Jobless doctors 'to be shipped overseas'
From Mmc
Jobless doctors 'to be shipped overseas
By George Jones, Political Editor Last Updated: 2:13am BST 21/04/2007
Up to 10,000 young doctors who are unable to find jobs in the NHS could be offered voluntary work overseas.
According to official documents leaked yesterday, the plan was drawn up by NHS managers following the botched introduction of an online appointments system, which could leave thousands of junior doctors without training places this summer.
The document, Maximising Employment Opportunities, confirmed that there was a 10,000 "excess of applicants for training posts over places".
It said priority would be given to finding places for UK graduates and those from Europe.
Between 500 and 1,300 of those doctors about to finish their foundation training are believed to be most at risk of not securing a specialist training post under the programme. advertisement
The other applicants will be in the equivalent "old-fashioned" post of senior house officer or working in other roles in the NHS, perhaps as locum doctors or in long-term non-training posts.
The disclosure caused consternation among Opposition politicians yesterday, who described the proposal as "disgraceful".
As the row grew, the Department of Health tried to distance itself from the proposals, saying that it had "no plans" to send trainee doctors overseas - even though the charity Voluntary Service Overseas was reported to have given a "very positive" initial response to the idea.
NHS Employers drew up the plans after intense criticism of the new online appointments system called Medical Training Application Service.
The crisis, first highlighted by The Daily Telegraph, began in February and is still not resolved,
Doctors complained that the system caused computers to crash, that non-medics were involved in short listing candidates and that there was no facility on the form to attach CVs.
Matt Jameson Evans, a trainee orthopaedic surgeon, said last night that he had seen experienced trainee doctors "breaking down in tears on the wards" because of the stress caused by the botched system.
Putting a doctor through five years of medical school costs the taxpayer £250,000.
Current estimates by the British Medical Association show that 34,250 doctors have applied for just 18,500 training posts in the UK.
Sian Thomas, the deputy director of NHS Employers, said that it was disappointing that the review group's discussions were being leaked.
"A key objective has been to maximise opportunities for those who are not successful in securing a training place, ensuring that valuable skills are retained and that staff have all the support they need." She said that the 10,000 figure was based on the difference between applicants and training places.
"There are many options open to applicants who do not secure a training place, including service posts in the NHS, locum work, or spending a period of time working outside the NHS.
"Volunteering and working overseas has always been popular among NHS staff, with the relevant experience, who have a lot to give and a lot to gain from a period of working in other countries," she said.
A VSO spokesman confirmed that there had been a conversation with the Department of Health which was "an information gathering exercise for them on where our placements are and what we do."
Last night a DoH spokesman said that it had no plans to arrange for trainee doctors to service with VSO.
Jo Hilborne, the chairman of the BMA's junior doctors committee, said that VSO was a respected organisation but it was "just humorous to suggest VSO posts as an alternative to an NHS training jobs.
Andrew Lansley, Conservative health spokesman, said that the scheme was a "waste of talent, resources, and taxpayers' money".
Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, that it was shocking that the Government still did not know how many doctors would fail to get training posts.
