Specialist Training in The UK

My decision to move back to Africa, become the MD of the first Flying Doctors service in West Africa and set up my own line of clinics was influenced for the most part, by my determination to induce an improvement in healthcare across the region.

But also due the poor methods and standards of training I was offered in the UK. The dumbing down of medicine was getting ridiculous as pointed out continuously by the entire medical blogosphere. Unfortunately our comments fell and are still falling on deaf ears.

One of such bloggers that has been something of a pace setter for this issue is my beloved ferret, he has spoken about this time and time again.


I wonder how much highlighting an issue needs before someone takes note. It'll take as long as it takes I guess.

I think Bill Alexander outlines these problems quite eloquently in his letter to the Lancet.

Hospital consultants and GP's please take note! You still have the collective power to turn this around.


The Lancet, Volume 350, Issue 9094, Pages 1851 - 1852, 20 December
doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)63668-9Cite or Link Using DOI
Specialist training in UK
Bill Alexander


Sir,

The commentary by Philip Barber reflects, I suspect, the views of the vast majority of clinicians in the UK. Why have we stood back and watched the high standard and enjoyment of clinical medicine disappearing under non-evidence-based edicts? I suppose because the silent majority of clinicans have been left beleaguered by more voluble ex-colleagues who now dictate to them from the bureaucracies that attracted them out of mainstream care delivery into the seductive political world. What a pity more of us have not taken as much time publicly as we have privately, to express our dismay at the implementation of systems we all loathe and for which we have never accepted the rationale.

There is a further, so far unmentioned, consequence of these harebrained new schemes that may be even more destructive than the schemes themselves. That is the appearance of a reduced threshold for doctors in training to take sick leave. This is likely to be due to reduced morale and commitment rather than increased disease.

I agree with Barber that the Royal Colleges need to be more supportive of their ordinary fellows and members and more aware of their concerns. I hope there will be a flood of letters in response to Barber's refreshing opening shot and that copies will be sent to the relevant bodies. I suspect, however, that it is far too late and we are now all too weary.