merit award

merit award

A monetary award that may be given to a hospital consultant (specialist) for outstanding professional services “above and beyond the call of duty”, based on nominations from consultant peers who vote on the recipient’s contribution to the service, hospital or university, if appropriate.
Merit awards come in three levels: gold, silver and bronze; monetary amounts increase from bronze to gold. Because the award is discretionary, a consultant may never receive a merit award. In contrast, the GP equivalent—seniority allowance—is non-discretionary entitlement, which increased the longer the GP is in the NHS.