By Paul Dicken
06 August 2009
Junior doctors in Wales face unsafe staffing levels, bullying and a lack of opportunities, the British Medical Association has said.
Dr Andrew Dearden, chair of the BMA Welsh Council, said concerns about working conditions would adversely affect the recruitment and retention of junior doctors, which was already at a ‘critical point’. He was speaking at the launch of its Option 7 campaign – designed to improve the working conditions of doctors – on August 3.
Dearden said: ‘We are hearing of some worrying cases which seem to be more widespread than just “one-off” incidents. It has got to the point where it is starting to affect the reputation of training in Wales.’
Meetings will take place with chief executives and chairs of NHS health boards and the BMA Cymru said it would support employers in tackling issues. Action plans – which will be setting deadlines and allocating responsibilities – will be drawn up with the Wales Deanery of Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education.
The doctors union has also raised concerns over an ‘unprecedented’ shortage of middle grade and junior doctors in hospital trusts in the country. This was a result of doctors not wanting to work in Wales and changes to immigration rules, it said.
A spokeswoman for the Welsh Assembly Government said the changes to immigration rules had caused problems with recruitment across the UK.
Health Minister Edwina Hart had written to the Home Office to ask for a review in relation to doctors.
‘A junior doctor review group has been established to review recruitment, training schemes, rotas and working conditions to promote a positive image of working
as a junior doctor in Wales,’ she said.
06 August 2009
Junior doctors in Wales face unsafe staffing levels, bullying and a lack of opportunities, the British Medical Association has said.
Dr Andrew Dearden, chair of the BMA Welsh Council, said concerns about working conditions would adversely affect the recruitment and retention of junior doctors, which was already at a ‘critical point’. He was speaking at the launch of its Option 7 campaign – designed to improve the working conditions of doctors – on August 3.
Dearden said: ‘We are hearing of some worrying cases which seem to be more widespread than just “one-off” incidents. It has got to the point where it is starting to affect the reputation of training in Wales.’
Meetings will take place with chief executives and chairs of NHS health boards and the BMA Cymru said it would support employers in tackling issues. Action plans – which will be setting deadlines and allocating responsibilities – will be drawn up with the Wales Deanery of Postgraduate Medical and Dental Education.
The doctors union has also raised concerns over an ‘unprecedented’ shortage of middle grade and junior doctors in hospital trusts in the country. This was a result of doctors not wanting to work in Wales and changes to immigration rules, it said.
A spokeswoman for the Welsh Assembly Government said the changes to immigration rules had caused problems with recruitment across the UK.
Health Minister Edwina Hart had written to the Home Office to ask for a review in relation to doctors.
‘A junior doctor review group has been established to review recruitment, training schemes, rotas and working conditions to promote a positive image of working
as a junior doctor in Wales,’ she said.
