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Modernising Medical Careers

Notwithstanding the bold statement that the process is fair, it can only mean that people who have invested not only years of training, but before that many years securing the necessary qualifications to begin that training, are being given a most unreasonable deal. I would not be at all surprised if the junior doctors whom I met today said, ““This is the last straw? and took up those job offers abroad, which are better than anything that the NHS can provide. The new system involves a great deal of uncertainty. Others have spoken of the danger of court action. There are questions to be asked about the quality of the curricula to be provided, and also about the standing of the medical training that our country provides. That standing is important not only to junior doctors but to the United Kingdom as a whole, but the ““gold standard? is in danger of being compromised. It is always difficult for politicians to recognise that they have made mistakes, and we are grateful that the Secretary of State has been able to apologise. However, as the hon. Member for Bassetlaw observed, it takes leadership to be able to recognise that it is time to cut one’s losses. If junior doctors are to be given the confidence that will enable them to stay in this country, they must be offered the prospect of jobs in the NHS through the provision of training jobs in the first place. If we are not to lose a quarter of a million pounds’ worth of training for all the junior doctors who will depart these shores within the next few months, we must accept what the Opposition motion says. Jobs—training jobs—must be given to people who have invested so much of their time to become junior doctors and serve the people of this country.