Britain slams door on SA interns

2008-02-08 07:32

Diana-Marié Strydom

Cape Town - Trainee South African doctors will no longer be able to work in Britain.

This the gist of a decision by the British government that, in order to ensure posts for trainee British doctors, it will no longer accept applicants from Commonwealth countries.

Most South African doctors complete their internships and community service in South Africa, and are unlikely to be affected.

The Online version of The Times reports that Britain's Department of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that doctors from outside the European Union (EU) were no longer considered suitable to apply for posts through the programme for well-qualified immigrants.

The report said it would end the long-standing tradition of importing doctors for the British National Health Service (NHS).

Of the roughly 277 000 doctors registered with the medical council in Britain, nearly half had earned their initial medical qualifications elsewhere, notably South Africa, Australia, India and Pakistan.

The report added that without foreign doctors the NHS would have been unable to render its services since the 1960s.

Hard to get work permits

The Time Online reported that the new rule did not apply to doctors from outside the EU who were already working in Britain as part of the programme for well-qualified immigrants, or had already been accepted.

Dr Ilse Potgieter of Stellenbosch, who registered with the British Medical Council in 1998, said she paid an annual registration fee of R4 400.

"Doctors like me still will be able to apply for posts in Britain, because we're already registered," she said.

Immigration lawyers in Britain told Pieter Malan that it had become increasingly difficult in the past year for young South African doctors to get work permits.

The Junior Doctors Association of South Africa (Judasa) said it was disappointing news, but not a train smash. The association did not think it would stop South Africa's brain-drain of doctors.

"The world is bigger than just Britain. Young doctors will apply, instead, to work in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia," said Judasa chair Dr Matthew Gibbs.

Dr Mark Sonderup, on behalf of the South African Medical Association, said the move had been expected for some years. He thought it could come back later to haunt the British government.

"When I worked there temporarily about a year-and-a-half ago, I, like many other South African doctors, contracted out of the strict EU guideline on working hours.

SA docs well received

"The guideline determines how many hours you are allowed to work. No British doctors will do that."

He said South African doctors were well qualified and always had been well received in Britain.

In his view, doctors would continue to seek greener pastures until there was a drastic improvement in working conditions in South Africa.

"If the Department of Health sorts out the problems here, doctors will stay."

- Beeld