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Junior docs' continuity of employment
27/06/2007
Junior doctors in Scotland who are without an offer of continued training from August 1 will have their contracts extended to the end of October.
Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon gave the commitment that the terms being offered to junior doctors in Scotland will be consistent with those in England.
She also confirmed that she will review the situation again towards the end of round two of the recruitment process in England, to consider what further measures might be needed to support doctors in Scottish training programmes who at that stage remain without an offer of a training post.
Speaking for the first time to the Parliament's new Health and Sport Committee, Ms Sturgeon said:
"While I firmly believe the principles underpinning Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) are sound, there have been serious issues raised about the implementation of the new system.
"Two key concerns have been raised. One relates to service delivery and the other to the prospect of unemployed junior doctors.
"In Scotland we opted to recruit trainees in one round, as opposed to two as in England. That means we have currently filled about 98 per cent of all run through training posts, and about 65 per cent of the shorter fixed term specialty training appointments. The process is not yet complete, but this level of recruitment will already ensure continuity of patient services across NHSScotland from 1 August 2007.
"Where we have a situation of junior doctors without training posts, there are three points to make note of.
"Firstly, in a highly competitive profession such as medicine, not every applicant will, or ever has been able to, secure a training post in the specialty or location of their choice.
"Secondly, the absence of an offer of a training post will not always translate into an unemployed doctor. That is because some applications have come from doctors already employed in non-training posts who will continue in those positions after 1 August.
"Third, of all applicants who have secured Specialist Training posts in Scotland, 80 per cent are Scottish graduates.
"However, latest estimates from NHS Education for Scotland suggest that there are approximately 450 junior doctors currently in Scottish training programmes that have yet to secure an offer of continued training under MMC.
"There are still some 240 training posts still to be filled in Scotland, so that figure is likely to reduce over the next few weeks but I accept that there will be some junior doctors who, at the end of the Scottish process, will be without posts and who would therefore - in the absence of any intervention - be facing unemployment on 1 August.
"To ensure those doctors continuity of employment during round two of the recruitment process in England - when they will have the opportunity to apply for one of 2700 posts available - I have decided that their contracts will be extended until 31 October 2007, or until they secure a training post, whichever is the earlier. This is consistent with the position in England. It represents fairness for our junior doctors.
"I will also review the situation again towards the end of round 2 in England and, and in conjunction with NES, BMA Scotland and the Service, consider what further measures might be needed to support doctors in Scottish training programmes who at that stage remain without offer of a training post.
"I am determined to do what is right for Scotland and will look to adapt the selection and recruitment process so that in future it better serves Scottish interests and ensures that we continue to attract the best possible candidates for our NHS."