Report On Training Is Damning Indictment Of Government, British Medical Association Says, UK

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Article Date: 08 May 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Today's (Thursday 8 May, 2008) Health Select Committee report on reforms to UK medical training is a damning indictment of the government's failure to listen to doctors, the BMA says.

The report criticises the government for pressing ahead with the disastrous implementation of Modernising Medical Careers and ignoring the BMA's repeated calls for a delay from as far back as June 2006. It describes the Department of Health's leadership as "totally inadequate" and its implementation of the changes as "inept".

Dr Hamish Meldrum, Chairman of the BMA, says:

"This is a damning indictment of the government's failure to listen. The medical profession's concerns were repeatedly and arrogantly disregarded, and thousands of junior doctors paid the price.

"We will be studying the report's recommendations in detail and making further comments in due course. However, we completely endorse the basic analysis that there was a massive systems failure and a complete lack of clear and effective leadership within the Department of Health.

"It is crucial that this disaster is never repeated. This year's recruitment process will, in some ways, be even more challenging than last year's, with severe competition in some specialities and problems filling posts in others.

"The report supports the BMA's view that medical training needs to be more flexible, and that 'one-size-fits-all solutions' will not work. We would endorse the recommendation for an increase in numbers of academic training and consultant posts.

"We agree that Staff and Associate Specialist doctors have been very badly treated through a combination of the unacceptable delays in the implementation of their contract, and a failure to carry out the substantial reform of the grade as outlined in Choice and Opportunity. This must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

"However, we disagree with the Health Select Committee's opposition to a new independent body to oversee medical training. This is crucial to ensure that future reforms are not hijacked by a political agenda, that the money for medical education is properly protected, and that the dreadful mistakes of MMC are not repeated."

British Medical Association