Royal College of General Practitioners shows solidarity with junior hospital doctors

16 March 2007

RCGP Chairman Professor Mayur Lakhani has voiced concern about the plight of junior hospital doctors caught up in the new medical training application system and expressed solidarity with them.

Ahead of Saturday’s protest march, Professor Lakhani, leader of the UK’s largest medical royal college, invited orthopaedic Registrars Matthew Jameson-Evans and Matthew Shaw -  who with their colleague Judy King  are founders of doctors’ movement Remedy UK -  to the College to hear at first hand the problems experienced by junior doctors. The meeting took place on Thursday March 15th 2007.

Professor Lakhani said: “I understand the distress of junior hospital doctors. Although the new medical training scheme has worked well for GPs, we are concerned about the effect on our colleagues working in hospitals. As a GP, I depend on hospital doctors to give patients high quality care they require, particularly for acute illnesses.

“This is not a time for recriminations. Everything possible must be done to improve the situation in a calm way. We support the efforts of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges through its current review of the process. We do not support the calls for a suspension of MTAS for general practice and must avoid precipitous decisions about the future of the overall scheme.”

Mr Jameson-Evans said: “We welcome this show of support from Professor Mayur Lakhani and the Royal College of General Practitioners. We appreciate the concern the College has shown towards the future of medical students and grass roots doctors. Today we have discussed the profound problems facing those involved in MMC specialist training and wider problems concerning the future of the whole profession. At a time of such stress for the profession, such dialogue is invaluable.”

Notes to Editors: Photographs of the meeting are available from Gillian Watson, RCGP PR Team, on 020 7344 3135 or press@rcgp.org.uk.