Professional reference

Understand the source behind the guidance

Check what applies to your circumstances, what kind of authority it carries and what we have actually reviewed.

Different sources answer different questions

Requirements and recommendations

A regulatory source, an applicable contract and professional-body recommendations serve different purposes. A recommendation is not automatically a contractual entitlement. Check nation, grade, document version and local arrangements.

Our explanation and your next steps

Our handbooks and web guides offer independent interpretation and practical suggestions. They do not replace original guidance or determine individual eligibility. Library cataloguing is not endorsement by the library’s organisation.

This initial public register covers the new Specialist-progression, job-planning and evidence starting points. It is not a claim that every source on the website has been rechecked.

General Medical Council

GMC: the Specialist Register ↗

Applicability: UK; foundation trust exception stated

Review scope: What is the Specialist Register? and More about the Specialist Register

Specified content checked

Check or attempted check: 2026-10-26
Next planned review: 2027-01-26
Source publication date: Not recorded; check the publisher’s current version

The GMC states that Specialist Register entry is not a legal requirement for the listed consultant appointments in foundation trusts. That exception does not establish a doctor’s capability or guarantee appointment.

Royal College of Physicians

RCP: Writing SAS doctor job descriptions ↗

Applicability: Professional guidance; apply the relevant national contract

Review scope: Sections 1.2, 2.3, 2.8, 2.10, 2.11 and 3

Specified content checked

Check or attempted check: 2026-10-26
Next planned review: 2027-01-26
Source publication date: 2026-08

The PDF states Version 1.0, created August 2026. Read its consultant-registration wording alongside the GMC source above, which expressly recognises the foundation trust exception. This professional guidance should not be treated as a universal contract.

www.nhsemployers.org

NHS Employers: SAS 2021 terms, model contracts and resources ↗

Applicability: England

Review scope: SAS 2021 terms and resources index

Current content not verified

Check or attempted check: 2026-10-26
Next planned review: 2026-11-02
Source publication date: Not recorded; check the publisher’s current version

Current content could not be verified in our review. This does not establish that the link is broken for visitors. Open the publisher’s source and confirm the relevant version before acting.

What a check does—and does not—mean

“Specified content checked” refers to the stated passages, not every claim in a document. “Link checked only” establishes reachability, not accuracy. Review dates are our editorial dates, not the source’s publication or effective date. A source may change before its next planned review.

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