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NEWS: Lynn Eaton Health secretary defends decision to restrict entry of overseas medical graduates BMJ 2008; 336: 410-b-411-b [Full text]

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‘Right way’ to restrict overseas medical graduates

Imran Mushtaq, Salman A Mushtaq Staff Grade Psychiatrist Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust   (24 February 2008)

‘Right way’ to restrict overseas medical graduates 24 February 2008
Imran Mushtaq, Associate Specialist-Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Milton Keynes Specialist-CAHMS, Salman A Mushtaq Staff Grade Psychiatrist Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust Send response to journal: Re: ‘Right way’ to restrict overseas medical graduates	The good news is that UK is now self sufficient in supply of medical graduates. The bad news is for overseas or international medical graduates (IMG) that they will not be able to compete for training posts in U.K in future, even with highly skilled migrant scheme (HSMP) visa. Health secretary does not think that there are some moral obligations but ‘this is the right way to go’, appeared in BMJ as a news item (1). The more worrying fact is department of health’s (DOH) plans to handle IMGs should the House of Lords appeal fail. Although, DOH has started a three months consultation process to consult ‘all parties’ and asking for detailed proposals to manage applications of IMGs from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) by 6th May 2008(2). To us, this is waste of public money, as it seems government is very clear in its intentions, not to allow doctors on HSPM visa to compete for training posts, even if it requires restrictions through amending employment laws or other means. IMGs came here with good intentions to make UK their main home and with hope of having postgraduate medical training in order to help NHS ‘medical force crisis’ and also building their own careers. Can we present any example from Canada, USA or Australia, treating highly skilled migrant people the very same way? Refrences: 1 Health secretary defends decision to restrict entry of overseas medical graduates. BMJ 2008;336:410-411 2 Non-EEA applications up for consultation. BMJ Careers 2008, doi: 10.1136/bmj.39497.396157.80 Competing interests: SAM is on HSPM visa.