Page 1 of 4: Job situation in Uk 23/06/2005

MunishLapsia · Credits: 9000 My Scrapbook

UK-trained juniors are facing unemployment for the first time as pressure for SHO posts increases.

A BMA survey due to be published this Saturday is expected to show that a number of junior doctors have been unable to get SHO posts for the coming August rotation.

The problem could be exacerbated by the introduction of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC), with concerns that thousands of juniors could be forced into trust grade posts during the transition to the new training scheme.

Although figures from the BMA survey were unavailable when Hospital Doctor went to press, Mr Simon Eccles, chairman of the BMA's junior's committee, said he expected them to be 'startling'.

The BMA conducted the survey after a straw-poll of PRHOs showed that a third had been unable to get SHO jobs, prompting fears that many may desert the NHS.

Mr Eccles described the situation as insane. 'What is so daft here is that it costs £100,000 to train these people and we're desperately short of consultants.

'It seems that the availability of posts has slumped enormously. Either we've had a reduction in numbers of posts or the pool has gone up,' he added.

Prof Bill Dunlop, chairman of the Joint Consultants Committee (JCC), said he was not aware of juniors facing unemployment, but confirmed there had been a reduction in SHO posts because some were converted to SpR posts to enable trusts to meet the requirements of the Working Time Directive.

Mr Eccles said: 'We need some sensible clear man-power planning as to how to manage this.' He also said that a system was needed to manage the influx of overseas graduates.

Dominic Hurndall, MMC programme director, said: 'There's a lot of discussion about that issue [of transition]. Nobody wants anybody who's a current SHO to be disadvantaged.'

By September, MMC will have a clear vision for specialty training and how best to manage the transition, he added.

MunishLapsia · Credits: 9000 My Scrapbook

Thousands of junior doctors could leave the NHS because of an emerging workforce planning disaster, the BMA warns today (Saturday, 25 June, 2005).

Competition for doctors’ training posts* in the NHS has become intense. Over a third of the 235 junior hospital doctors who responded to a BMA survey this month said they had not been offered jobs when their current contracts end in August. Six in ten said they would leave the NHS to work overseas if, in future, they were unable to get an appropriate training post. A third said they would consider leaving medicine altogether.

In recent years, the number of newly qualified doctors and doctors from overseas seeking training posts has increased. However, the problem is also partly the result of the move to the new ‘Modernising Medical Careers’ training system, under which the middle grade ‘Senior House Officer’ post is being abolished. Instead, junior doctors will begin their careers in two-year foundation programmes, before entering specialist training.

It is estimated that in 2007 between 5000 and 10000 doctors who are currently Senior House Officers will be unable to slot into specialist training posts, but will also be too far advanced in their training to move into foundation programmes. Their only option for employment as NHS doctors would be in non-training jobs, which lack the career prospects of training posts, can lead to de-skilling, and do not always guarantee the same pay and conditions.

Survey respondents were asked what action they would take if they were unable to find an accredited training post in future. Six in ten (60%) said they would consider moving abroad to continue their training and a third (33%) said they would consider leaving medicine as a career.

However, with the move to the new system, which takes effect on 1 August this year, hospital trusts have already stopped offering long-term SHO posts. Competition for jobs has intensified, with some vacancies attracting over a thousand applications. Over a third of the junior doctors surveyed (35.8%) did not have a job lined up in August.

Commenting on the problem, Mr Simon Eccles, chairman of the BMA’s Junior Doctors Committee, said:

“It’s a huge irony that the UK is short of doctors, hospitals are overstretched, and still there aren’t enough training posts to go round. People are queuing up to study medicine, and thousands of doctors from overseas want to work in the NHS. It’s absurd that such a huge amount of talent – which has cost millions of taxpayers’ pounds to nurture - could go to waste. The government seems to think that doctors will be content with jobs that provide no training, but our research shows many will leave the NHS instead.”

The issue will be discussed at the BMA’s annual conference in Manchester next Monday (27 June, 2:35pm) where a motion warns of the creation of a new “lost tribe” of doctors. The Association has long called for improvements to NHS workforce planning, and is currently looking into measures to address the problem in the immediate term, including longer specialist training programmes – which would make it easier for doctors to slot into specialist training during the transition period - and an expansion in numbers of training posts.

*Notes to editors

1. Junior doctors are currently employed in three training posts – pre-registration house officer, senior house officer, and specialist registrar, before they can qualify as consultants or GPs

2. Senior house officers and first year (pre-registration) house officers were invited to respond to the survey through the BMA website between 16 and 22 June. The results are based on 235 valid responses.

3. There are around 49,000 junior doctors in the U.K.

4. The full research is available from the press office

MunishLapsia · Credits: 9000 My Scrapbook

Apart from the Obvious implementation of MMC/Foundation programmes which has lead to the above situation for the UK Medical Graduates...

Here's another reason..
Increase in no of PLAB Doctors (which of course is not news to any one)

PLAB Test places
Part 1
2000 3440
2001 4682
2002 8306
2003 12513
2004 12588

Part 2
2000 1349
2001 2031
2002 3714
2003 6580
2004 8214

And it is expected that 9,900 candidates would take the PLAB part 2 in 2005

Does the UK really require so many junior doctors ?

