The schemes are intended to reward consultants who deliver a national impact over and above the expectations of their paid roles, thus showing commitment to the NHS.
The administration of the scheme nationally is in the hands of the Advisory Committee on Clinical Impact Awards.
There is a small DHSC Secretariat with the governance of the scheme overseen by a Chair and national Medical Director, both of whom are Public Ministerial Appointees.
Between 2018 and 2024 during the reforms of the scheme the Chair was Dr Stuart Dollow and since 2020 the Medical Director has been Professor Kevin Davies.
New points are now time limited for between one and three years, the award will not be pensionable and will paid annually by lump sum.
The evidence is assessed in five areas: The nature of the scheme is balanced across evidence domains to give equal opportunities to reward academic and non academic clinicians being benchmarked against the expectations of their paid job plan.
The earlier scheme of distinction awards was established at the foundation of the NHS in 1948 as part of Aneurin Bevan's efforts to win support from doctors by "stuffing their mouths with gold".
Awards were made on the advice of the Advisory Committee on Distinction, a predominantly professional body traditionally headed by a distinguished doctor.
In 2019 the Care Quality Commission suggested that awards should be withheld from doctors at trusts in special measures.