Watch this space: MMC

"Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) is a programme of radical change that aims to drive up the quality of care for patients through reform and improvement in postgraduate medical education and training. "

The government's stated aims of MMC are directly quoted above. The government also claimed that all it was doing was fair and transparent:

"One of the intended benefits of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) was to ensure a transparent and efficient career path for doctors."

There was also meant to be better training for doctors and 'evidence' behind this improved training system:

"For patients, it was intended to mean that a higher proportion of care would be delivered by an appropriately skilled workforce. For trainees, the new programmes’ structures meant an assured high quality of training, better formal supervision and continuous development of acquired competencies, backed up by good evidence."

It is strange that despite such noble motives, the reality is virtually the polar opposite of the government's hollow chatter. The training quality is not better, the competency based ladder is simply a way of dumbing down health care so that less training and skills are needed for its delivery, this is beautifully demonstrated by Dr C's Pharmacist's tale. The quality of care is consequently not better, it is worse, as less experience and skill are needed to treat patients these days. The 'fair' MMC process is excellently demonstrated by this sad tale from a junior doctor who has actually experienced the reality of this grossly unfair and shoddy system.

So training is worse, there are less hours for training and a much smaller window of opportunity for learning one's trade, and at the same time training is being shortened. Something does not add up, these promises of better care seem a blatant lie. So what are the real motives for MMC, I would advise you to watch this space for some rather important breaking news.