RxPG News : UK

Britain to grant 20,000 visas to Indian workers annually

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:35:57 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Britain is set to welcome 20,000 extra Indian workers annually as part of a secretive trade deal brokered by the European Union , a media report said.

Under the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, European countries will grant India between 35,000 and 50,000 visas in return for four billion pounds worth of trade.

However, sources have revealed that India is demanding up to 20,000 of them should be provided by Britain, with only 7,000 asked of Germany and 3,000 from France. Estonia is expected to accept just 19 individuals, Daily Mail reported.

The agreement is expected to be signed later this year.

The 20,000 will not count towards the coalition's pledge to cap net immigration at 'tens of thousands'. Britain's unemployment stands at 2.5 million.

The workers will be exempt from National Insurance in their first year but will be able to use the NHS, according to the newspaper Sunday.

Sir Andrew Green, chairman of MigrationWatch UK, said: 'The secrecy surrounding this deal has gone on long enough.

'This scheme makes a nonsense of efforts to limit economic migration.'

A spokesman for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, told The Sunday Telegraph: 'Strict criteria are being negotiated to ensure there is a focus on highly-skilled and highly-qualified professionals entering the UK temporarily.'

Nearly 30,000 workers came to Britain from India last year. Two thirds of them travelled as part of the intra-company transfer scheme. They are except from the coalition's interim immigration cap.

25000 NRI Doctors Could Return to India from UK

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:15:32 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Nearly 25,000 British doctors of Indian origin are set to return to India within two to four years and some of them are 'most likely to join the seven AIIMS-like institutions' proposed to be set up by the central government.

'There are around 15,000 young Indian-origin doctors undergoing training in different parts of Britain who will return to India,' Ramesh Mehta, president of the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, told IANS.

'Also, at least 10,000 senior doctors of Indian origin who are retiring from their jobs in the UK, are set to return to India,' said the doctor, currently on an Indian tour.

He said they have already talked to the Indian health ministry and have got a favourable response. 'The government has allowed us to come back and practise.'

He said the ministry told the association that there will be a problem in finding quality doctors to man the seven new medical colleges modelled after the All India Institute of Medical Sciences -.

'We believe that these young doctors who are undergoing training in the UK currently, can be of great help in the new AIIMS-like institutes,' he said.

The central government has given a go ahead to seven AIIMS-type medical institutions in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Each of these institutes will come up with a cost of Rs.300 crore.

Each new institution would have an 850-bed hospital, including superspecialty facilities and 39 departments covering all major disciplines of medicine. The medical colleges will also have the provision to take in 100 undergraduate students each per year as well as facilities for imparting Post Graduate and doctoral courses in various disciplines.

Mehta also said the Indian government's plan to start a three-and-a-half-year rural medical course can benefit from these British doctors. 'We are ready to play a part in training doctors whom government will post in rural areas.'

The health ministry and the Medical Council of India have proposed to start a rural medical course called Bachelor of Rural Medicine and Surgery - in district hospitals. This will help doctors to get posted in rural areas and improve the healthcare delivery system at village level.

NHS Doctor Saved From Forced Marriage in Bangladesh

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:07:57 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A London-based doctor, who was held captive by her parents in Bangladesh to force her into a marriage of their choice, has been freed and is returning to Britain.

A court in Bangladesh Sunday ordered Dr. Humayrah Abedin's parents to return her passport and ticket to her.

The case sets a precedent in Bangladesh and it is also one of the first cases in Britain where action was taken under the Forced Marriages Act, which became law last month.

Humayrah, who came to the UK as a student six years ago and is shortly to be registered as a general practitioner in London, was lured to Bangladesh three months ago on the pretext that her mother was ill.

Upon her return, her parents reportedly held her captive, intending to marry her off to a person of their choice. They were not happy with her relationship with a Hindu Bangladeshi, who works as an engineer in London.

Humayrah somehow managed to email her friends in London about her plight. The London police started a search for her and later, the British Foreign Office issued a notice under the new Forced Marriages Act.

Acting on the notice, a Bangladesh court asked her parents to appear before it. They ignored three court orders before finally appearing Sunday.

The judge also confirmed no action would be taken against her parents, partly in respect of their daughter's wishes.

'But I am saying what you have done to her is not acceptable,' he told them. 'If there are further problems, you will be in big trouble.'

The Independent has reported that Humayrah's boyfriend claimed his family had received death threats and her parents told her 'they would prefer her to die than return to London'.

But now Humayrah's lawyer has said she is free and will return to London shortly.

Indian doctor sentenced for Glasgow airport bombing bid

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 20:59:04 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) London, April 11 - Indian doctor Sabeel Ahmed was Friday sentenced to 18 months in jail by a court in London in connection with the failed car bombing of Glasgow airport in Scotland last June.

The 26-year-old doctor, who hails from Bangalore, had earlier admitted at the Old Bailey Criminal Court in London that he withheld information relating to the attack.

His brother Kafeel Ahmed, who drove a blazing jeep at the main entrance of Glasgow airport June 30, 2007, later died of his injuries.

However, taking into account the time Sabeel Ahmed had already served in pre-trial detention, he would be voluntarily repatriated to India, the court ruling said.

The court heard that Sabeel received a telephone text message alerting him to an e-mail from his brother in which a reference was made to the impending attack.

But Sabeel, who was working as a doctor in Liverpool at the time, only opened his e-mail account after the attack. He did not contact the police.

A court commentator said the relative shortness of the sentence, and Sabeel's immediate release Friday to enable him to return to India, showed that the judges were convinced that the accused did not know about the terror plan in advance.

A day before the Glasgow attack, police in London were able to prevent the car bombing of a packed nightclub that has been linked by prosecutors to the attempted airport bombing.

Kafeel died Aug 2 of the severe burns he received during the failed airport attack.

Two of his accomplices, Bilal Abdullah, and Mohammed Asha, also doctors, face trial later this year.

NRI doctor guilty of unethical tests on British patients

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:04:41 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) London, March 29 - An NRI psychiatrist from Assam faces the sack after being found guilty of conducting unethical drug tests on mentally ill patients, according to reports Saturday.

The General Medical Council has found Tonmoy Sharma, a former lecturer at the prestigious Institute of Psychiatry in London, guilty of recruiting patients suffering from schizophrenia and Alzheimer's in unsolicited telephone calls, conducting unauthorised tests and misleading drug companies about his methods, a newspaper reported.

The verdict could not be independently verified but a spokeswoman for the GMC, a regulatory body, told IANS Saturday that newspaper reporting on the case has been 'accurate'.

A GMC panel on 'Fitness to Practice' has been hearing Sharma's case this week, she confirmed.

The Times said the GMC, which examined Sharma's research over 10 years, could force the pharmaceutical industry to re-examine the way in which research on psychiatric drugs is commissioned and conducted.

It quoted the GMC panel as concluding: 'The findings of the panel indicate serious failings of personal integrity and honesty, of good clinical research practice, as regards to potential welfare of patients and participants in ethical research ... which risks bringing the reputation of the medical profession into disrepute.

'The panel has found that the facts proved against you would not be insufficient to support a finding of serious professional misconduct.'

According to the GMC website, Sharma gained his MBBS from Dibrugarh University, Assam, in June 1987 and has been on Britain's register of general psychiatry since May 1996.

