Objective To examine the strength of hospital consultants' preferences for various aspects of their work.

This study has attempted to incorporate spouse's occupation/income as a factor in the career choices of GPs in Scotland.

In 2003, a majority of consultants in the UK voted in favour of the new consultant contract. This will improve consultant pay and introduce a standard 40-hour working week, including worked on-call. This should address tow of the main areas of consultant dissatisfaction in NHS Scotland. However, staff shortages will require to be addressed if the contract is to be successfully implemented.

This was the first time a study of all non-principals in Scotland had been attempted. The findings provide a more comprehensive picture of GPs in Scotland and provide valuable information for policymakers.