Angry doctors may go overseas
From Mmc
Angry doctors may go overseas
By Janet Boyle
Health authorities from the Commonwealth are poised to swoop on Scots junior doctors following fears of a shortage of training jobs in the UK. More than 300 Scots doctors and their families demonstrated in Glasgow yesterday over the reforms in medical training. Hundreds also demonstrated in London. And they demanded Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt tackle concerns over the new system, or resign.
UK-wide problem Dr Graeme Eunson, the chairman of the British Medical Association Scotland's junior doctors committee, said, " This is a UK-wide process and it is a UK-wide problem. Ultimately the responsibility for sorting it out lies with Patricia Hewitt. If she can't fix it she should do the decent thing and resign."
The Glasgow doctors had rallied to protest that many have not been offered interviews for jobs under the new system. And they claim the online applications gave many little chance to demonstrate their experience or skills. Now hundreds of juniors are being e-mailed, some daily, by Australian, New Zealand and Canadian health services as well as job agencies in an attempt to woo them overseas. They've timed their recruiting drive in the hope of signing up doctors disillusioned with the training crisis. Among the demonstrators at George Square was John McDonald (58), a former steelworker from Motherwell. He said, "My sister and her husband went without holidays for years to put my nephew through medicine at Dundee University. He has one interview and will have to move to Australia if he's not offered work here."
Wants home
Headteacher Catherine Myers, originally from Wishaw but now working in a large London school, is mother to three doctors.Her daughter Gillian (26) is working as an anaesthetist in New Zealand and wants to come home to train to become a consultant.
"She went out to extend her experience by working in a different health system. However, she doesn't know if she will get a job back here now and may have to stay there permanently.@
Dundee University graduate Gavin Taylor (28) is approached daily by Australian hospitals.Gavin, a middle grade doctor in emergency medicine at Queen Margaret's Hospital in Dunfermline, worked previously in Sydney. "I'm seeking a training position at a higher entry level and like so many others I am committed to an NHS career" , he said. "If I do not get a training job in Scotland then I will consider offers from Australia." Up to 30,000 juniors have applied for 22,000 places but some of the most talented have not even been offered interviews because application forms have not allowed them to state valuable experience and skills.
