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Medicopolitical Digest

BMA calls for medical manpower to be funded adequatelyThe NHS network must be secureBMA agrees to pilot helpline

BMJ 1995; 310 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.310.6993.1540b (Published 10 June 1995) Cite this as: BMJ 1995;310:1540
  1. Linda Beecham

    BMA calls for medical manpower to be funded adequately

    The successful implementation of the proposals in the Calman report on specialist medical training depends on adequate consultant expansion—estimated at about 7.5% a year over the next five years. But, although the government is committed to creating a consultant based service, the expansion has averaged about 2.7% a year since 1986. Furthermore, it is now up to individual trust hospitals to decide how many consultants to appoint and many are experiencing financial difficulties and resorting to offering subconsultant posts.

    Unlike many other European Union countries, Britain has a limit on the number of students who can enter medical school, with the result that there is a lower proportion of fully trained specialists and general practitioner principals compared with other developed countries. There are already shortages in many specialties, with junior posts in parts of Britain being filled by graduates from other European countries. Many purchasers do not see more consultant posts as a priority. The reduction in contracted hours for junior doctors means that more doctors …

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