Sharma is a Clinical Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, University of London, and a Principal Investigator undertaking research studies, the GMC said.

'The panel is satisfied that in acting the way you did, your intention was to conceal from each sponsor the fact that you were using the identical group of patients for their studies,' the panel report says.

'As a consequence, the patients were subjected to tests beyond those approved... The panel is satisfied that your conduct towards them - was dishonest. It was also unprofessional and not in the best interests of the patients.'

Indian doctors among many attacked on duty in Britain

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:35:20 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) London, Jan 10 - Indian and Indian-origin doctors working in the National Health Service - are among thousands of doctors in Britain who were physically or verbally attacked by patients last year but most choose not to report the abuse, according to a report.

Research by the British Medical Association - published Thursday shows that one in three doctors in Britain has been victim of such attacks in clinics. Thousands of Indian doctors and other health professionals work in the NHS, and thousands more apply for jobs in the medical sector here every year.

In the last six months alone, the BMA research reported that there were two horrific cases of violence towards doctors in the Glasgow area. In November, a patient in his consulting room beat up a general practitioner and, in August, another general practitioner was stabbed by a patient in her practice.

In December, Arun Rai, 49, who graduated from Ranchi University, was hospitalised after being assaulted by a patient during an examination in his clinic in Glasgow, prompting other medical staff to carry personal alarm systems at all times.

Rai has been working at the practice owned by Dr Singh and Partners in the Clydebank Medical Centre, Glasgow, for the last three years. He was assaulted while examining a patient in his chamber. He suffered severe bruising and cuts after being pushed to the ground and repeatedly battered on the head and face.

A female colleague heard his screams and rounded up several members of staff who rushed into the room to help.

After the attack on Rai, Alan McDevitt, secretary of the Glasgow Local Medical Committee, said: 'The room was fitted with an emergency security button but Rai did not have a chance to use it. He is a pretty big guy so the attacker must have used a lot of force.

'Arun - is obviously very shaken and staff at the centre are also very upset. They are in tears just thinking about it. It's totally unacceptable that anyone should be subjected to such an unprovoked attack, let alone a GP doing his job in the middle of the afternoon.

'It will take Arun a while to get back to work. The fact that this happened in broad day light with a lot of people around obviously makes doctors feel more vulnerable.'

Around 600 doctors from across Great Britain responded to the BMA survey on their experiences of violence in the workplace in the past year. A third had experienced some form of violence - including threats and verbal abuse - and one in ten had been physically attacked, including being stabbed, kicked, punched, bitten and spat at.

Of these, one in three received minor injuries, and one in 20 was seriously injured. More than half - of doctors who suffered violence did not report the incident.

The most frequently stated reason for workplace violence was dissatisfaction with the service, including frustration with waiting times and refusal to prescribe medication. This has doubled as a cause of violence since 2003, when the BMA last conducted the survey.

Hamish Meldrum, Chairman of Council at the BMA, said: 'These are worrying figures - both in terms of the potential numbers involved and the fact that so few doctors tend to report violence. We hope that this is not because they feel the problem is not being taken seriously.

'Ministers have repeatedly stated that there should be zero tolerance to violence of any sort in the NHS. We heartily agree. The mechanisms must be there to minimise the likelihood of attacks, to support staff who experience them, and to ensure that anyone who commits an act of violence is dealt with appropriately.'

Other findings from the research include:

-Half of doctors say that violence in the workplace is a problem.

-More than half had witnessed violence against other staff, such as nurses and receptionists.

-Female doctors are more likely to experience violence in the workplace than males -.

-Junior doctors are the most likely to experience violence, followed by GPs.

-Almost two thirds of psychiatrists report that violence in their workplace is a problem, compared with a fifth of surgeons.

-Most doctors have not received any training in dealing with violent patients.

-One in ten doctors has access to a secure facility in which to treat violent patients.

The Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill, currently progressing through the parliament, contains proposals to tackle nuisance behaviour on NHS hospital premises. The BMA is seeking an amendment to the bill so that general practitioner premises are also covered.

New British rules favour non-EU workers for high-end jobs

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 19:29:12 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) London, Jan 2 - British employers may no longer have to advertise highly paid jobs locally before hiring overseas as new rules from July open up opportunities for Indian and other non-European white-collar workers.

From July, employers will no longer have to advertise British jobs offering salaries of over Pound 40,000 a year in Britain before they make the posts available to workers outside the European Union, the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported Wednesday.

The proposed removal of the so-called Resident Labour Market Test for high-end jobs has prompted fears that it could trigger an influx of white-collar immigrants coming to work in Britain, undercutting British graduates, the paper said.

The salary threshold is likely to be decided over the next three months, but a working figure is said to be Pound 40,000 - a year.

The opposition Conservative Party said the changes to the rules were at odds with Prime Minister Gordon Brown's slogan of 'British jobs for British workers'.

'This plan allows employers to bypass British workers. The question the government must answer is, how does this help British workers to get British jobs?' said James Clappison, the Conservative MP who uncovered the plans.

The report comes after Indian doctors won a court ruling in their favour in late 2007, saying British hospitals would no longer have to look for European Union - citizens for employment before hiring Indians.

Indian doctors working in Britain had challenged the practice as discriminatory.

Under the Resident Labour Market Test, companies currently have to advertise all of their jobs within the EU for a set period of weeks before offering them to people from outside the region.

But the government plans to introduce new rules in July as a result of a shake-up of its immigration policy, which would mean the requirement would not apply to well-paid jobs, the Daily Telegraph said.

According to a Whitehall paper, officials want to limit the scope of the test to lower-paid jobs 'since it is here that there is most public concern about the impact of migrant labour on the domestic labour market'.

The newspaper said the new rules could encourage British companies to ditch their training schemes and hire cheap, highly-qualified IT technicians, lawyers or accountants from developing countries at the expense of British workers.

New steps to curb overseas doctors in Britain

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:46:42 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) London, Oct 9 - Indian doctors should think several times before coming to Britain for jobs - the employment situation has been difficult for non-European Union doctors, and new proposals have been drawn to guarantee jobs to doctors trained in Britain.

An increase in fresh graduates turned out by British medical schools and the availability of a large number of doctors from an expanded European Union have made it difficult for non-EU doctors to gain employment in the National Health Service -.

The health minister, Ben Bradshaw, has drawn up proposals to slash the number of junior doctors from overseas coming to Britain to train. The idea behind the proposals is to preserve jobs for the rising number of British medical graduates.

During the recent round of recruitment in the Medical Training Application Service -, non-EU doctors could not be excluded from consideration under court orders. During the MTAS rounds earlier this year, several hundred Indian doctors gained employment in the NHS.

However, the situation is likely to change if the new proposals are implemented. A court hearing is due later this month on the case brought by the British Association of Physicians of Indian origin -, which challenged changes to immigration rules for non-EU doctors who had entered Britain under the highly skilled migrants permit.

Putting forth his new proposals, Bradshaw said that if overseas applicants were preventing those educated here from getting specialist training places, 'then it is only right that we should consider what needs to be done'.

The government is proposing that doctors from countries outside the EU should not be considered for a job unless there are no qualified applicants from Britain or from elsewhere in Europe. This is an unlikely scenario given the popularity of medical training in Britain and the EU.

