New Scottish CMO criticises training reforms

Sir David Carter, who becomes the Scottish chief medical officer next month, says that some of the changes proposed in the Calman report on specialist training could leave some doctors unprepared to work as consultants.

At present professor of clinical surgery at the University of Edinburgh, Sir David was speaking at the BMA's clinical meeting in Istanbul. He said that doctors would spend five years in training compared with eight in the past and this would be exacerbated by the reduction in hours of work. The result would be that they would have, on average, a total of 12 880 hours experience when appointed a consultant at the average age of 33, compared with the 25 760 hours of their predecessors, who were appointed at about the age of 40.

Sir David said that the quality of training under the new arrangements was better but that doctors would be forced to follow the American practice of seeking fellowships to acquire additional experience before they were ready to take up a consultant post.

The deputy chairman of the BMA's representative body and a vascular surgeon in Nottingham, Professor Brian Hopkinson, told the meeting, “The pendulum has swung too far and patient care will deteriorate.” He believed that the next generation of junior doctors were used to more time off and would not want to take part in a continuing commitment to their patients.

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