This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/6457901.stm

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Junior doctors protest over jobs Junior doctors protest over jobs
(about 4 hours later)
Junior doctors are marching in London and Glasgow to protest against a new on-line system for allocating specialist jobs. Junior doctors have marched in London and Glasgow to protest against reforms to their medical training.
The system has been criticised as being "badly organised" and for cutting the number of jobs available. They claim their careers are being held back by a "badly-organised" online application system and too few specialist jobs to apply for.
A government review last week recommended changes are made before the next round of interviews. Addressing the London protest, Tory leader David Cameron said the online system was an "utter shambles".
But doctors' leaders said not enough had been done to ensure a fair and efficient recruitment process. Health Minister Lord Hunt admitted there had been "teething problems" with the system but promised to fix them.
'Absolute disaster'
The online questionnaire-based application, called Modernising Medical Careers (MMC), was designed to speed up the process for placing junior doctors in specialist jobs.
But a catalogue of complaints has emerged.
Doctors say the forms are badly worded, do not ask pertinent questions, do not allow them to set out relevant qualifications and experience, and have no facility for attaching a CV.
The result, they say, is that the best candidates are not being selected for the right jobs.
If the best doctors don't get through, it's not the best thing for the NHS as a whole, or for patients. Remedy UK spokeswoman 'I'm going to New Zealand'If the best doctors don't get through, it's not the best thing for the NHS as a whole, or for patients. Remedy UK spokeswoman 'I'm going to New Zealand'
A protest group, Remedy UK, says the system called Modernising Medical Careers, involves a badly-run online application system and that the best doctors are not getting interviews for the best jobs. Andrew Rowland, vice-chairman of the British Medical Association's junior doctors' committee, said MMC was an "absolute disaster" and called for an independent review.
It adds that the changes the Department of Health has proposed will not significantly better the situation. "We need this system to be halted until we can find out exactly what went wrong and to make sure that can be corrected."
In addition, the doctors' group says, there are too few jobs. An estimated 28,000 UK trainees are applying for 22,000 posts. The protesters, organised by campaign group Remedy UK, are also aggrieved that about 28,000 UK trainees are applying for 22,000 posts.
The Department of Health has already said there will be "significant" changes to the second round of interviews, which is due to begin in April. Mr Cameron said the system should be scrapped if the government could not address concerns.
This will include allowing applicants to provide CVs and portfolios to support their applications. At present no CV can be included with an application form. And he said there should be a specialist post for "every junior doctor in England".
People who have already been refused will be able to have their applications reconsidered. He said the Conservatives would treat doctors like "human beings", and pledged to hold the government to account over MMC.
Faster training Government assurances
But a spokeswoman for Remedy UK said not enough had been done to answer doctors' concerns. The Department of Health has already said there will be "significant" changes before the second round of interviews for specialist posts - due to begin in April.
"This is about ensuring doctors get the right training. That's absolutely fundamental for patients' care. This will include allowing applicants to provide CVs and portfolios to support their applications.
"Doctors agree. And they think there should be a competitive selection process - but it should be fair and accountable. This is a completely unfair system. And those who have already been refused will be able to have their applications reconsidered.
"If the best doctors don't get through, it's not the best thing for the NHS as a whole, or for patients." Lord Hunt insisted that the government wanted "the best doctors to get into those specialty training posts".
The BMA is supporting the march, and shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley will make a speech in London. "I want to assure junior doctors that we are doing everything we can to sort the issues that they've raised out," he said.
He said the NHS should, if necessary, revert to the conventional interview processes and tell the government they must make extra training posts.
"We cannot, we must not, abandon thousands of junior doctors; we must ensure that they can fulfil their vocation, for them and for our patients."
Doctors' training was revamped in 2005, with the aim of speeding up progress so juniors could reach consultant level in an average of 11 years, rather than the current 14.Doctors' training was revamped in 2005, with the aim of speeding up progress so juniors could reach consultant level in an average of 11 years, rather than the current 14.
However doctors who have been through their initial stage of training under both the old and the new systems are all competing for a limited number of specialist training posts.However doctors who have been through their initial stage of training under both the old and the new systems are all competing for a limited number of specialist training posts.
This is the point at which a doctor would select to focus on an area such as cancer medicine or paediatrics.This is the point at which a doctor would select to focus on an area such as cancer medicine or paediatrics.