In March 1942 the Minister of Health appointed an inter-departmental committee on medical schools.  The committee was chaired by William Goodenough and published its findings (the Goodenough report) in 1944.

The Goodenough report was the most important statement on medical education and highlighted key problem areas in postgraduate medical education.  Goodenough also demanded a secure financial commitment for postgraduate medical education and argued that the treatment of patients should be on an equal footing to the training of doctors.  This is clearly not the case.

Whilst various acronyms, working parties, committees, and review boards, have come and gone, to this day problems of; who should control postgraduate medical education? its’ structure, and the number of doctors required, remain elusive to resolution.

Postgraduate medical education in 2008 would not be good enough for Goodenough.

From August 2008 most hospitals will no longer provide free accommodation for junior doctors (following changes to the law which no longer requires junior doctors to be resident.)

At this very moment, student debt is at its highest level and junior doctors’ salaries are shrinking – the BMA has argued that this is completely detrimental to the Government’s drive to encourage low-income groups into the medical profession.

Ann Keen (Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health) responded today and said;

“as the statutory requirement to be resident no longer exists, these doctors will need to make the same arrangements as other national health service staff.”

What the honourable member forgets is that other national health service staff receive grants and have their university fees paid in full – medical students do not.

This is just another example of the government saving money at the expense of medical professionals – who are a vital element to the NHS.

I am pleased that the BMA have strongly opposed these measures. (click to view their campaign)

Next week, in hospitals throughout the country, medical students will hold protests to raise awareness and to urge NHS Employers to negotiate with the BMA. I will be supporting this protest.

http://www.supportyoursurgery.org.uk

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Back in March, Andrew Lansley put forward an early day motion in response to the Tooke report. In short, this motion (see below for it in full) aimed to ‘ring-fence’ postgraduate medical education funding and to protect it at times of financial deficits. Although it has received cross-party support, I was disappointed that my local Labour MP declined to put his name to it.

Early Day Motion 1140:

“That this House notes the final recommendations of Sir John Tooke’s independent inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers; believes that the Government should not delay in introducing key improvements to medical training; draws attention to the recommendation to enhance future co-ordination of postgraduate medical education and training through the formation of NHS Medical Education England; further notes the recommendation to ring-fence funding for postgraduate medical education and training, so that this funding is protected and not used by trusts for other purposes during times of financial difficulty; and calls on the Government to continue to engage with the medical profession so that future reform to medical training is properly planned and tested to ensure the highest quality of care for patients.”

In February, an online poll of 3000 doctors found the general consensus that the billions of pounds injected into the service since 2002 have not been well spent and services have not improved.

And in April, a similar survey revealed only 7 per cent of hospital doctors would vote Labour at the next election, compared to 43 per cent for the Tories and 15 per cent for the Lib Dems.

“Labour are no longer the party of the NHS” -Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley

In another attempt to save money (by reallocating resources), this government plans to give optometrists the power to prescribe drugs for conditions such as dry eye syndrome and conjunctivitis.

They say this will make “care more convenient” and will “free up GPs to concentrate on other areas”

I agree with Rhod Daniel, chairman of BMA, that “the safety of the patient must always take precedence over convenience and economics”.

A recent report by Which? Found that many people leave opticians with inaccurate prescriptions and that of 39 eye examinations they studied, 17 were poor or very poor because essential tests were missed.

Give optometrists the power to prescribe drugs such as antibiotics and steroids? I’m not convinced.

Not the easiest of things to revise for, particularly when every newspaper you read is talking about the MTAS disaster and telling you that there will be no jobs when you finish!

Perhaps I should book my one way ticket to Australia?

On the 1st April 2007 prescription charges in England will go up to £6.85, but don’t worry – Health ministers say that this is below inflation and the money raised will be going back into the NHS! – another short term solution to the financial deficits?

When will this Government learn that they can’t just keep throwing money at the NHS – they’ve got to make real reforms that will improve the service and secure it’s future.

Meanwhile, on the same day, free prescriptions will be introduced in Wales.

So much for equality and a United Kingdom – English assembly anyone??

(perhaps not – but I do think that only MPs from English constituencies should vote on English matters)

“pandemonium” – is how the BMA has described the new system for recruiting junior doctors (Modernising Medical Careers) which has left doctors confused and angry as an estimated 30,000 junior doctors have applied for around 22,000 posts. Downing Street’s response:

“The important thing is that there are more doctors than before and that is part of the investment that has gone into the health service.”

Yes, more doctors trained but no jobs …… are you thinking what I’m thinking?

£450 million has already been cut from training and Public Health budgets – shocking when you think that only two per cent of the health budget is devoted to health promotion (half of that in Germany) – particularly at a time with growing obesity levels, rising incidence of sexually transmitted disease and the resurgence of TB.

Public Health budgets should be kept independent from the PCTs – to reduce the temptation of raiding these vital funds to balance the books.

Public Health is important – prevention is better (and more cost effective!) than cure.