According to a BBC report, large pay bonuses cannot be taken away from doctors, even if their performance deteriorates, because of a loophole in the system.
It means more than half of the 36,000 consultants in England now get what are effectively lifetime awards on top of the average £89,400 basic pay.
The scheme, which is under review, is worth more than £75,000 a year to the best-performing consultants.
Responding to the news, Bill McMillan, head of medical pay and workforce at NHS Employers, said: "We fully support the forthcoming review.
"NHS organisations have told us that the system is inflexible and a review is needed to ensure it is consistent with pay and reward in today’s NHS. They would like a system that is more focused on business needs and provides employers with the flexibility to reward consultants in a way that is integrated into local systems and requirements rather than being forced to spend money on a system over which they have little control.
"We will be consulting with organisations about the fairness, efficacy and affordability of the current arrangements and will submit our evidence to the independent Doctors’ and Dentists’ Review body, which is due to report next summer."