I did not expect such Unethical, Immoral and Unprincipled approach to the shortage of doctors in the United Kingdom.... flooding the UK with doctors...

The GMC/NHS/Royal Colleges/BMA need to take lessons in man power planning.... apart from bieng much more professional in their approach to the shortage of Consultants in the UK.

God Bless the PLAB Doctors.

MunishLapsia · Credits: 9000 My Scrapbook

GMC Registrations in 2004

New Limited Registrations granted - 9,548 (Mostly PLAB doctors)
New Full Regsitrations granted - 14,450
New Provisonal Registrations - 5,000 (Mostly UK Graduates)

So atleast 15000 junior doctors registered with the GMC for the first time in 2004....

How many more does the GMC want ?

MunishLapsia · Credits: 9000 My Scrapbook

I picked up this article in MJA 2003; 179(4):206-208

"Over the past two years (2001/2002), Britain realised that they have a shortage of medical personnel. The Blair government in Britain announced a £40 billion revamp of the National Health Service over the next 5 years.
This has led to the establishment of 1000 new places for medical students, with the opening of 10 new medical schools and a significant recruitment drive for overseas doctors.
Advertisements have appeared in the media and other outlets, offering lucrative short and medium term contracts for general practitioners, specialists and medical researchers in the United Kingdom."

I have copy/pasted this piece of information to highlight that UK has increased medical school intake and the demand is predominantly for GP's, Specialists and Researchers.
The NHS expansion took place between 2000-2005. And with the the implementation of EWTD in Aug 2004 there's hardly any scope for large scale recruitment of junior doctors now !

bindasnikhilg · Credits: 45003 My Scrapbook

hey r u munish lapsia who did his mbbs from davangere?

well its an eye opener,from jist of the article looks favourable for newly entering docs in uk,is that what it points at or is it bad for all of people there n all entering uk?????plez help me interprit it

MunishLapsia · Credits: 9000 My Scrapbook

Dear bindasnikhilg

There's a lot of misinformation among the plabbers about the situation here in UK. No organisation has any responsibility to publish the exact requirements or supply of doctors... so there are no facts available for junior doctors planning to come here.
I have attempted to provide some idea about the situation here.
Saying that the picture is good or bad would be an interpretation and nowhere close to bieng a fact.

My views are that
For Post gradauates who are ready to struggle and for whom earning money is a priority.... they will make money here in UK.
Those who are ready to sacrifice career progression would settle down in the UK in few years.
But this isn't the ideal place for Fresh graduates seeking to become Surgeons or Physicians. Training is as competetive as anywhere....
But the Graduates have a decent chance in Foundation programmes.
I can go on writing on my views on the job situation in UK but I will keep it brief.

And as far as the interpretation that you have requested...
The UK needs GP's and Consultants at the Specialist level....
and there are just too many Junior doctors coming in....
Everyone would not be able to achieve their dreams... particularly the ones looking to train in the UK.
Hope this helps.

All the best.

gopinath · Credits: 428 My Scrapbook

Dear Munish Lapsia

I agree with u that job situation really difficult and unpredictable in UK.
They say that there is shortage of doctors and EWDT etc ..but i have found that there has been significant decrease in number of jobs in all fields.This is because all jobs are converted into foundation programme(FP).
These FP are mainly for local graduates the number of whom have been significantly increased in last few years.
Some of our fresh garduates are also getting these jobs now as the FP is still in pilot stages..But this does not mean that all junior fresh doctors who come here in future will also get the FP.
There is definitly more supply of doctors in Uk than demand.recently trusts have started appointing doctors for locum contarcts and paying only peanuts to them(less than 10 pounds per hour)

I would be pleased if u can tell me
1) what will be the fate of the candidates after FP who will enter into foundation now in 2005.
2) what is going to happen to those candodates who have already done 1 stanalone SHO post ...and will not be eligible for FP.

Kindly reply

regards

bindasnikhilg · Credits: 45003 My Scrapbook

thnx a lot lapsia sir on the insight to whats on in d uk,helps people like to decide as to where i wana b

MunishLapsia · Credits: 9000 My Scrapbook

Dear gopinath

There is shortage of Consultants/Specialists and qualified GP's in the UK.
No shortage of junior doctors.
EWTD have been implemented way back in Aug 2004. Many new trusts posts were created before Aug 2004 to comply with the reduced working hours.

Yes the local graduates have 'reserved' places on the foundation programmes.
But they have more no of FP posts than they have medical graduates currently.... they hope to achieve a balance by 2008.
So a small no of Overseas graduates would continue to get in FP posts.

Yes the locum rates have dropped significantly over the past few years. And many trusts have posts titled - Floaters

I can't say much about the future of the candidates who enter FP ...
I can only say that it would very much depend on the choice of speciality's they have on the programme. For example those that have a mix of Paeds/Anaes/A&E/Psych etc would be in a better position to enter higher speciality training.
Many would be pushed into non training posts.
Career progression would continue to be an issue and higher speciality training would become even more tough.

Those who have done SHO posts might be absorbed into higher speciality training year 2 OR year 3. Just like many HO/PRHO were absorbed in FY 2

Hope this helps.

It would be interesting to see how the situation develops and how the overseas graduate can make the best out of it.

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