Open letter on medical training 16 March 07

From Mmc

Open letter on medical training

16/03/2007

An open letter issued on behalf of the chief medical officer and colleagues:

As senior clinicians with responsibility for the safe and effective training of junior doctors in Scotland we recognise and acknowledge the valuable contribution of all doctors who work in NHSScotland. Consequently the concerns expressed about the implementation of Modernising Medical Careers and the new Medical Training Application Service are being taken very seriously by us all.

We welcome the recently announced review of MMC selection and recruitment. We look forward to contributing fully to the review, working in partnership with the UK Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and UK Health Departments in order to ensure that we identify and implement best practice in the future, helping to ensure that its recommendations are fair to all doctors involved.

Throughout the development of MMC, Scotland has maintained a flexible approach to implementation. This flexibility has allowed the delivery of MMC in Scotland to remain largely on track, thanks to the hard work and commitment of all those involved, and the pragmatic working relationships that have developed between Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland, BMA Scotland, NHS Education Scotland, NHS Boards and the Health Department in order to manage the process.

NHSScotland is clear about its responsibility to support its doctors, and the career advice and help that NHS Education Scotland is offering to junior doctors not short-listed for round one is an example of this commitment. BMA Scotland believes that the fairest way to deal with concerns about shortlisting is to interview all those who applied to Scotland in the first round but were not shortlisted. This solution is being considered most seriously, however, we await the recommendation of the review group on shortlisting candidates. If those recommendations do not meet Scotland's needs we will have no hesitation in proceeding to implement such a solution if it proves to be the fairest outcome for all junior doctors who have applied to Scotland.

In advance of tomorrow's planned march in Glasgow we would like to reassure junior doctors in Scotland that many of the concerns being raised by them have already been dealt with and, as new issues surface, we will continue to work to ensure that solutions are found. The previous appointments process for junior doctors was far from perfect and MMC presents us with an opportunity to improve training, make the appointments process fairer and provide a better standard of care for patients in Scotland.

MR JOHN ORR President, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

PROFESSOR NEIL DOUGLAS President, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

DR BRIAN WILLIAMS President, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow

DR MAIRI SCOTT Chairman, RCGP Scotland

DR PETER TERRY Chairman, BMA Scotland

DR HARRY BURNS Chief Medical Officer for Scotland

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