Recruitment fiasco critics sent 'gagging order'
From Mmc
Recruitment fiasco critics sent 'gagging order'
By Amy Iggulden Last Updated: 2:50am BST 12/05/2007
Critics of a discredited recruitment system for junior doctors were issued with a "gagging order" warning them not to speak out.
Medical tutors who publicly protested against the project, which could leave more than 10,000 young doctors unemployed, were told in an email to stay silent if they could not "follow the party line".
In a message from the National Association of Clinical Tutors, tutors are told to "refrain from passing on negative, anecdotal and unhelpful information". The comments provoked anger and claims the instruction amounted to a gagging order sent on behalf of the Health Department. It follows months of chaos over Modernising Medical Careers, a reorganisation of doctor training.
Liz Spencer, the chairman of the clinical tutors' organisation who sent the email, said she supported tutors talking freely to colleagues but did not want them to pass on comments to trainees. "I don't consider [the email] a gagging order, it has been taken out of context," she said. The DoH would not comment.