According to Bradshaw, Britain now has 6,451 medical school places, compared with 3,749 in 1997, and each student can cost up to 250,000 pounds to train. During the MTAS rounds, several British doctors who could not find employment left the country as the issue snowballed into a major public controversy through demonstrations and petitions.

There is also a proposal that fresh British medical graduates would automatically get a first-year hospital training place on graduation, which would give them a head start over even other European candidates.

Meanwhile, representatives of BAPIO met officials of the Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans - after a BAPIO study raised concerns that non-white British graduates as well as those who had received their primary qualification overseas were more likely - to be found to be not making adequate progress with their training and referred for remedial training.

BAPIO sources told IANS that during the meeting, both groups affirmed their strong commitment to equality of opportunity within medical education. The discussions included plans to monitor educational outcomes and address areas of concern where these were identified.

Ramesh Mehta, president of BAPIO, said: 'We are pleased to note that COPMeD chairman Elisabeth Paice was very receptive of our concerns. We look forward to the approval of the draft plan by the CoPMeD.'

Elizabeth Paice said: 'It was very useful to exchange viewpoints with Mehta, and to discuss how we could move from concern and evidence to appropriate action.'

Now probe into competence of Indian doctors in Britain

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:29:14 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) London, Aug 10 - Indian doctors are among several overseas doctors whose competence to practice in Britain's National Health Service - is being investigated following an increasing number of complaints registered with the General Medical Council -.

The major GMC inquiry comes at a time when overseas doctors are subject to further checks in the wake of the recent attempted car bombs in London and Glasgow. Three overseas-trained doctors, including Sabeel Ahmed from India, were arrested in connection with the blasts.

GMC sources told IANS that in the latest round of fitness-to-practise hearings, the following Indian doctors are being investigated:

* Tonmoy Sharma, who graduated from Dibrugarh, Assam, in 1987, is being investigated for allegations that as a Clinical Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, University of London and a Principal Investigator undertaking research studies, he was, at various times, misleading, dishonest, unethical and unprofessional. It is also alleged that Sharma misrepresented himself as having qualified as a PhD and as holding the tile of 'Professor'.

* Vijay Dwivedi, who graduated from Lucknow in 1967, is being investigated for allegations that as a General Practitioner in Wirral, his examination of two patients was performed in a manner that was indecent and inappropriate.

* Satyavada Venkata Vidya Bhushan, who graduated from Osmania in 1967, is being investigated for allegations that during treatment of seven patients, his conduct was inappropriate, inadequate, not in the best interests of the patient, below the standards to be expected of a registered medical practitioner and in respect of three patients it was also irresponsible.

* Nanalal Ratilal Shah, who graduated from Nagpur in 1967, is being investigated for allegations that as an Essex-based Medical Practitioner, he did not take overall responsibility for the care of patients at the various locum posts he held during the period of July 2002 and April 2005. It is also alleged that he acted in a manner to his patients that was unprofessional, rude, intended to mislead, inconsiderate and careless and disregarded his professional responsibilities.

GMC sources, however, added that the contribution of Indian doctors to the NHS over the years was highly valued, and that the competence of an overwhelming majority of them was not in question.

The new probe will look at the competence of all overseas trained doctors, including from within Europe. There have been several cases of lack of communication skills in English language of doctors trained in Europe leading to serious situations in the NHS.

Doctors from Europe can register and treat patients in Britain but are not tested for clinical competence and do not have to prove they can speak English, unlike those from India, Australia or elsewhere.

Latest GMC figures show that overseas-trained doctors are twice as likely to face disciplinary hearings as UK medical graduates. Three times the number of doctors who trained abroad were struck off the UK medical register last year compared with 2005.

The GMC has now commissioned a series of research projects that will look at a range of issues including the competence of foreign doctors and whether they are subject to institutional racism within the health service.

According to The Times, over 5,000 cases were dealt with by the GMC in 2006. Of these, 303 resulted in a fitness-to-practise hearing and 54 doctors were struck off - 35 of whom had trained outside Britain. The probe will look into the pattern, for which there is currently 'no good explanation'.

Said Paul Philip, director of standards and fitness-to-practise at the GMC: 'The number of fitness-to-practise cases we deal with is going up year on year.

'Doctors with a primary medical qualification from overseas or within the EU are disproportionately represented and more are being refereed to us than we should see without good explanation.'

Asian doctor charged with sexual assault

Fri, 10 Aug 2007 09:10:36 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) London, Aug 10 - An Asian doctor working in Britain's National Health Service - has been charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl at a hospital in Norfolk and making indecent photographs of a child.

According to details with the General Medical Council -, Rashid Usman Sandhu, the accused, graduated from Punjab in 2001. He was registered with the GMC since June 11, 2004.

Sandhu, 29, worked as a doctor at the James Paget University Hospital in Gorleston and has now been suspended. He will appear at Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court Sept 10.

Adrian Pennington, chief executive at the hospital, confirmed that Sandhu had been employed from Aug 2003 to April 2005 as a senior house officer and from May 2006 to the present day as a specialist registrar in the Accident and Emergency Department.

Pennington said: 'As soon as the police contacted the trust with serious allegations, a full investigation was launched. The doctor was immediately excluded from duty at the hospital and the trust continues to work closely with the police.

'Prior to employment, thorough checks are made on all our clinical staff. These include checking employment history, clinical qualifications, visa status - and full police checks. I can confirm all these checks were completed in this instance and they did not highlight anything of concern.'

'Our trust has robust child protection and audit procedures in place that reflect national policy, and we take a multi agency response to any allegation of this type. Patient safety is paramount.

'Investigations have shown there is no more we could have done to stop this individual allegedly choosing to ignore trust policy and procedure,' he added.

A Norfold police spokesperson said: 'Investigating officers have been working closely with senior managers at the James Paget University Hospital and have received total cooperation throughout the inquiry.'

Royal College of Physicians exams now in India

Sat, 02 Jun 2007 16:50:55 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Chennai, June 2 - The clinical examination for the prestigious Membership of Royal College of Physicians - can now be held in India.

Three colleges under the RCP banner - the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and the Royal College of Physicians of London - Friday signed a memorandum of understanding with Sri Ramachandra University - here to offer the examinations.

'Any physician from anywhere in the world can take his/her clinical tests for MRCP here,' said Georgi Abraham, coordinator for the India programme. So long physicians had to fly to Britain or to any of the nine other countries where the examinations are held.

'We have been trying to get this specialist examination held in India since 1997 and it has taken us ten years to convince the MRCP board that we have the facilities to hold it,' Abraham who is also professor of medicine at the Sri Ramachandra Medical College told IANS.

The SRU medical college has 25 specialist skill stations and has made available seven of these for the MRCP examination.

The first examination was held this week over three days with about 45 examinees attending. The candidates included one from Britain, one from Australia and another one from Pakistan.

Neil Dewhurst, the Medical Director and Chairman of the MRCP Examinations Board, expressed hope that many more young doctors from South Asian countries would attempt to qualify the clinical exams now.

The exam will be held twice a year and the MRCP authorities expect at least 90 to 100 physicians taking the test this year.

The membership to the RCP is recognised worldwide and allows physicians to practise almost in every country. At least 25,000 doctors take the exam every year.

There are plans to offer the specialist examination for membership to the Royal College of Surgeons, in India, Abraham added.

