Doctors' postgraduate training needs to be completely reformed after the “sorry episode” of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC), John Tooke recommends in a highly critical report.

Professor Tooke's interim report, published on Monday, calls for the national computerised application system to be scrapped and for an end to the “run through” training introduced as part of MMC.

And he wants to see UK medical graduates automatically guaranteed a place on the first year of foundation training (F1). They would then, however, be expected to take a national examination at the end of the F1 year. This would give them a national rating that they would use to compete for training positions at a local level. Candidates from other European Union countries would also be able to apply for these posts, but not at the F1 stage.

However, the issue of medical graduates from outside the EU must also be dealt with, said Professor …