BMA says junior doctors facing unemployment could migrate overseas

BMA says junior doctors facing unemployment could migrate overseas

LONDON - The British Medical Association has warned that thousands of junior doctors could be forced to leave the country due to a lack of opportunities in the NHS. The BMA said that there were around 21,000 junior doctors for only 9,500 posts in England in 2007.

The main reason for the paucity of jobs is that the senior house officer posts are to be phased out next year after a revamp of medical training. "To get to this stage of their careers, these doctors will have spent five years at medical school and at least two years in postgraduate training," said Dr Jo Hilborne, chairman of the BMA's Junior Doctors Committee. "For each of them, this has cost the taxpayer around £250,000. The fact that they could face unemployment is outrageous."

However ministers dismissed these claims and said that the changes would go a long way in filling the shortages in the specialist areas. "There will be at least 9,500 specialty posts, there are 21,000 doctors. There has always been a high level of competition for these specialty training posts," said Health Minister Lord Warner. "We are also going to be continuing short-term, fixed term training. The BMA really do need to calm down, and understand what the NHS needs in terms of doctors."

The government's 'Modernizing Medical Careers' reforms now have only two training posts as opposed to the three in the existing system. This will be a foundation programme for two years followed by a specialist programme for the next two years. Earlier there was a pre-registration house officer post as well. The main aim is to speed up the doctors' journey towards a consultant post, which is achieved in 11 years as opposed to the previous 14 years.

"The alternative - pushing doctors into dead end jobs so they never get essential skills that would benefit their patients - is unacceptable and won't work. Doctors are simply going to leave the NHS instead," Dr Hilborne said. Last year a BMA survey had found that most doctors preferred to migrate elsewhere instead of settling for non-training posts.