India-born doctor to become first woman to head BBC

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 22:39:52 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) London, Nov 29 - India-born Dr. Chitra Bharucha is set to become the first woman to head the BBC, albeit in an acting capacity, following the resignation of BBC chairperson Michael Grade.

Bharucha, vice-chairperson of the recently formed BBC Trust - which will take on the responsibility of running BBC come January - has been named acting chair of the Trust.

As of now, Anthony Salz, who is deputy chairperson of the BBC's board of governors, has taken over from Grade, who is joining the BBC's main terrestrial rival in Britain, ITV.

The BBC Trust is a new body that has been created to oversee the regulation and governance of BBC from January, when the board of governors, which currently oversees the autonomous broadcaster, is disbanded.

Along with an executive board, the Trust will take over the role of the current board of governors and will be independent of the BBC management.

When it assumes its responsibilities in January, Bharucha will become the acting chairperson of the BBC Corporation - till a full-time chairperson is appointed.

According to reports, current acting chairperson Salz is not joining the Trust, which will replace the board in January, and will be leaving his role in the BBC at the end of the year.

Though Britain's Department for Culture, Media and Sport will advertise the BBC Trust chairmanship as soon as possible, it is unlikely the process will be completed until well into the new year, according to a report in the Digital Spy website.

Applications for the post must be scrutinised by a government panel, which can take time.

Born in Madurai, India, Bharucha has lived in Britain since 1972.

A haematologist by profession, Bharucha has served as deputy director, Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service, and consultant clinical haematologist, Belfast City Hospital.

She currently also chairs the Fitness to Practise Adjudication Panels of Britain's General Medical Council, having served as a council member from 1999 to 2003.

Bharucha shifted from a career in medicine to media in 1996 when she joined the BBC Broadcasting Council for Northern Ireland, a position she stayed in till 2003.

She had also served as the Northern Ireland member of the Independent Television Commission from 2001 to 2003.

In 2004, Bharucha was appointed to the Advertising Standards Authority - Council, where she currently chairs the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs for the Food Standards Agency.

Ailing Indian doctor in Britain to return to Kolkata

Sun, 26 Nov 2006 17:26:22 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) London, Nov 26 - A doctor from India who came to Britain in 2002 to work in the National Health Service but was stranded when he had to quit his job due to an incurable brain disease, will now be able to return to India thanks to a campaign by a local newspaper in Sunderland.

Kaushik Chatterjee, a doctor from Kolkata, came to Britain in the spring of 2002 and initially worked in London. Later, he was appointed senior house officer in elderly care at Sunderland Royal Hospital in February 2003.

His case was taken up by The Sunderland Echo, a local newspaper, which highlighted his difficulties regarding his inability to return back to India due to paucity of funds.

He could not apply for benefits because of his visa difficult situation. As part of his 10-year visa agreement, the newspaper reported that he was required to hand over his passport to the Home Office officials after appointment in the Sunderland hospital.

Within weeks of joining, Chatterjee's colleagues noticed that he was having difficulty in walking. A scan revealed that he was suffering from spinocerebellar degeneration, a genetic condition, which affects mobility and speech.

Chatterjee was allowed to continue living in student accommodation by the hospital and survived on charitable contributions.

The newspaper highlighted his plight earlier this month, which led to several offers of help. Hundreds of pounds were raised to meet the cost of food and Chatterjee's flight home.

The newspaper said that his case was taken up by Tahri Khan from the Unity Organisation, a multicultural centre.

Khan said that the Home Office had returned Chatterjee's passport and he would be arranging a flight, hopefully before next week so that he could return home to Kolkata.

Chatterjee told mediapersons: 'I'm ecstatic. I want to be home as soon as possible. I'm very grateful to everybody who has helped. It's very frustrating. I came to make a career in England. I did all my studying, I did everything - I didn't take any short cuts.'

He will be accompanied on his journey home to Kolkata by Lynne Swanson, 55, of Ashbrooke, whose heart was touched by his story.

Swanson said: 'I was full of hell when I read about it. I think it's a shame it didn't come to light sooner.'

Khan accused the government of failing to care for Chatterjee.

Chatterjee said his mother did not yet know that he would soon return home.

NHS Crisis Adding to Woes of Overseas Doctors in Britain

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 13:37:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Apart from changes in work rules that have adversely affected Indian doctors' employment prospects, a financial crisis has gripped several hospitals in Britain's National Health Service (NHS), leading to hundreds of job losses.

Almost every day, several hospitals announce job cuts to meet budget deficits. In recent weeks, the overall job losses in the NHS are said to be nearly 7,000 in 22 trusts and hospitals in different parts of the country.

The financial crunch further lessens the prospects of thousands of Indian doctors currently seeking employment in Britain. New work rules have compounded the situation for them as now they can no longer work as part of "permit free training", and need work permits.

Britain's health authorities are faced with higher numbers of local medical graduates and many more from the expanded European Union who have the right to work in Britain. The situation makes it difficult for non-EU nationals - such as Indian doctors - to secure employment in the NHS.

An association of doctors of Indian origin has scheduled a demonstration outside the Department of Health here April 21 to protest against the changes in work rules as applicable to Indian doctors.

Last week, York Hospitals NHS Trust decided to cut 200 jobs over the coming year as part of plans to save seven million pounds. Two days earlier the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust had announced that 720 jobs were to be axed as it tries to save 30 million pounds.

The University Hospital of North Staffordshire is cutting 1,000 jobs in the face of a 15.5 million pound debt, while Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust is also losing 325 posts as part of plans to save more than 10 million pounds over the next year.

The Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London, is cutting about 480 jobs under plans to save 25 million pounds in the next year, and the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust said that it could be forced to cut 250 jobs to avoid going into debt.

To save costs, some hospitals - such as those in Staffordshire - have resorted to outsourcing medical secretarial work to India. A similar pilot scheme at the Royal Cornwall Hospital (RCH) has been opposed by the local staff.

As one of the cost-cutting schemes, hospital officials have proposed that consultants use a digital recorder to dictate notes that can be uploaded via the internet and sent to companies in India and elsewhere to be typed.

A spokesman for RCH said: "We are reviewing ways to address a backlog of work that cannot be met, at the moment, by staff at the trust. We are considering companies who provide similar services for other NHS organisations and throughout any pilots they will be monitored and assessed on their speed of turnaround, accuracy, reliability and cost issues. We will then evaluate the outcomes."

Major boost for salaried dentistry in UK

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 07:47:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Salaried dentists in UK will see their careers modernised and pay reviewed health minister Rosie Winterton announced today as she visited The Lister Centre in south London.

Meeting salaried dentists at the Centre, Rosie Winterton confirmed that consultation responses supported proposals for reviewing pay, terms and conditions to support career modernisation. Among the proposals now being taken forward are:

* designing career paths that acknowledge, develop and reward the crucial role of salaried primary care generalists
* supporting the development of Dentists with Special Interests through a clear framework of development and reward within the general career path
* recognising and remunerating primary care-based specialists and trainees in specialities recognised by the General Dental Council in the same way as their hospital-based counterparts

The consultation Creating the Future - Modernising careers for Salaried Dentists in Primary Carefollowed a review of salaried dentistry which involved the British Dental Association [BDA], patient representatives and NHS management, and it set out high-level proposals for change, set within the context of the overall reform programme for wider NHS dentistry.

