Scrapping foreign doctors scheme will hurt the NHS | Letter

Letter: The move is regressive and removes a successful route for international collaboration, including education and research, writes Dr Peter Trewby

The decision to abolish the medical training initiative (MTI) scheme (Medical colleges condemn scrapping of NHS placements for overseas doctors, 31 July) risks reversing years of progress in medical diplomacy and repeating earlier mistakes in the UK’s treatment of international medical graduates (IMGs).

In the early 2000s, in response to perceived workforce shortages, the government actively recruited IMGs and established a new GMC exam centre to process applicants at scale. Thousands came to the UK, but the number of available posts was insufficient. The government responded by ending the permit-free visa, which had allowed IMGs to work in the UK, so doctors could now only apply for posts when no UK graduate had applied, regardless of relative merits. International exchanges built over decades ended abruptly.

Following strong lobbying by the medical royal colleges, the MTI scheme was introduced to allow suitably qualified doctors to come to the UK for a maximum of two years before returning home. The scheme benefited the UK, the NHS, international graduates and UK trainees, while also serving as an effective example of UK soft power.

Abolishing the scheme removes a successful route for international collaboration, including education and research, and risks signalling again that nationality takes precedence over merit. For an NHS that prides itself on its inclusivity, this is a serious regression.
Dr Peter Trewby
Retired consultant physician and former director, international medical graduates, Royal College of Physicians

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