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UK-qualified would-be GPs 'will be safe in 2009'

09-May-08

UK-qualified would-be GPs can expect to be safe in 2009 from the pressure on training places caused by the DoH's repeated failure to restrict the access of immigrant doctors to training.

Current DoH guidance to employers has been ruled unlawful by the House of Lords, leaving an estimated 10-12,000 overseas doctors on the government's Highly Skilled Migrants Programme. These doctors can compete with UK graduates for training places.

Chairman of the Commons Health select committee Kevin Barron, MP, said this ‘embarrassing problem' must be addressed ‘as a matter of urgency'.

But the National GP Recruitment Office (NGPRO) said that GP applicants have seen little impact in 2008 and would see little in 2009.

Although 5,817 out of the total of 9,018 applicants for GP training places in 2008 trained outside the UK, training offers were made to 801 non-UK doctors and 2,453 UK graduates.

‘We have to remember that general practice selection is a highly competitive process,' said NGPRO recruitment manager Gai Evans.

In 2007, 1,300 UK medical graduates were unable to secure training due to competition for places between UK and overseas graduates.

prisca.middlemiss@haymarket.com

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Michael Brookman

10/05/2008

Had 800 non-UK doctors not been given specialty training, then the number of UK trained graduates who had been disappointed would have been 500 not 1,300.

How come doctors who were trained in NHS hospitals during medical school and foundation years are less suitable than someone trained overseas? Why not have all non-training posts be open to all and training posts be open to those allowed under european law? Alternatively, there could be full-time posts created which cover the same work as a ST post, but do not offer any training? Or how about any non-european offered a training post, having to pay for their training?

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