NHS Employers will now undertake negotiations based upon the proposals set out in Creating the Future, with a view to new terms and conditions of service being introduced from April 2007. NHS Employers has been asked to work in partnership with the BDA to agree the new terms and conditions that will support the modernisation of careers, support high-quality patient care, and increase the amount invested in salaried dentists pay by up to 10%. These reforms will be designed to ensure appropriate appraisal and personal development planning, linked to General Dental Council requirements, become an integral part of the new arrangements for salaried dentistry.

Health minister Rosie Winterton said of the proposals for salaried dentists:

"The overwhelming support in the consultation for these reforms reflects the value these services provide, and the career benefit dentists feel from having the option of salaried employment. This is why it is so important we now push ahead with the modernisation of careers for salaried dentists in primary care.

"Salaried dentists have a long and important tradition as an essential part of the overall provision of dentistry in this country, looking particularly after the dental needs of children and other vulnerable groups, including those with special needs. In many places they also play a vital role in ensuring access to NHS primary dental care. It is important that, like their colleagues in other branches of medicine and dentistry, their roles and working conditions support the delivery of high quality clinical services for patients, and recruitment and retention of staff."

Acting Chief Dental Officer Barry Cockcroft added:

"These reforms will create a new pay scale for salaried primary care dentists which rewards competence, contribution and experience. The reforms will also ensure that specialists working in the salaried parimary dental care services will benefit from the same terms and conditions of service as their equivalents in the hospital dental services. This is great news for salaried dentists and supports the crucial service they perform."

End of Permit Free Training for International Doctors in UK

Wed, 08 Mar 2006 04:15:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) All doctors wishing to work in the UK from outside the European Union (EU) will be required to have a work permit from July 2006 Health Minister Lord Warner announced today.

The move means that any NHS trust wishing to employ a doctor from outside the EU will have to prove that a home-grown doctor cannot fill the vacant post, ending the current permit free training arrangement for international doctors.

Health Minister Lord Warner said:

We now have more than 117,000 doctors working in the NHS, 27,400 more than in 1997 as well as record levels of doctors in training in UK medical schools.

This investment and expansion, coupled with the reform of medical education, is leading to increased competition for medical posts as vacancy rates fall.

Therefore, to ensure that we are only recruiting doctors to the UK where we have a genuine skills shortage NHS Trusts will be required to get a work permit for every doctor that they wish to employ from outside the EU.

In future International Medical Graduates who wish to work or train in the NHS will need a work permit. To obtain a work permit an employer must show that a genuine vacancy exists, which cannot be filled with a resident worker.

We recognise that international doctors have made a huge contribution to the NHS since it was founded in 1948 and there will still be opportunities for overseas staff to come to the UK. We will continue to need small numbers of specialist doctors, who can bring their skills and experience to the NHS. However, increasingly the NHS will be less reliant on international medical recruitment.

The changes will come into action shortly when the NHS will only be able to recruit internationally when they cannot fill a training post with a UK graduate.

The only exception will be to allow two years of permit-free training for non-European Union nationals who have trained in a UK medical schools so that they can acquire full registration with the GMC.

Numbers of doctors entering medical school in UK

Any doctor wishing to apply for postgraduate medical education training in the UK , whether at the Modernising Medical Careers foundation programme level or senior house officer stage, will be required to have a work permit.

Currently International Medical Graduates (IMGs) are able to undertake postgraduate medical education in the UK without needing a work permit.

Health Minister Lord Warner added:

The Department of Health will continue to work with the General Medical Council to ensure that IMGs who are interested in working or training in the UK understand exactly what type of job and training opportunities exist.

Lord Patel is next chancellor of University of Dundee

Sat, 25 Feb 2006 09:59:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Lord Naren Patel, a celebrated obstetrics expert here who had his initial education in India, has been named the next chancellor of the University of Dundee, Scotland.

Lord Patel, 68, who has had a distinguished career holding several prestigious appointments in the British education and health sectors, succeeds Sir James Black in the prestigious post.

Lord Patel is currently honorary professor at the university, and will be installed as chancellor at the end of May in time to preside over the student graduation ceremonies in June and July.

Born in Tanzania, he was educated in India, Tanzania and London. He graduated from St Andrews University in 1964 and continued to work in Scotland, including more than 30 years at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in Dundee, where he became known for his research on premature babies and foetal problems.

He is currently chairman of the British stem cell oversight committee and the patron of several charities.

Speaking about his appointment, Lord Patel said: "There can be no greater award than to be asked to be chancellor of this university in which I have worked for most of my life. I feel honoured and privileged."

Chairman of university Court John Milligan said: "The University Chancellor embodies the mission of the university '...to advance and diffuse knowledge, wisdom and understanding by teaching and research and by the example and influence of its corporate life'.

"We are honoured and delighted to have Lord Patel accept this role for the University of Dundee. Lord Patel's quiet and relentless dedication to health improvements, both in this country and in the poorer countries of the world, is an inspiration.

"And his knowledge of the university - as one who has been closely associated with its work throughout his professional life - makes him an ideal Chancellor."

Lord Patel's key contribution is in the field of medicine where his obstetrics work is of international standing. He is currently retired and sits in the House of Lords having received a knighthood in 1997 and elevation to the Peerage in 1999.

In the House of Lords, he has been a member of the Science and Technology Committee for seven years. He is currently chairman of the National Patient Safety Agency of England and Wales. He is also a member of the Board of the Armed Forces Pay Review.

His academic and clinical interests are in the field of high-risk obstetrics. He has published widely on pre-term labour, foetal growth retardation and obstetric epidemiology.

British cosmetic surgeons becoming millionaires by breast enlargement operations

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 15:23:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) The high demand in Britain for operations to enlarge women's breasts has turned cosmetic surgeons here into millionaires, latest figures from the industry reveal.

Breast enlargement topped the list of cosmetic operations performed in 2005 and the overall demand for cosmetic operations was up by one-third, according to figures published by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).

Breast operations were up by more than 50 percent, to 5,655 operations.

Each breast enlargement operation costs about 4,000 pounds. Operations to reduce breasts numbered 2,700 while anti-ageing operations such as eyelid surgery and brow lifts increased between a third-and-a-half.

The association revealed that women were not the only ones going in for cosmetic surgery - operations sought by men accounted for 2,440, or 11 percent of the total performed. The most popular operation on men is rhinoplasty - the procedure to have an aesthetically pleasing nose.

According to The Independent, more than 100,000 cosmetic procedures are carried out in Britain each year, including treatments such as botox for wrinkles and laser peels to rejuvenate skin, performed by doctors who have had no specialist training in cosmetic surgery.

The growth has been fuelled by television programmes such as "Nip and Tuck" and magazine promotions that have extolled the benefits of the surgical makeover. The trend has been welcomed by some surgeons but alarmed others.

Said Douglas McGeorge, the president-elect of BAAPS: "When performed under the right circumstances, aesthetic surgery can have a very positive psychological impact and improve a patient's quality of life."

Adrian Searle, the current president of the association, warned: "With the increasing media coverage that provides the public with ever more information on what surgical procedures might achieve, it is essential our members promote responsible practices."

Searle said: "The trivialisation of medical procedures is appalling. It seems to have come down to the level of loyalty cards, money-off vouchers, competition prizes and even a raffle prize of a procedure of your choice.

"This belittling of the seriousness of undertaking a medical procedure degrades not only our specialty but also the medical profession as a whole."

