NEWS releases

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Patients could face an even longer wait for essential treatment after the representative body of the BMA voted to block the development of demonstrably dedicated doctors.

New proposals mean that overseas medics who come to the UK to help sick people and prop-up the beleaguered NHS, will now have to work for five years here before they can move onto specialist medical training. This despite them having years of delivering care in other countries including service in war zones and during epidemics.

And the move has angered a host of eminent physicians including the British International Doctors Association (BIDA) who have even questioned the validity of the BMA vote (see the attached letter).

“We are aware of the dearth of training opportunities within the NHS, but the answer is surely to fund some more rather than preclude an entire workforce who are skilled and experienced” said Professor Amit Sinha, the President of BIDA. “Everybody loses if we take this step. At a time of huge staff turnover, it will result in fewer specialists about and that would mean patient waits that could prove fatal. It also demeans and dismisses the abilities of already committed medics and offers no kind of incentive to those coming from overseas to care for the sick.”

These proposals, says Prof Sinha, are allegedly prompted by a desire to see more British-born staff develop their careers – ahead of international doctors. But instead he believes it is a “jingoistic attempt to play to the crowd” which should worry potential patients, deeply. “Racism within the NHS is already an issue acknowledged by those who run it” he continued, “and now we are officially sanctioning prejudice? If patients knew their painful wait for life-changing treatment was caused because an eminently suitable medic – from whatever background - had been refused training, they would be furious.”

Even the mechanics of the motion are highly questionable and in their letter to the BMA, BIDA say that it “was amended shortly  before debate through the addition of a rider proposing a five-year NHS experience requirement. 

Furthermore, the rescheduling of the debate raised questions among many delegates regarding whether adequate opportunity was provided for full consideration of the motion and its amendments.”

Since their creation in 1975, BIDA has represented the rights of international doctors. They have been responsible for bringing in training for medics to assimilate into life in Britain and fought other battles on tolerance for women, the LGBT+Q community and disabled doctors.

But they see this as their biggest challenge, yet.

“Britain has a workable health service because of overseas staff and most patients are thankful to receive the best care, regardless of where their healer emanates from” concluded Professor Sinha. “But the prognosis for us is poor, with medics reporting real fear when questioning HR procedures and even visiting neighbourhoods known for intolerance. This plan is yet more bad medicine and the message is a clear one: Create more training places for ALL physicians and do not take them away from people with ample proficiencies who care, just because they come from another country.” 

Learn more about BIDA, by visiting https://bida-online.com/ 

Unfairness, bias, and discrimination are still highly prevalent in the disciplinary proceedings that NHS staff are subject to, despite repeated improvement measures, recommendations, and reports. 

The personal and monetary costs of these disciplinary measures are but the true costs unknown and unaudited, as are the actions of those in trust management who lead these processes.

It would be appropriate to quote the last retiring Chair of National Guardian:

“These survey responses show us that there is a growing feeling that speaking up in the NHS is futile – that nothing changes as a result. When workers speak up about concerns, including the impact of understaffing and a crumbling infrastructure, their leaders themselves may struggle to be heard when trying to address these concerns.

I would add my voice to that of others that this urgently needs to be addressed. Failing to do so risks compounding this sense that workers do not have the resources they need to deliver the high-quality care they want for their patients. This will have a direct impact on patient safety”. 

We propose the establishment of an Independent and elected Scrutiny Panel with statutory powers, from which management would have to seek permission before undertaking any investigation of a member of staff, in each hospital. This would establish a perception of balance and fairness that is long overdue and would also allow transparency and proper audit. It is also proposed that such scrutiny panels take over the current functions of the local Guardians for Freedom to Speak UP (FTSU). This would allow staff to report issues of patient safety without fear of retribution, because of the protection of anonymity provided by the scrutiny panel. The panel would then ensure that the issues were considered, and appropriate actions were taken, resulting in better welfare of patients.

The changes would also be cost effective.

This petition has the support of 17 medical organizations and 14 Allied Health Professional groups.

