GOVERNMENT MUST SUSPEND FLAWED JUNIOR DOCTOR RECRUITMENT SYSTEM - RANDERSON

10.08.20am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 8th Mar 2007

Following last night's UK Government announcement of a review into the Medical Training Application Service for junior doctors, the Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion in Parliament calling for action to restore confidence in the system.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Jenny Randerson said

"Yet again, the UK Government has rammed through reform in the NHS without properly consulting the people it would affect and have been forced to backtrack.

"Doctors in Wales have been expressing their concerns to me citing the lack of fairness in the online application form which fails to allow them to properly detail their experience and post graduate qualifications.

"The website has been unable to deal with the level of traffic and non qualified staffs are dealing with the first round of applications. How can doctors be confident in the process when they are not truly judged on their merits?

"This recruitment round must be suspended in order to salvage any remaining confidence in the system.

"How can interviews continue when the selection process is clearly flawed?"

Notes to Editors

Jenny Randerson AM will be tabling a Statement of Opinion similar to the Early Day Motion below and has written to Brian Gibbons AM, the Welsh Health Minister.

The Welsh Assembly buys into the UK system so while most aspects of the NHS are devolved the issues above reflect England, Scotland AND Wales. Welsh students are guaranteed a job in their first foundation year but then compete with the rest of the UK.

The Early Day Motion, which follows a Urgent Question tabled this morning but was not selected by the Speaker, was tabled today and reads:

Westminster Early Day Motion: Modernising Medical Careers

This House notes the decision of the Department of Health to carry out a review of the operation of the Medical Training Application Service following the widely reported chaos relating to the shortlisting and selection of junior doctors for interview for medical postgraduate specialty training, notes that concerns have been expressed over several months by the British Medical Association about the new on-line system which has not been piloted prior to introduction, notes that the IT system has been blighted with technical problems with the website crashing repeatedly and that there have been delays and confusion over the application process, notes that there is substantial evidence of significant numbers of highly qualified, able candidates not being shortlisted for any interviews whilst some others have been selected for interview for posts for which they have not applied and that the process cannot therefore be fair and meritocratic and is causing dismay and despair amongst junior doctors resulting in many considering applying for jobs abroad and calls on the Government to act on the recommendation of the British Medical Association to suspend the process until it can be demonstrated that it is fair and transparent and that appointments will be genuinely based on merit.

Ends/diwedd

Contact/cyswllt: Andrew Sherwood - 029 2089 8324

Embargo: Immediate