- Government plans to overhaul medical training could put
patients at risk, according to doctors.
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- The Department of Health is working on plans to streamline
junior doctors' training. It could see some becoming consultants more quickly
in future.
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- But the British Medical Association and medical royal
colleges have accused the government of "dumbing down" training.
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- They have warned that it could reduce the quality of
NHS doctors, something the Department of Health denies.
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- Years of training
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- At present, junior doctors take at least seven years
to become a consultant after leaving medical school. Many take much longer.
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- They have to work their way up through a variety of training
grades and pass royal college exams before they can become a consultant
surgeon, for instance.
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- The Department of Health wants to reduce the length of
time it takes junior doctors to become a consultant.
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- Officials believe some doctors spend years specialising
and learning skills they don't necessarily need.
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- A document published last year said the "new training
systems will produce a new type of consultant who will not necessarily
have been required to undergo 'deep specialisation' now found in a number
of programmes".
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- However, the BMA says the plans pose a danger to patients.
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- "There is an increasing fear that medical training
is being dumbed down," said Simon Eccles, chairman of its junior doctors
committee.
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- "The government should be working to ensure that
we continue to produce doctors capable of delivering the highest possible
standards of patient care.
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- "Instead, it seems intent on creating a production
line turning out inadequately trained doctors and calling them consultants
in order to meet its targets.
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- "While we agree that training needs to be streamlined,
some of the thinking behind these plans is potentially dangerous to patients."
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- The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges backed that view.
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- "If the quality of consultants is sacrificed, it
is patients who will suffer," said Roger Currie, chairman of its trainees
committee.
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- "Why should they be treated by doctors with less
training?"
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- A spokeswoman for the Department of Health dismissed
the claims.
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- "There is absolutely no question of dumbing down
training," she said.
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- "This will create doctors who are fit for purpose.
For example, not all doctors need to know how to perform paediatric cardiac
transplants.
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- "What we need is doctors who are competent to deal
with what the service needs."
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- © BBC MMIV
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- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3536243.stm
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