Trainee doctors 'will go abroad'
From Mmc
Trainee doctors 'will go abroad
9.43, Tue Apr 24 2007
Thousands of British doctors could be forced to shun the NHS and go overseas to find a job, a survey suggests.
The "brain drain" of new graduates has been caused by chaos in the Government's medical training scheme which has just introduced a computerised system, critics say.
And now a survey suggests over half of new doctors are willing to go abroad if they fail to get a job through the Government's selection process.
Just a few per cent believe they will ever get into long-term training if their current applications are unsuccessful.
Today the Tories will raise the issue in the Commons in an opposition day debate.
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said junior doctors were being "systematically undermined" by the Government's failure to put in place a fair and effective selection process.
"Patients will ultimately lose out as some of our most talented and skilled doctors are forced to seek opportunities overseas and out of the profession altogether," he said.
"Unless strategic solutions are provided as a matter of urgency, the future of NHS care is at stake."
Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has apologised to junior doctors for the "terrible anxiety" caused over the introduction of the computerised system to select candidates for specialist training.
The BMA estimates that 34,250 doctors are chasing 18,500 UK posts, due to start in August.
It asked 648 applicants about their intentions if their applications were unsuccessful and more than half (55 per cent) said they would be likely to seek a training opportunity overseas and complete their entire training there.
