NEWS releases

---

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.