AACs for RCR Representatives I AACs for Medical Staffing Departments I AAC FAQs
Advisory Appointments Committees (AACs) are interview panels to appoint Consultants, Specialty Doctors and Associate Specialists to NHS Trusts.
There is a statutory requirement for a representative from the RCR to sit on each AAC panel in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; to ensure that the candidates have completed the correct training and are eligible for appointment (i.e. within 6 months of their CCT date, or already in a substantive post). This includes posts with a 50:50 Academic / Clinical split, where the Consultant title may be Honorary. This requirement does not apply to Foundation Trusts although they may adhere to it when appointing a consultant post if they so choose.
Full details can be found in The National Health Service (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations, Good Practice Guidance, January 2005 (PDF).
The 2005 Concordat between Medical Royal Colleges and the Foundation Trust Network (PDF) establishes good reasons for continued College involvement in Consultant recruitment processes.