25 May 2007
The Department of Health has claimed a legal victory in the row over the new system for recruiting junior doctors, but the future of the scheme remains uncertain following attacks by doctors and Opposition MPs.
A judicial review of the decision to go ahead with the computerised Medical Training Application Service backed the government's view that it was legal.
Junior doctors had argued the system could not cope with the demand for the service, did not allow doctors to attach a CV and had suffered security breaches.
Although Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt promised that the MTAS would not be used for further application rounds this year, a group of junior doctors known as Remedy UK took the department to the High Court last week to judicially review the legality of the system.
On May 23 Mr Justice Goldring decided against invalidating appointments already made, but added that many junior doctors had a 'justifiable' grievance and individuals might have grounds for action under employment law. Remedy UK promised to appeal the decision.
As the Conservatives used the row to put pressure on Hewitt, there were also repercussions for the British Medical Association. BMA chair Jim Johnson resigned this week because doctors were unhappy that a letter to The Times did not adequately reflect the anger over MTAS.
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