More Confusion For International Doctors, Says BMA, UK

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 07 Feb 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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The Home Office announced new immigration rules which will prohibit doctors on the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) from taking training posts in the UK.

The Department of Health has said the rules will not impact on recruitment until 2009, and that doctors who currently have HSMP status will be able to apply for training posts this year.

However if the Department of Health successfully appeals against a High Court judgment, doctors who already have HSMP status could be prevented from applying for training jobs in the recruitment round that starts on 1st June this year.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr Hamish Meldrum, Chairman of Council at the BMA, says:

"This is a confusing move, which seems to achieve little apart from adding to the uncertainty for overseas doctors in the NHS. It's hard to see what the government is trying to do, other than shifting the blame for its own failures of workforce planning onto international medical graduates.

"Taxpayers have made a major investment in the careers of UK doctors, and it makes sense to manage the numbers of international doctors coming to work in the NHS in future. Our concern is that the overseas colleagues already working in the UK are being both scapegoated and sent confusing messages. At a time when they need clarity, it's being made very unclear to them what jobs they can apply to and when.

"The BMA will be seeking urgent clarification from the government and will continue to work to ensure that overseas doctors who are already entitled to work and train in the UK are treated fairly."

http://www.bma.org.uk