Irrelevance
The BMA slides on into irrelevance with this week’s late message appearing over the weekend on its website.
Of course it is far from ideal. Of course it will not reverse the damage that has already been done. But a suspension of the interview process would be unworkable, and could have disastrous consequences. It would mean cancelling the many interviews that have already taken place, and through which many people will be appointed to posts. NHS employers has made it clear that if MTAS were to be suspended they would proceed with their own appointments system immediately. We believe this might result in trusts taking the opportunity to recruit to non-training posts.
So flawed interviews are worth something in your analysis? Do you really think they are going to withstand legal scrutiny?
It would also mean the thousands of hours of work by consultants and applicants being wasted, and juniors (including potential GP registrars) and medical students facing months of yet more uncertainty. It would not reflect the fact that the situation differs hugely between the four nations of the UK, between different regions of England, and between different specialties.
Taking a practical view for our members does not mean that the fight is over. The BMA is continuing to press for improvements in the second round, and for an independent review to look at how this debacle happened, as well as the principles behind MMC generally. We will push for a safety net for those doctors who do not get training posts in August.
I would imagine that the situation is indeed different between the 4 nations as in 3 of them there will be a full set of interviews. What you mean by practical is a willingness to abandon your principles at the first possible opportunity. Having already witnessed just how successfully you “pushed” for the proper design of MTAS, I am not holding my breath.
It is time for the profession to take back control and lead the re-design of training. We need a training and appointment process that is fit for purpose so we can appoint and train the best doctors.
Agreed, just not under your auspices thank you.
And today’s comments to the Junior Members Forum in Dundee are a joke.
Speaking in Dundee, Mr Johnson said: “It’s disgraceful that thousands of our best doctors could have their NHS careers wrecked through no reason other than government mistakes and poor workforce planning.”
But Mr Johnson said whatever happened a “significant cohort” of junior doctors would lose out on training posts
“We will push the government to give a cast-iron guarantee that they will not be forced out of training,” he said.
The Ferret Fancier has a go at Tom Dolphin for double-speak.