. The average hospital consultant now earns around £120,000, including bonuses which 60 per cent are paid. Last month, the Public Accounts Committee said the deal had allowed doctors to refuse to work during evenings and weekends, prompting trusts to pay up to £200 an hour in overtime payments or to rely on locums. Dr Paul Flynn, chair of the BMA's UK consultants" committee, said: "Never has it been more important that consultants are empowered to drive forward quality in the NHS. We will be considering whether changes to the consultant contract can help this while ensuring that a consultant career is an attractive and rewarding choice. The first NHS dental surgery located inside a supermarket has opened at Tesco in Bedford. Senior managers behind the move, which offers check-ups and emergency care seven days a week, said they were working closely with the retailer and hope to open practices in more of their stores.