3000 junior doctors in the UK could have been unemployed

Sat, 24 Sep 2005 20:23:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) The BMA calls on the Department of Health in England to address medical unemployment today (Tuesday 20 September 2005), as new research suggests that the number of junior doctors unable to find posts last month may have been underestimated.

In the absence of central figures on the numbers of doctors out of post, the BMA set out to get a clearer idea of the scale of the problem. In August, it sent questionnaires to a random sample of 2356 junior doctors in the UK. Of the 675 who responded, almost one in ten (65) had been unable to find work as a doctor in the UK. If the same proportion applies to the total numbers of doctors in these grades, as many as 3000 junior doctors in the UK could have been affected.

Other evidence has shown that the problem is most acute in England and Wales, and has not been a major issue in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Many doctors have already begun applying for posts in Australia and New Zealand. The survey shows that around a third (35%) of the survey respondents who had not found a post were no longer looking for work in the NHS, equating to a loss of around 900 doctors if the pattern applies across England and Wales.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Jo Hilborne, chair-elect of the BMAs Junior Doctors Committee, said: We know theres a problem, and were keen to work with the government to help deal with it. These are people who are desperate to work for the NHS, and have spent years of their lives in training at a huge cost to the taxpayer. Patients healthcare needs are growing, the country is still short of doctors, and we should be doing everything we can to prevent their skills from being wasted. Many doctors are on short-term contracts that expire in February, and unless something is done very quickly, were going to have the same problems all over again.

The BMA believes that the intense competition for training posts has been the result of an increase in numbers of doctors graduating from medical school and a rise in the number of overseas doctors hoping to train in the UK. In addition, it believes that reforms to the medical training structure may have resulted in some long-term posts being phased out.

It is calling for improved workforce planning and the introduction of a system where overseas doctors do not come to the UK until they have at least a provisional offer of a training post. It has also written to the Health Secretary calling for an expansion of numbers of doctors in specialist training, and an increase in funding to accredit more posts for training.

List of Priorities for New Health Secretary - BMA

Mon, 09 May 2005 21:41:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A list of the most critical areas for joint working in developing NHS policy has been sent to the new Secretary of State for Health by the British Medical Association.

In a letter expressing confidence in working in a constructive and positive way with the Government, Mr James Johnson, chairman of the BMA flags up what the BMA sees as the priority areas for the rest of this year.

Top of the list is involving doctors, health professionals and patients in the formulation of health policy and reforms.

Mr Johnson also calls on the new government to help people lead healthier lives, including taking measures such as banning smoking in all enclosed pubic places. Patient choice should be meaningful, relevant to patients and workable for doctors, says the letter.

The BMA wants to see recognition that private sector provision in the NHS must not destabilise the services which the NHS itself provides.

We seek to work with you on health issues in a way that produces the best outcome for patients and doctors alike writes Mr Johnson. He is seeking an early meeting with the Secretary of State for Health.

Doctor voices concerns over new NHS IT System

Fri, 06 May 2005 16:34:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) The political drive to implement the NHS's national programme for information technology is failing to take account of professionals' anxieties, argues a GP in this week's BMJ.

Dr Nigel de Kare-Silver describes his experience of workshops to introduce the new system to users. "We were shown screens of a third rate computer program lifted from the existing system of US hospital administrators," while further meetings produced "lame presentations by various strategic health authority IT leaders."

He goes on to describe problems with the "choose and book" system, in which doctors will select from a list of local hospitals and book an appointment while the patient waits. This has a national implementation date of the end of December 2005.

"The application screens are slow, and the computers often fail to pick up the programs. There is no integration with existing clinical systems or with Microsoft Outlook," he writes.

But the "really frightening module" is the inability of the software to retain advice by either the consultant or the GP, or to integrate it with clinical results. "This is a major clinical governance issue, he adds.

While the ambition of the NHS agenda for IT change should be applauded, it is unfortunate that the contractors show no ability to deliver a system that is an advance on existing services, says the author. "It is frightening that the political drive to implement the system is failing to take account of professionals' anxieties."

Before allowing its delivery, clinicians from all backgrounds must demand a service that is rigorous in terms of clinical governance, friendly in its user interface, fast, and relevant to the needs of clinicians and patients, he concludes.

UK Politicians Failing to Address Low Morale Among Doctors

Fri, 29 Apr 2005 14:44:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) All the UK's main political parties have all failed to address the single most important factor hindering the improvement of health services in their election campaigns--the collapse in morale among doctors, states an editorial in this week's issue of THE LANCET.

Politicians have made a strategic mistake in putting the patient before everything else in the quest to achieve effective health care. Their debates about the NHS have been based on a set of entirely false notions about what matters to patients, states the editorial. Meanwhile doctors have been left demoralised by targets that compromise patient care, shift work that compromises professionalism, and a massively over-managed health service.

The Lancet comments: "John Reid, the present Health Secretary, has spoken of a "personalised health service", one in which the patient takes control of decisions about the prescription of medicines and the selection of surgical procedures. Yet this attitude is manifest nonsense. If doctors have any role at all--and perhaps they do not in Dr Reid's world view--it is to establish a partnership with the patient. A partnership based not on power or untrammelled patient choice, but rather one based on mutual respect. Respect by the doctor for a patient's anxiety and care preferences. And respect by the patient for a doctor's skill and professional expertise.

"What UK medicine needs is a new and stronger political voice, one that is more concerned with augmenting professional standards than with protecting professional status. That voice does not exist at present. Doctors want to strengthen their professional morale because they know that a more robust and motivated profession will mean better outcomes for patients. Currently, no politician recognises this truth. May 5 will therefore not be about democracy at all. The public will be voting in a vacuum of fact. And our collective health will surely suffer the consequences."

Debate on Promoting General Practice in Scotland's GPs Conference

Thu, 28 Apr 2005 17:53:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Doctors will today call on the Scottish Executive to acknowledge the fundamental role of General Practice in NHS Scotland and to recognise that the role of the NHS extends far beyond the debate on waiting times in hospitals.

This call, which is part of a debate on Promoting General Practice, will open the Annual Conference of Scottish Local Medical Committees in Clydebank today (Thursday 28 April 2005).

Dr David Love, joint chairman of the BMAs Scottish General Practitioners Committee welcomed the debate. He said:

"Too often we hear negative stories about the NHS and general practice, but we must also learn to celebrate its successes. General Practice is fundamental to the NHS and I hope that in this debate can help us to focus on the positive contributions that GPs make to the success of our health service.

"We also have a responsibility to ensure that we are providing high quality services that patients need. As doctors we are in a position to identify where systems are failing and to offer solutions that will improve patient care. Politicians need to set targets because they have to be accountable, but they must also accept that in some cases decisions on priorities are fundamentally clinical. Targets and initiatives should only be a priority if they can make a significant difference to patients.

"The NHS is more than just hospital-based care, while general practice and hospitals cannot function without each other, there continues to be a narrow focus on hospital waiting times as a measure of performance of the NHS. This fails to recognise the invaluable work undertaken in general practice and in the wider primary care setting. With appropriate investment, GPs can deliver results. Improving chronic disease management and playing a key role in health promotion and disease prevention all contribute towards reducing hospital admissions and the need to refer patients to hospital."

More than 100 family doctors from across Scotland will gather at todays conference to discuss issues affecting the NHS and general practice. Motions attacking proposals to increase the retirement age to 65 will also top the agenda.

