Wednesday 14 March 2007

consultants continue to abandon the MTAS ship

"Dear XXXXX,
It is with the greatest regret that after serious deliberation, I have decided to write to you with my resignation from the position of Chairman of the Emergency medicine Training committee of the Eastern Region. This is in protest over the shambolic MTAS recruitment process that is unravelling which I believe is threatening to destroy the high standard of medical training in the UK.Last Friday, 9th March, I was urged by XXXXXX and many of my colleagues to continue and I agreed to stay and interview the ACCS ST1 and ST2 shortlisted candidates since it was felt it would be unfair on them not to do so at the time.

However, having reflected over the weekend, I have decided I can no longer support the current MTAS recruitment process. I believe it has not been thought through properly, its implementation rushed, and it is unfair to the trainees. Hence it seriously threatens to undermine the high standard of medical training and moral among trainees and consequently patient care. I have spoken to many trainee doctors of all grades who are seriously demoralised and concerned; They don’t know what to expect from one day to the next, as they receive contradictory advice and the rules keep changing constantly. My sympathies are with them.I may be criticised as abandoning the ship during the storm -or as XXXXXXXX puts it “leaving in the middle of a major operation with blood on the floor”. However, my record of 13 years as Program Director and Chairman of the Eastern RTC overseeing the ‘Calman’ changes successfully in the 1990’s and helping develop an expanding and successful emergency medicine training program in our region speak otherwise. I am not aversed to change. I believe the MTAS recruitment process and the MMC changes in their current form are detrimental and unworkable. I don’t wish to be associated with them any longer and hence have no other option but to resign from the Chairmanship of the Emergency medicine Regional Training Committee.
Yours sincerely"

This is after several interviewing panels of consultants have pulled out of the unfit MTAS process, for one example:

http://www.thestirrer.co.uk/0503072.html

How much longer will this farce be allowed to continue?

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