Statement from Worthing Consultants

From Mmc

Subject: Mtas , full medical directorate view of latest mtas statement Worthing Hospital

Postgraduate Medical Education Please reply to: Postgraduate Medical Centre

Director: Dr. Gordon Caldwell, FRCP Park Avenue

Associate Tutor: Dr. Anil Garg, FRCPCH Worthing, West Sussex

Rcp tutor Dr kate Steele BN11 2HR

Tel: 01903 285126

Fax: 01903 285125

5/4/2007

Sirs, Following the most recent proposals in response to the Mtas failure we as a body would like to air our grave concerns about the proposals of a single interview for trainees. The national selection process has failed. Even in its conception it had serious flaws. It has left candidates applying for jobs within vast areas, seen especially with geographically large deaneries. The knock on effect of this on spouses, partners and families was always likely to be huge. Candidates were left with the quandary of career path over locality. With the proposal of a single interview, candidates are now supposed to nominate their first choice, this can either be where they most wish to be or were they think they are most likely to get a run- through post. We have to remember that it is only the run-through trainees (RTG) that will have career progression. The quoted numbers of training posts used by the government and the deaneries includes all the fixed term training jobs (FTSTA) and these trainees will not have equal access to sub-speciality training and therefore full career opportunity within the hospital specialities.

A single interview is not an adequate response. What this means is that there is a single shot at being able to enter a hospital speciality. The outcome of this is that career decisions are made too early; many people will be forced into jobs that they have little interest in and this will be seen in the quality of care that is provided. We need able, motivated, interested and well-trained individuals that care about their speciality. The current system is in danger if delivering disillusioned, compromised and demotivated doctors with a large proportion of them having no chance of career progression.

These issues appear most acute within the medical sub-specialities and in view of the failure of the selection process it is now paramount that we rethink the proposed division of run-through (year 1 and 2) and FTSTA posts. How can we attempt to stream our juniors when basic selection has been such an abject failure? What we need now is a practical workable solution that can be validated. The medical directorate within this organisation consider that a workable solution is to set up and run two year core programmes with no disparity between the RTG and FTSTA posts. During these programmes trainees will gain core competencies.

Selection into sub-speciality will be open to all who have gained core training. As yet we do not know that core training is able to deliver directly trainees experienced enough to take up sub-speciality training posts within the medical specialities within this time frame. The disaggregation of these core and higher training levels means that we have time to validate the core training programs properly. Trainees will also have the opportunity to gain extra experience (if required by the speciality committees) that may not be afforded them within the two-year training. Bearing in mind that trainees will have little or no choice about which programme they are assigned to in the current system.

We need to start treating our trainees as the adult professional people that they are. They deserve to be treated fairly and we need to provide a validated system of training that provides quality doctors for the future.

We propose 1-the selection process is returned to the locality. 2- Setting up and validation of 2 year core training programmes separate from the higher sub-speciality training programmes. 3-Higher sub-speciality training is left open for competitive entry by all those who have completed core training. 4-This process is validated, including assessment, competencies and programmes before future changes are made.

Yours sincerely

Dr Kate Steele, RCP tutor, foundation lead, consultant physician

Dr Loi Forni, consultant renal and ITU physician

Dr Jo Congleton, consultant chest physician, STC chair

Dr Kathy Webb-Peploe, consultant cardiologist

Dr Barry Kneale, consultant cardiologist and directorate lead

Dr Nick Adams, consultant physician

Dr Nick Pegge , consultant cardiologist

Dr Mark Signy, consultant cardiologist

Dr Patrick Carr, consultant renal and ITU physician, STC chair

Dr Aisling O’driscoll, consultant haematologist

Dr John Bull, consultant gastroenterologist

Dr Atul Sinha, consultant gastroenterologist

Dr Andy Li, consultant gastroenterologist

Dr Kerry Thompson, consultant gastroenterologist

Dr Leoni Grellier, consultant gastroenterologist Dr Colin Rist, consultant haematologist

Dr Hugh O’Neal Consultant geriatrician

Dr David Hunt Consultant geriatrician

Dr Ai-Lyn Yeo Consultant geriatrician

Dr Roger Tozer Consultant geriatrician

Dr Suzanne Brady A+E consultant