Britain recruits doctors abroad
2001-08-20 11:57
London - Britain is to advertise abroad for foreign doctors to prop up its
ailing state-run National Health Service, but will not take doctors from developing countries, according to a report in
the Times on Monday.
A worldwide advertising campaign would be launched in September,
after the government realised it would be unable to train enough to
meet its pledge of providing 10 000 new doctors by 2005, the Times
said. The campaign will aim at both general practitioners and
hospital specialists.
Britain is already facing a serious shortage of GPs, partly because
thousands of Indian-trained doctors who were recruited in the 1970s
are now beginning to retire.
Health Secretary Alan Milburn will appeal to doctors in Europe,
Australia, Canada, the United States and Asia to fill the gaps.
Spain, Germany and Italy will be particularly targeted as they have
a surplus of doctors.
Milburn is reported to be anxious to avoid being accused of
poaching medical professionals from developing countries. South
Africa has recently criticised Britain for taking teachers to help
out in its state schools, where there is a serious teacher
shortage.
All doctors recruited from outside the European Union will have to
be assessed by Britain's General Medical Council to ensure they are
suitably qualified. They have to take both a written and practical
test before they can be registered to practise. In addition they
will have to take a language test. - DPA
- SAPA