Dr Love added:

"The proposed changes to the public sector pension scheme could have a serious detrimental effect on the retention of doctors in the NHS in Scotland."

Doctors will also debate policy matters such as whether or not prescription charges will be abolished and will also call for greater involvement in community health partnerships.

Negotiators meet for first time to discuss new deal for staff grade and associate specialist doctors

Tue, 19 Apr 2005 17:24:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A new contract for thousands of hospital doctors came a step closer this month when negotiators met prior to formal negotiations.

NHS Employers and the BMA will be negotiating a new contract for staff grade and associate specialist doctors, aiming to improve their career progression and offer fairer recognition and reward for their work with patients. It is hoped that the new contract will be implemented from April 2006.

Each organisation has a team that will be negotiating on its behalf. Team representatives include doctors, chief executives and medical, clinical and HR directors. The two teams met for the first time last week prior to starting formal negotiations.

Heather Lawrence, chair of the NHS Employers negotiating team and chief executive of Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust, said: Our initial pre-negotiation meeting was both useful and productive. It was a good chance for us to start to get to know the BMA team and to listen to their views. The two teams hope to agree a contract that will be attractive to both employers and doctors, and will ultimately lead to improved patient care.

Mr Awani Choudhary, lead negotiator and joint deputy chair of the BMA's Staff and Associate Specialists Committee, said:

A better contract for staff and associate specialist doctors is not only in their interests, but also those of patients and employers. I believe we have a real opportunity to improve SAS doctors working lives and ensure their skills are put to the best use. Progress is already being made and we are all optimistic about the upcoming negotiations.

The negotiating teams plan to meet formally for the first time in the near future to take negotiations forward. Both teams are supported by an extensive network of staff from the BMA and NHS Employers.

New contract to double numbers of part-time' junior doctors

Tue, 12 Apr 2005 23:09:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) A major disincentive to work in the NHS is removed today (Monday 11 April, 2005), as doctors leaders and employers announce a UK-wide new contract making it easier for doctors in training to work flexibly.

The BMA and NHS Employers, who negotiated the contract, believe it will boost the NHS workforce by doubling the numbers of flexible trainees junior doctors who work less than full-time over the next three to five years.

Access to less than full-time work is currently very poor - only one in twenty junior doctors trains flexibly, but half would like to. Most flexible trainees are women with families, and demand for better work-life balance is likely to increase, with female doctors set to outnumber men within the next ten years.

Mr Simon Eccles, chair of the BMAs Junior Doctors Committee, says: Poor work-life balance can be a nightmare for junior doctors. Many especially those with families would be forced to leave the NHS if they did not have access to flexible training. I am delighted that the NHS has made this commitment to retaining staff and improving junior doctors working lives.

NHS trusts often cite the current pay system as the reason they are reluctant to employ flexible trainees, arguing that paying them overtime is too expensive. Under the new contract, salary will be more closely based on hours of work.

Gill Bellord, head of pay and negotiations at NHS Employers, said: Improving the working lives of staff is vital to the NHS. This new contract will encourage NHS trusts to offer flexible training opportunities to more junior doctors who cannot work full-time. However, we also expect NHS trusts to offer more family friendly training opportunities for full-time junior doctors, including help with childcare and the option of working hours to fit in with family life.

Under the terms of the agreement, it will be easier for junior doctors to share a whole-time equivalent slot. A clearer range of reasons for applying for flexible training will also be considered, including religious commitments, and professional development.

No flexible trainees will lose out under the new scheme those whose pay would not go up under the new system will have their pay protected at current levels.

£73 Million for new Junior Doctor Training Programme in UK

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 19:40:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) New funding for the implementation of innovative new training programmes for junior doctors was announced today by John Hutton, Minister of State for Health.

A two-year Foundation Programme will be introduced in August as part of the Modernising Medical Careers initiative.

Mr Hutton said: These extra resources will help ensure the new Foundation Programmes provide the best possible start to doctors postgraduate training. MMC will be full and properly resourced. Investing in the training of doctors for the future will pay huge dividends to the NHS and the quality of the care it provides. Im particularly pleased that we will be able to offer placements in general practice.

The Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson said: "The new Foundation Programme which implements the proposals in my report, Unfinished Business, represents a new dawn for doctors in the early stages of training. We now have the funding to make sure it happens".

Every postgraduate trainee can expect a structured programme of managed education. It will allow them to experience training placements not previously accessible, such as academic medicine and smaller specialties. Most importantly, it will provide a placement in general practice for just over half the trainees in the first year. This will rise significantly the following year as general practice placements are expected to be both popular and educationally effective - £27 million will be released in 2006/07, with the remainder released for the 2007/08 year.

Professor Sir Alan Craft, Chairman of the Academy of Medical Royal colleges said This is excellent news. Doctors in general have welcomed the new MMC arrangements, but we have all been concerned that funding would not be available. It is a really welcome announcement and Im pleased that MMC is making progress.

The Foundation Programme is just the first in a series of landmark changes to postgraduate medical education being developed as part of the Modernising Medical Careers initiative.

Doctors given update on Licensing and Revalidation by GMC

Fri, 11 Mar 2005 16:45:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) General Medical Council President, Sir Graeme Catto, has recently written to all doctors to update them on licensing and revalidation.

In December 2004 the Government announced a review in the light of issues raised by Dame Janet Smith in the fifth report of the Shipman Inquiry. The Government also said that, with the GMCs agreement, it had decided to postpone the introduction of licensing and revalidation until the review was completed.

In his letter Sir Graeme reaffirms the GMCs commitment to introducing a system of revalidation to help raise standards by encouraging doctors to reflect on their work, using evidence gathered through audit and in other ways, and by providing confirmation that doctors are up to date and fit to practise.

Sir Graeme urges all doctors to continue collecting their folders of information Our revalidation proposals envisage that doctors will be required to present some or all of the evidence from their folders to the GMC. While Dame Janet has made suggestions for enhancing the folder, she has not suggested that the principle of the folder or indeed revalidation is unsound.

New cocaine and crack guidelines in primary health care in UK

Wed, 01 Dec 2004 05:44:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has developed a guide to help people working in primary care treat cocaine and crack users.

Guidance for working with cocaine and crack users in primary care has been produced in association with Substance Misuse Management in General Practice (SMMGP). It gives GPs and other primary care healthcare professionals an understanding of the different types of users and their usage patterns. The guidelines also outline the different types of treatment options available to drug users.

The booklet offers practical advice to GPs on what to do when a cocaine or crack user visits a doctors surgery. It also provides guidance on managing acute medical problems such as breathing difficulties and chest pains, as well as emphasising the importance of offering users hepatitis A and B vaccinations.

In addition, the crack guidelines also provide GPs with a list of slang words used by users such as rocks, stones and bones, and outline practical harm reduction tips that GPs can pass on to patients.

Dr William Ford-Young, RCGP drugs spokesperson, said: Cocaine and Crack users have been stigmatised within society and the media but they deserve the same care as anyone else. Successful treatment is possible and it usually comes from a positive health professional/patient relationship. We have devised these guidelines to help GPs and primary care workers deliver the highest possible standards of care to cocaine and crack users.