Dr Arun Baksi, Emeritus Consultant Physician

Professor Parag Singhal OBE, Consultant Endocrinologist

Professor Amit Sinha, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Mr Oliver Soriano, Chief Nursing Officer Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation

Medics under the microscope for issues such as whether they are mentally well enough to practice, deserve greater compassion at what an organisation called, “the most vulnerable time of their life.”

The British International Doctors Association (BIDA) is one of over 30 organisations who have written to Government to raise concerns that some GMC public hearings detailing personal information are causing defendants involved to have, “dark thoughts.”

Indeed the sharing of information on a medic’s health and the intense scrutiny has left four in ten contemplating suicide and nearly half considering leaving medicine (1).

“Medics must adhere to the very highest standards to maintain public confidence and offer the best service” said Professor Amit Sinha, President of BIDA, “but a hearing for unprofessional behaviour is very different from one which examines a doctor’s wellbeing. 

If a doctor is investigated under ‘adverse physical or mental health’ certain measures should be put in place to protect them – such as holding parts/all of the hearing in private, or redacting published material that references their health.”

Prof Sinah also argued that some of the language used around hearings stigmatised mental health issues, adding, “Currently a doctor desperately needing support is lumped together with one who may have broken the law. Their hearing may not be around incompetence or gross misconduct at all, it may be a cry for help for a doctor who is attempting to cope with a crippling workload, which impacts their wellbeing.”

BIDA’s remit has been to bolster the profile of the medics who come to Britain from other countries and who sometimes face prejudice on the wards and in the departments and surgeries. But their clamour for equality also extends to other issues in the workplace, such as misogyny and poor mental health. 

“Hearings should not always be designed to punish” continued Professor Sinah, “they can also be an opportunity to outline the stresses and strains that have caused a doctor to struggle. We are already under the cosh when it comes to numbers and retention, and the way things are conducted presently, encourages medics to keep any mental health concerns hidden. That is not good for them – or the patient.”

Along with BIDA, those countersigning the letter include the British Medical Association, Doctors in Distress and the Royal College of General Practitioners. 

The letter has been sent to health minister Karin Smyth with the expectation of a swift reply. 

Britain’s blundering healthcare planning has created a perfect storm of 30,000 newly qualified doctors - with only 1,000 new roles to apply for.

And this is leading to medics whom the country has paid to train, simply taking their skills elsewhere to countries such as Australia and the Gulf states.

So say a group of eminent physicians from the British International Doctors Association (BIDA) – who have now implored Health Secretary Wes Streeting to take decisive intervention or, “risk losing a generation of doctors - not from lack of talent or commitment, but because the system failed to offer them a viable future.”

The group also believes this exodus is being exacerbated by poor career progression, which has seen some trained doctors leave the profession altogether. 

This at a time where one-in-five patients in some parts of the country believe they will NEVER get a doctor’s appointment .

In an open letter to Mr Streeting, Professor Amit Sinha, President of BIDA, wrote: “This combination of over-recruitment, inadequate training opportunities, and unclear workforce planning is leading to disillusionment.”

As the voice of overseas doctors here in the UK, Prof Sinha reminded the Minister that: “There is no guarantee of suitable employment or career progression once these doctors arrive. The practice of increased training but no work risks creating false hope, financial hardship, and a brain drain in countries already struggling with healthcare workforce shortages, while adding to the oversupply crisis in the UK.”

Dr Anita Sharma, Chairperson of BIDA’s Women’s Health Forum recently spoke with a highly qualified Nigerian doctor who had considered training in England, but was put off by the concoction of limited opportunities and progression. “The doctor was fleeing domestic violence and persecution and wanted to give something back to the country who had sheltered her” revealed the Oldham GP, “but with a young daughter to care for and no guarantee of a job, she is now working – in admin.” 

The doctors also called for a redistribution of resources to make sure rural areas had a sufficient number of medics and that the role of Physician Associates was clarified – so that they support rather than replace fully-trained medics.

Professor Sinha concluded: “We need to substantially expand specialty training numbers to match domestic graduate output and wider NHS needs. One thousand new posts is simply not enough at this time when the NHS stands at a critical juncture.”

Pictured is Professor Amit Sinha, President of BIDA.