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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Junior doctors protest over jobs | Junior doctors protest over jobs |
| (2 days later) | |
| Thousands of junior doctors have marched in London and Glasgow in protest at medical training reforms. | |
| They claim their careers are being held back by a "badly-organised" online application system and too few specialist jobs to apply for. | They claim their careers are being held back by a "badly-organised" online application system and too few specialist jobs to apply for. |
| Addressing the London protest, Tory leader David Cameron said the online system was an "utter shambles". | Addressing the London protest, Tory leader David Cameron said the online system was an "utter shambles". |
| Health Minister Lord Hunt admitted there had been "teething problems" with the system but promised to fix them. | Health Minister Lord Hunt admitted there had been "teething problems" with the system but promised to fix them. |
| 'Absolute disaster' | 'Absolute disaster' |
| The online questionnaire-based application, called Medical Training Application Service (MTAS), was designed to speed up the process for placing junior doctors in specialist jobs. | |
| But a catalogue of complaints has emerged. | But a catalogue of complaints has emerged. |
| Doctors say the forms are badly worded, do not ask pertinent questions, do not allow them to set out relevant qualifications and experience, and have no facility for attaching a CV. | Doctors say the forms are badly worded, do not ask pertinent questions, do not allow them to set out relevant qualifications and experience, and have no facility for attaching a CV. |
| The result, they say, is that the best candidates are not being selected for the right jobs. | The result, they say, is that the best candidates are not being selected for the right jobs. |
| If the best doctors don't get through, it's not the best thing for the NHS as a whole, or for patients. Remedy UK spokeswoman 'I'm going to New Zealand' | If the best doctors don't get through, it's not the best thing for the NHS as a whole, or for patients. Remedy UK spokeswoman 'I'm going to New Zealand' |
| Andrew Rowland, vice-chairman of the British Medical Association's junior doctors' committee, said the whole system, which the applications are part of, was an "absolute disaster" and called for an independent review. | |
| "We need this system to be halted until we can find out exactly what went wrong and to make sure that can be corrected." | "We need this system to be halted until we can find out exactly what went wrong and to make sure that can be corrected." |
| At the Glasgow protest Dr Rowland's Scottish counterpart, Dr Graeme Eunson, called for Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt to resign. | At the Glasgow protest Dr Rowland's Scottish counterpart, Dr Graeme Eunson, called for Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt to resign. |
| The protesters, organised by campaign group Remedy UK, are also aggrieved that about 28,000 UK trainees are applying for 22,000 posts. | The protesters, organised by campaign group Remedy UK, are also aggrieved that about 28,000 UK trainees are applying for 22,000 posts. |
| Mr Cameron said the application system should be scrapped if the government could not address concerns. | |
| And he said there should be a specialist post for "every junior doctor in England". | And he said there should be a specialist post for "every junior doctor in England". |
| He said the Conservatives would treat doctors like "human beings", and pledged to hold the government to account. | |
| Government assurances | Government assurances |
| The Department of Health has already said there will be "significant" changes to the system before the second round of interviews for specialist posts - due to begin in April. | |
| The changes will include allowing applicants to provide CVs and portfolios to support their applications. | The changes will include allowing applicants to provide CVs and portfolios to support their applications. |
| Those who have not been short-listed for interview will have a one-to-one assessment before being recommended for an interview stream. | |
| And the most experienced juniors applying for jobs, who are likely to have taken time out to complete a PhD, will be guaranteed an interview for their first or second choice places. Lord Hunt insisted that the government wanted "the best doctors to get into those specialty training posts". | |
| "I want to assure junior doctors that we are doing everything we can to sort the issues that they've raised out," he said. | "I want to assure junior doctors that we are doing everything we can to sort the issues that they've raised out," he said. |
| Doctors' training was revamped in 2005, with the aim of speeding up progress so juniors could reach consultant level in an average of 11 years, rather than the current 14. | Doctors' training was revamped in 2005, with the aim of speeding up progress so juniors could reach consultant level in an average of 11 years, rather than the current 14. |
| However doctors who have been through their initial stage of training under both the old and the new systems are all competing for a limited number of specialist training posts. | However doctors who have been through their initial stage of training under both the old and the new systems are all competing for a limited number of specialist training posts. |
| This is the point at which a doctor would select to focus on an area such as cancer medicine or paediatrics. | This is the point at which a doctor would select to focus on an area such as cancer medicine or paediatrics. |