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Important information about the specialty training recruitment process for England in 2008

7 December 2007

The MMC Programme Board has issued written to all doctors about how the application process for specialist training will look next year in England - go to the letter now on the MMC website. The BMA has pushed strongly for this vital information to be made available so that doctors are not left in the dark about a process that starts within weeks. Information about the recruitment processes in the devolved nations will be available shortly.

The DH letter refers to the Programme Board being set up to work “with the BMA, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, deaneries and employers to advise ministers on the many complex decisions needed to help the process run smoothly for 2008.” Today’s letter states the decisions reached by government which has been informed by the advice they have received from the Programme Board.

The BMA’s underpinning purpose has been to try to ensure that we find the best solutions for doctors in training for the 2008 selection round.

Whilst we have achieved significant improvements, there remain many issues which doctors will find at best difficult, at worst unacceptable.

Competition levels
There has never been any doubt that competition is going to be very intense with an overall ratio of three applicants for every post, but far higher for some ST3 posts.

By having BMA representatives on the Programme Board, we’ve achieved some improvements from the figures that were initially presented by the DoH. There has been some movement on the number of posts the Department of Health has identified, from an overall figure of 7,770 to between 8,300 and 8,600, and at ST3 level from 300 to between 600 and 900. There will also be multiple recruitment rounds, and additional numbers may be coming up throughout the year. However, we still believe that the situation is unacceptable. The time allowed to trainees to decide about posts is insufficient, and once again there is a lack of clarity over what will happen to those not offered training posts, or those who will be offered FTSTA posts . We will continue to keep pressing on these critically important issues.

Offers and acceptances
The Department of Health has refused to accept the BMA’s position that only a minimum period of three working days between offer and acceptance would be acceptable. As it stands there will only be a period of at least two working days. We hope that the deaneries will ignore this target and make sure applicants get a longer, fairer, chance to consider complex decisions about their futures. We are told there needs to be a period of some 11 weeks to complete employer check for doctors, many of whom will already have been through similar checks within the preceding 12 months. After all the confusion last year the profession will deem it unacceptable that nothing has been done to streamline the process for 2008 despite our repeated demands. We will continue to keep pressing for such streamlining for 2009 and beyond

What the BMA will do for applicants

• We will continue to press for additional training opportunities, particularly at ST3 level where the competition will be most intense. We will continue to insist that accurate updates on numbers of posts available be made throughout 2008 as recruitment proceeds.
• We will vigorously investigate any failures to respect the nationally agreed timetable and standards for recruitment, and take further action as necessary
• We will continue to press the DH to release information about recruitment in a timely and transparent fashion, without any unacceptable delays

The BMA provides a range of services to support members in need of help during the recruitment process

• Let us know of any problems you experience with deaneries or employers and we will raise them either locally or nationally
• We will provide frequent updates on our website and via email
• We will again be providing our Contract Checking service for applicants who are offered a contract. Call askBMA on 0870 60 60 828 and they will tell you where to post/email a copy of your contract so that we can make sure it reflects the national model and does not contain any unfavourable terms.
• BMA Counselling Service - doctors in need of counselling and personal support will be able to call 08459 200 169, to speak anonymously to a professional counsellor.

What the BMA will do for consultants

• We will continue to highlight the urgent need to plan the process, with employers giving adequate time in consultants’ job plans for this to be done
• We will continue to press for the highest standards for the outcome of training. Any lowering in the standard of training will weaken the consultant grade, and this cannot be allowed to happen.
• We will continue to press for consultant expansion to meet the increasing demands placed on consultants
• We will provide support for any consultants having problems with negotiating adequate time in their job plans.

What the BMA will do for SAS doctors
Many doctors who are unsuccessful in entering or re-entering training will be in SAS or trust grades. We will continue to push for additional training posts. The new contract for SAS grades was finally released by the government this week, but with strings attached. Once we have clarified important details, we will organise roadshows across the country, followed by a ballot of SAS doctors on the contract proposals.

In future
There has, as yet, been no serious attempt by the government to address longer-term workforce planning issues; the numbers entering medical schools need to be re-examined, and the promised - but reneged upon - consultant expansion needs to happen as part of a co-ordinated approach to this bulge in workforce numbers. The continuing absence of any obvious plan for what to do for talented doctors who are unsuccessful in obtaining training posts is unacceptable.

We also await the reponse of the government to the Tooke report. The final report of the Tooke inquiry is likely to be published in the next few weeks, and the government’s response will crucial in how the future shape of the NHS develops.

Your views
The BMA has sought the views of its members not only from craft committees but also from membership surveys both before and after publication of the Tooke review and from two conferences. Further discussion and comment is always welcome and should be directed in the first instance to info.jdc@bma.org.uk (if you are a junior doctor), info.ccsc@bma.org.uk (if you are a consultant), info.masc@bma.org.uk (if you are an academic), info.sasc@bma.org.uk (if you are a staff and associate specialist) or info.gpc@bma.org.uk (if you are a GP).