Doctor shortage sparks delay fears

Despite the fact three doctors are competing for each NHS post this summer, many doctors' rotas are currently operating well under strength.

Doctors warn the "gaps" in staffing will get worse over the coming months.

The shortages have arisen from the fact that under Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) - the government's medics' recruitment programme - permanent training posts are only being awarded in August.

The once-a-year recruitment creates holes in rotas, as doctors can leave all year round to become consultants, enter research, take maternity leave or move abroad.

Andrew Thornley, 32, a registrar in the cardiology unit at the University Hospital of North Durham, has seen four doctors leave his "on-call rota" during the past few months - leaving six medics to do the job of 10.

He said: "We started to lose doctors around the beginning of November but it's coming to a crunch now. We are going to be really short.

"Over the Christmas period we actually volunteered to come in to fill in for the gaps in the rota.

"It means a lot of extra pressure, and not being able to spend as much time on the wards as we need to. It's going to get worse, up until August - when new people will finally come in."

Dr Thornley's rota is responsible for 220 beds directly, and offers advice and emergency care to a further 350 in the same hospital.

A spokeswoman for the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust said due to MMC it was finding it harder to fill gaps in rotas, but that it was a national issue.

According to a survey of 30 regional acute trusts by Channel 4 News online, trusts in: Sunderland, Barnsley, Blackpool, Doncaster, Mid Staffordshire, Yeovil, Tameside & Glossop, Scarborough, Cornwall and Ipswich had all noticed an increase in "gaps" in rotas.

It is understood dozens more trusts are suffering from the same pressures.

Many have either filled the posts with locums - who can cost up to £45 per hour - or have to leave the posts vacant. Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in particular said it has noticed a "vast increase" in vacancies.

The recruitment problems are compounded by the fact that the fixed-term posts which used to be offered to fill these gaps no longer offer doctors a foot in the door to a permanent training post.

Dr Jonathan Fielden, 43, chairman of the British Medical Association's (BMA) consultant's committee, said: "We noticed through the recruitment last year that various gaps appeared in rotas, but we tried to minimise the impact on patients.

"This year there are even more reports of gaps appearing. People are having to make longer-term choices much earlier in their careers and people are needing to be much more precise in their choices because their impact.

"Short term jobs come with a promise of long-term training, so are now often not worth the gamble, as they might not lead to anything."

Thousands of young doctors throughout the UK have recently submitted their applications for jobs which will start in August.

They have been warned that three applications are expected for each post available.

Dr Ram Moorthy, chairman of the British Medical Association's junior doctors committee, said: "Rotas are operating below full strength across the country.

"Junior doctors are being pressured to work extra hours, often unpaid, to fill the gaps, and consultants are taking on additional workload.

"If the problem gets worse there will ultimately be an impact on patient services, with longer waits for operations and hospital appointments."

It is understood the short-term post recruitment problem has been exacerbated by tighter rules on visa regulations - meaning fewer overseas doctors coming to Britain, who would traditionally fill such posts.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "We know there is some anecdotal evidence of these problems around middle-grade junior doctors.

"However, while we are keeping a careful eye on it, there is no evidence that such problems are widespread.

"Trusts do sometimes have problems in finding locums for highly specialised roles, but are very experienced in handling them so that there is no effect on patient care."

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