Government proposals to restrict employment opportunities for overseas doctors currently working in the UK are unfair, the British Medical Association has says today (Wednesday 24 October).
The Department of Health (DH) is currently consulting on the rules that should apply to medical graduates from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) when applying to specialist training posts next year.
The BMA believes that “medical immigration” should be better controlled in future, but is concerned for the welfare of thousands of doctors and medical students from overseas who are already in the UK.
Dr Terry John, chair of the BMA’s International Committee, says: “Long-term, the UK should be able to produce its own medical workforce and managing medical immigration in the future will be necessary.
“However, the thousands of overseas junior doctors currently providing essential services in UK hospitals must not be scapegoated for the government’s poor workforce planning. They came to the UK in good faith, and the honest expectation of training opportunities in the NHS.”
