NHS could face staff shortage
The NHS could be facing significant staff shortages as the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned that thousands of trainee medics could quit because of a lack of training posts.
The BMA surveyed 235 doctors and discovered that one third had not been offered a training position for when their current contracts end in August.
The Government has stated that there has been no reduction in training posts, and the BMA concedes that the number of newly qualified medics is rising, which is compounded by an influx of foreign applicants.
As a result, 60 per cent of those surveyed told the BMA they would consider training abroad, unless the situation improved.
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.”
While there is no shortage of non-training posts, which would give medics a job, they do not hold the potential for the development of skills.
“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,” Mr Eccles added.
The issue will be debated at the BMA’s annual conference, which starts on Sunday in Manchester.
