Unemployed doctors could opt for VSO, review group told
21 Apr, 07 | by BMJ Group
There has been an outcry at the news that one briefing paper to the MTAS review group suggests doctors who can’t find a job in the UK should consider working for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) instead.
The BMA says the government’s failures in workforce planning have created this mess.
The document, apparently from NHS Employers, which represents NHS trusts, was leaked to journalists on Friday, much to the consternation of the organisation’s deputy director, Sian Thomas.
“It is disappointing that discussions being held within the review group are being leaked as there are many and wide ranging issues being considered,” she said.
Apparently the suggestion was one among many proposals for how trusts might help offer advice and support to those doctors who failed to obtain a post in this year’s training recruitment. It has been suggested that as many as 10,000 doctors could be without jobs at the end of the process, but this, says Ms Thomas, does not reflect the fact that many of those who applied for speciality training are already in staff posts.
“The 10,000 figure is based on the difference between applicants and training places,” she said. “There are many applicants from outside the NHS or working in service posts who saw this transition year, with more training programmes available, as a one off opportunity to get into NHS specialty training, which is seen worldwide as high quality and lucrative.
“Speciality training posts are always very competitive and there are always more applicants than places available,” she said.
She added that if doctors currently in staff (also known as trust) posts were successful in getting onto specialty training posts, they would create vacancies which other, less successful, candidates could apply for. These staff posts do not offer the same automatic career progression towards a consultancy post.
“There are many options open to applicants who do not secure a training place,” she said. The options put forward in the report to the MTAS review group included not only staff posts in the NHS but locum work and spending a period of time working outside the NHS — possibly working for a voluntary organisation.
“Similar discussions have also been held nationally with regard to other groups, particularly nurses and physios which resulted in the publication last week of a joint programme of work between TUs, DH and NHS Employers,” said Ms Thomas.
“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.
But the idea got short shrift from the BMA’s junior doctors’ representative, Jo Hilbourne, who is on the review group.
“It’s extremely worrying that NHS managers do not know how many posts are available for the thousands of junior doctors applying for them,” she said. “It’s even more alarming that they are preparing for medical unemployment on such a large scale.
“The government can no longer deny the seriousness of this crisis. As a matter of urgency, the Health Secretary must guarantee that no doctor in training will be denied a career in the NHS as a result of poor workforce planning.
“If our most talented doctors are forced out of training, they will head overseas or leave medicine entirely. They will lose out on their dreams of becoming consultants and GPs in the NHS. Their patients will lose out on the right to be treated by the best doctors. And taxpayers will get no return on the millions of pounds spent on medical training.
“The government’s failure to plan the NHS workforce created this mess.
I think that those people who suggest doctors who can’t find a job in the UK should consider working for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) instead,are completely out of touch with the reality. How can you expect somebody who has been living in this country for many yaers, who has a mortgage, working in the NHS in a training post to go outside the country and work for free for organisations and leave behind a family, a house and a dream of becoming a specialist after years of dedications and hard work. this is a disastourly wrong idea. I think that the NHS is going to fall down in the next 3-4 years to come if things are not corrected soon.This is what happens when the NHS is run by the Government and those who sit behind posh desks and carry big files, get huge pay who know nothing about planning. I think money is better spent on employing more doctors and we doctors suggest that those people shoud go abroad and serve as volunteers and get trained on how to show some respect to hard working and skilled doctors.
S. ZAMO
April 22nd, 2007 at 11:17 am
I think the team behind MMC have not got a clue what a doctor’s day is like in an NHS hospital. It is alrady short staffed, low moral, tiredness, awkward working pattern to give full care to patients.
Three out of six working days my son brings home his sandwhiches on asking why you have not eaten them the answer is sorry I have not had time (bleeb was going on all the time). Tired Doctors driving home after a 13-14 hour night shift avoiding serious traffic accidents just to cut waiting lists to meet politicaly set targets.
It is these type of young doctors who have spent 9-10 years of their lives dedicated to their profession the MMC suggesting to do VSO work.
There was no need to waste these years to seek this advice. they could have easily done some other qualification and would have gone overseas.
10000 doctors unemployed from August 2007 what a shame and waste of talent!. MMC should be made to face some legal challenges for this mess.
HUSSAIN
April 23rd, 2007 at 1:19 pm
I have been trying for months to get a junior doctors` post in NHS and spent time and money on applications that seem meaningless, after reading this article.I apply from a country within EU and currently there are still rumors claiming that UK NHS is in need of junior doctors.Actually, some years ago there was official request to local medical associations for native doctors to immigrate and work for the UK health system.
Information is so confusing.There ought to be official announcements for this issue, since there are a lot of colleagues trying to get a post in UK.
Ioannis
May 15th, 2007 at 3:44 pm