BMA chairman resigns over junior doctors row

The discredited online appointment system for junior doctors known as MTAS may have been scrapped, but the consequences are just as critical.

Today saw the first high profile scalp - not in Whitehall, but within the medical profession itself.

James Johnson, the chairman of the British Medical Association for the last four years, tonight tendered his resignation.

His decision is a direct consequence of his attempt to defend the Government's chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson over his handling of the crisis.

In an open letter to the Times last Thursday he wrote on behalf of the BMA:

"We restate our support for the Chief Medical Officer and his role in improving junior doctors training. He pioneered the principles underlying the reform programme."

But this provoked such a hostile reaction from junior doctors and senior consultants. Many in response threatened to withdraw their subscriptions to the BMA angry that his comments amounted to official support for the Government's record on the whole fiasco and have seriously damaged the reputation of the BMA.

Speaking exclusive to Channel Four News tonight, Mr Johnson defended his actions saying:

"I wrote the letter in support of Sir Liam Donaldson who has been unfairly attacked for failing to give leadership over the MTAS fiasco but who is a member of the BMA and a friend but as a civil servant is not in a position to defend himself, or to apologise on behalf of the Government for what amounts to a failure of policy.

I did not consult others because it's not BMA policy to oppose the chief medical officer."

It's the appearance of being in the pocket of the Government that dogged this entire review of the training process for junior doctors. The outgoing BMA chairman, James Johnson said tonight:

"It is a matter of regret that I am having to resign because I have lost the confidence of a very large number of members of the BMA council. But this is no ordinary political situation. The medical profession is on the edge." - James Johnson

Last week the Health Secretary insisted on Channel Four News that MTAS debacle wasn't a policy failure and so she would not resign.

But the man who is resigning tonight believes the failure lies at her door.

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