MEDICAL WORKFORCE PLANNING - The CMO’s Opinion (2)

Q117 Dr Stoate: Just to go back to my first question, so the Royal College of Physicians is wrong, there will not be these specialist trained doctors who are going to have no jobs to go to. That is what they are saying to us and you are saying they are wrong.

Sir Liam Donaldson: If they are saying it in such black and white terms, then that is not right. If they are expressing a general concern that we need to get the specialty training right for the future, and they themselves have had ideas about redefining some of the specialties within the medicine, it is something that we need to work with them on and we do work with them and I do not mind them making provocative statements from time to time because that keeps us all on our toes.

The Witch Doctor: So, it seems to be the Royal College of Physicians that is spreading the news that there will be medical unemployment. Again Sir Liam disagrees.

Q118 Dr Stoate: They keep us amused as well. Just a final point. What will the impact of Modernising Medical Careers be on the non-training service posts, which the Royal College of Anaesthetists have called the so-called “failed doctor” grade? That was not my expression that was theirs. What do you see happening in that situation?

Sir Liam Donaldson: We shall probably see fewer of these posts which are really designed within local organisations to meet a service need because we are going to see an expansion of training posts following on from the medical school expansion. I do not like that description, and neither do you by the way you asked the question, but we do have to remember that there are many doctors today, for family reasons or work/life balance attitudes, who do not necessarily want to go on to become principals in general practice or consultants. For example, some of the most talented doctors in the country are in such posts in very specialised areas of practice. For example, I know of a radiologist who is very expert in the ultrasound diagnosis of certain conditions, who, although a staff grade, has cases referred to her from consultants because they regard her as the best opinion in a particular field. We must not regard these posts as posts which are not valuable and do not have a future; they do and they are very important.

The Witch Doctor: Sir Liam suggests there wll be an increase in training posts and a decrease in service posts. However, he raises the fact that staff grade doctors already are in parts of the country considered expert in a well-defined branch of a larger specialty.

He refers to demographic changes. The predominant number of women doctors and their anticipated work pattern has not eluded him!