Pay rise recommended for NHS doctors

Sat, 06 Nov 2004 20:44:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) The supply of doctors to the NHS is still failing to meet demand, the BMA says today (Friday 5 November 2004) in its evidence to the Doctors and Dentists Review Body the body which advises the government on doctors pay.

Retention of adequate numbers of motivated doctors will be jeopardised if they are not rewarded in line with their workload, says the BMA. It calls for pay rises of at least 4.5% for doctors not covered by new contracts, a dramatic increase in the GP Trainers grant, and equal pay for consultants whether or not they have moved on to new contracts.

While GPs and consultants have started to see the benefits of new contracts, the BMA says that pay rises of at least 4.5% are necessary to ensure that other staff are not left behind. Staff and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors, for example, are increasingly being required to work intense and antisocial hours. Negotiations on a new contract for the group have not yet started, but the BMA says an interim pay boost would improve their fragile morale.

The GPs who train tomorrows family doctors are undervalued, says the BMA. Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMAs General Practitioners Committee, says: "Without an increase of at least threefold the current grant of £6,385, GP trainers will vote with their feet in 2005. The essential work they do is unrecognised and undervalued. The reality is that with impending changes to the way we train doctors, the UK is in more need of GP trainers than ever before.

For GPs working in Community Hospitals there is already a "very urgent retention crisis" says the BMA evidence. A survey of these doctors shows they have provided their service for nominal payment and now feel their good will and commitment to community hospital work is being eroded and exploited. The BMA wants formal talks about their pay at national level, but in advance of this seeks a significant uplift in their pay for the year ahead.

Dr Paul Miller, chairman of the BMAs consultants committee says: Consultants were annoyed and insulted by the Review Bodys decision last year to award a lower pay rise to those consultants who had chosen to stay on the old contract. We urge the Review Body to rectify this anomaly by making an award that brings these consultants back in line with their colleagues who are on the new contract. This would also remove the perverse incentive that encourages trusts to keep consultants working under the old terms and conditions when they could be receiving the benefits of being on the new contract.

We also ask the Review Body to start looking ahead to when the three-year pay deal on the new consultant contract expires in 2006-7 as we review any improvements that will be necessary.

The evidence includes new research showing that a junior doctor in their sixth year after qualification earns on average 22% less than an accountant at the same stage of their career. It points out that tomorrows doctors will graduate from medical school with higher debts than in the past, yet will earn less from their first jobs as a result of new NHS working patterns.

Mr Simon Eccles, chair of the BMAs Junior Doctors Committee, says,

Unless we give junior doctors a decent pay rise, we risk worsening their morale at a time when the NHS desperately needs them.

Community Hospital GPs are underpaid - BMA

Fri, 05 Nov 2004 20:51:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Community Hospital GPs are underpaid and feel undervalued and exploited, says the BMA in its evidence to the Doctors and Dentists Pay Review Body (DDRB). It calls for immediate action to resolve the issue across the UK.

The current pay of GPs working in community hospitals does not reflect their workload, skills, commitment, clinical responsibility and clinical leadership which they bring to the job. This has resulted in depressingly low morale that in turn is leading to a recruitment and a severe and very urgent retention crisis says the BMA evidence.

A survey of 192 GPs working in community hospitals forms part of the DDRB evidence. It shows the GPs are working long hours and that the work is disruptive to practice commitments and personal life.

Over two thirds (68%) provide 24 hour care for their unit, the remainder providing 10 to 12 hour day cover.
On average GPs are specially recalled to the hospital 4.3 times a week
The majority (85%) deal with calls outside their normal community hospital sessions - up to 80 calls made in a week and up to 160 calls received.
Most of the GPs (83%) undertake work without any clinical supervision from consultants and carry the ultimate clinical responsibility for resident patients.

In advance of formal negotiations to review the pay and career structure for this important group of doctors, a recommendation from the Review Body for a significant uplift for 2005-6 would help to prevent a recruitment and retention crisis occurring in the short term says the BMA evidence.

GP Trainers
In its evidence to the DDRB, the BMA calls for a dramatic increase in the GP Trainers grant to meet the true costs of training tomorrows GPs. Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMAs General Practitioners Committee said: Without an increase of at least threefold the current grant of £6,385, GP trainers will vote with their feet in 2005. The essential work they do is unrecognised and undervalued. The reality is that with impending changes to the way we train doctors, the UK is in more need of GP trainers than ever before.

For this years evidence, focus groups were held with UK trainers (see Appendix I).The results show that training work is becoming more demanding and is displacing more and more surgery time. The focus group trainers spent approximately two hours per week on formal training and one hour per day on informal training, with administrative and preparatory work in addition to this. The recruitment of GP trainers is becoming increasingly pressing and urgent says the BMA evidence.

GP Educators who teach medical students in a primary care setting did not get a pay uplift this year (from April 2004). New medical school courses have placed new and significant demand on teaching practices and this should be reflected in their pay, says the BMA.

GP Registrars
A call for a substantial increase to the level of pay for GP Registrars comes in the BMA evidence to the DDRB. The Association wants to see their pay more closely aligned with their specialist registrar colleagues in hospital. For junior doctors working in hospital, transferring to a GP Registrar post is still financially less attractive than staying in a hospital training post says the BMA. Given the acknowledged shortage of GPs, the BMA argues the barrier to recruitment must be removed. It is seeking an increase to the Registrar supplement from the current 65% to 70% to provide appropriate parity.

PMS GPs
PMS GPs are being treated unfairly with regard to some payments compared to GMS practices, says the BMA. It spells out the inequalities over issues such as employer superannuation costs and says: Support from the Review Body to highlight the importance of treating GMS and PMS practices equally when distributing national funding arrangements and of ensuring that practices receive the funding due to them would be very welcome.

The GP section of the BMA evidence to the DDRB also calls for increases for salaried GPs, a better deal for academic GPs and covers sessional fees for doctors in the community health service and other fee areas.

Royal college defines good psychiatric practice

Tue, 26 Oct 2004 15:11:00 PST

( from http://www.rxpgnews.com ) Good Psychiatric Practice is the title of a new report from the Council of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It replaces the Colleges previous guidelines published in 2000, and sets out standards for the profession.
The new report is accompanied by extensive quotations from the General Medical Councils guidance on Good Medical Practice (2001). Good Psychiatric Practice should be read in conjunction with other guidance documents published by the College in the Good Psychiatric Practice series.

Contents of the new report include guidance on:
- core attributes that contribute to the personal and professional skills required for good psychiatric practice
- forming and maintaining trusting relationships with patients, carers and colleagues in all disciplines
- good clinical care
- consent to treatment
- note-keeping; inter-agency and inter-professional communication
- good communication with patients and carers
- confidentiality
- availability of emergency care
- working as a member of a team
- referring patients
- clinical governance
- teaching and training
- research
- being a good employee and employer.

The two appendices cover basic knowledge and skills (competencies) in the specialties of psychiatry, and good practice within the psychiatric specialties.

Dr. David Roy, who led the team that produced the new report, commented, This is the second and revised version of a report that lays down guidance on the attributes (and core skills) of the good psychiatrist. This guide spells out in much clearer terms than previously practice and conduct that would be considered as unacceptable for psychiatrists. The Royal College of Psychiatrists received positive feedback from psychiatrists and patients and carers following the publication of the first edition, and we anticipate that further improvements and clarity will contribute to the climate of openness and accountability in professional practice.