Government announces specialty training plans for 2008

The Department of Health has announced its specialty training plans for 2008, reporting that it will involve locally led and staggered recruitment, without the use of a national IT systems for applications.

It notes that this agreement has been reached following dialogue and with the support of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the British Medical Association.

The government has fully accepted the proposals submitted by the programme board of Modernising Medical Careers in this area, with this panel including members from both aforementioned bodies, in addition to health services representatives.

Ben Bradshaw, health minister, said: “I am delighted that the department and the medical profession have worked together on arrangements that are good for doctors and good for the NHS.”

“These ensure deaneries can deliver a flexible response to the needs of applicants as well as safeguarding national standards.”

He added that the government has learned from problems with the recruitment process in 2007, with the department apologising for any problems caused for junior doctors this year.

Last month, the British Medical Journal claimed that government policy on immigration is restricting the number of job opportunities available for junior doctors in the UK, with too many training positions awarded to overseas applicants.