You’d think that given the generally collapsing state of primary care in the NHS that newly-qualified doctors would be snapped up. And treated like a rare commodity…
A weird set of reforms, seen through in the dying days of the Tory government, is however now coming into practice. New doctors are being made to wait for weeks to hear where in the country they will be posted after a randomised system was introduced – for progressive purposes. The BBC reports:
“Previously, students were ranked and jobs were allocated based on merit, but this was changed for fear it was stressful for students and particularly unfair on those from deprived backgrounds and ethnic minorities. They tended to perform less well, and therefore were more likely to be posted to regions they did not favour, according to the UK Foundation Programme.”
Now new doctors are spending weeks trying to find housing and set up lives in random cities, with many forced into temporary accommodation. There are fears the new lottery system will incentivise UK trained doctors to move abroad or quit: the BMA says nearly a third of current medical students say they intend on working abroad, “and close to half of those say they do not plan to return.” Genius…
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”