Doctors' online system scrapped

From Mmc

Doctors' online system scrapped

Last Modified: 15 May 2007 By: James Blake

The Department of Health is scrapping its controversial online application process for junior doctors.

The application process, MTAS (the Medical Training Application Service), will now only be used for monitoring, and not matching candidates to posts.

MTAS was taken off-line after Channel 4 News revealed that security breaches had made applicants' personal details openly available on the internet.

Today the government announced that a security review of the system has been handed to the police as criminal offences may have been committed.

From the outset, junior doctors claimed the MTAS system was unfair.

Then Channel 4 News exposed security breaches, and consultants began boycotting the interview process.

Now, this morning, a department of health statement said that the MTAS system will not be used for matching candidates to training posts.

Given the continuing concerns of junior doctors about MTAS, the system will not be used for matching candidates to training posts, but will continue to be used for national monitoring.' Department of Health statement

This apparent U-turn comes after Channel 4 News revealed hospitals have drawn up contingency plans to deal with the application chaos.

And some consultants have had to cancel operations and surgeries.

This morning the Health Secretary dismissed allegations that patient care was being affected. But time is running out for her to get things sorted.

MTAS confusion

There are 23,000 junior doctor vacancies .Thanks to the confusion, there need to be over 15,000 extra interviews for positions which must be filled by the first of August.After that, MTAS will be shelved, and local deaneries will be able to offer additional posts. The department has now completed its investigation into the security breaches of the MTAS website. It claims criminal offences may have been committed, and has passed evidence to the police. As a result, MTAS now appears to have been abandoned. But the government is not clear exactly what system will take its place.