UK halts training for overseas doctors

Thousands of doctors from around the world will no longer be able to train as specialists in the UK in the wake of new immigration laws.

Under laws that came into force on July 1, medical graduates who train outside the UK are ineligible for specialist training posts, because of the scarcity of places for doctors qualifying in the UK, a Home Office (HO) spokesperson said.

The rule ends the Highly Skilled Migrant programme, Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme and the International Graduates scheme that were all used by medical graduates from less developed countries to acquire internationally recognised qualifications.

A total of 8,925 doctors were classed as highly skilled migrants in 2007, a figure that dropped to 6,300 in 2008, according to figures from the UK's Department of Health.

"We have introduced a clause preventing new highly skilled migrants from taking up doctor in training posts," a HO spokesperson told MT.

"We need to ensure that there are sufficient training opportunities for UK trained medical graduates where there has been substantial investment at taxpayers' expense."

The British Medical Association (BMA) has opposed the move arguing that removing the pool of international medical graduates altogether will destabilise medical rotas and ultimately put patients at risk.

Dr Terry John, chairman of the association's International Committee, said: "International medical staff keep services running. Three in ten junior doctors are now working on an understaffed rota - partly as a result of the fact that many of our overseas colleagues have already grown disillusioned and left the NHS.

"We agree that in the long-term the UK should be able to produce and sustain its own medical workforce. However, knee-jerk solutions are likely to have a negative impact."

The UK's Department of Health estimates that around 1,200 UK trained medical graduates were unable to obtain training posts in 2007 because of over subscription.

The cost of training one junior doctor to pre-specialty levels they enter speciality training costs roughly £250,000 (US$320,000).

Doctors residing in the UK as highly skilled migrants must apply for Tier 1 immigration status on visa renewal, the HO spokesperson added.

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