Further supplementary evidence from the
British Medical Association (WP 59D)
MODERNISING MEDICAL
CAREERS
The BMA's Junior Doctors Committee and Consultants
Committee submitted supplementary evidence to the Health Select
Committee on 18 December 2006 outlining concerns with the process
of implementation of MMC.
Following your request for further information
at the BMA dinner with the Health Select Committee on 10 January,
this current letter provides you with an update of the BMA's view
of the increase in specialty registrar posts. As you are aware,
on 13 December, the Department of Health announced that the number
of places for doctors entering specialty training in England in
2007 had increased to 23,000. This is a major improvement on the
figure of 9,500 posts previously announced by the Department of
Health. However, please note that these are indicative numbers
and therefore the number of posts is not guaranteed. There already
appears to be disparity between the number quoted and the number
of posts being advertised on the Medical Training Application
System (MTAS), even when accounting for the fact that some fixed
term posts are being reserved for the second round of recruitment.
As you may be aware, there are a minimum of 21,000 applicants
in England alone.
The breakdown of indicative post numbers is
now available, for both specialty and run through training. Full
details can be accessed at from the MMC website:
http://www.mmc.nhs.uk/download/MMC%20SHO%20Transition%20Figs.xls
The percentage of fixed-term specialty training
appointments (FTSTAs) is on average 20% but for surgeons this
increases to 50%. This is the fault of poor workforce planning,
along with the Royal College of Surgeons encouraging people into
surgery knowing there are not enough SpR posts at the end. Many
get stuck in the SHO bulge, providing a service and then have
little opportunity to progress further with their training. This
has obviously come to the fore now run through training is being
offered in limited numbers.
Improvements in workforce planning would give
more junior doctors access to structured training grades, while
providing consultants for the future. It is agreed that a consultant
led workforce is what patients need and deserve.It is still important
to note that competition is still likely to be intense and, as
the government acknowledges, no-one knows how many applications
there will be from overseas, or from UK doctors in non-training
posts, or the rest of the EEA.
Dr Andrew Rowland
Vice Chairman, Junior Doctors Committee
British Medical Association
25 January 2007
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