THERE is a long-standing joke amongst the medical profession that August is the worst time to fall ill because of all the newly graduated doctors starting work. This year, across the country, the joke has now turned out to be because of the lack of doctors.

Yesterday was traditionally the day when junior doctors start their new jobs. This year, though, thousands have missed out because of a series of failings in the system.

Across England and Wales there are thousands of doctors who were working yesterday, who no longer have jobs this morning. In Scotland, the Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has agreed to extend the contracts for junior doctors who have yet to secure training posts until October 31. However, this is merely delaying the problem.

Becoming a doctor is one of the most admirable and worthwhile professions a young person can choose, but, because of the recruitment failures, we are now in danger of losing the services of a generation of talented young doctors. I know of several families in my own constituency whose children are being forced to look for posts overseas, often as far afield as Australia and New Zealand because there simply aren't the jobs available in this country. Scotland simply cannot afford to lose so much talent.

These are young men and women who have spent years working hard, often ringing up huge debts, to follow their dream and who now want to use their skills to the benefit of Scotland. The young graduates I speak to are proud of their training and now want to put it to good use.

When it costs almost £250,000 to train a doctor, it seems a criminal waste of money, talent and human effort that so many are finding that they are unable to work in this country. Come November 1, when these Scottish junior doctors fall out of our healthcare system, it will be patients who will ultimately pay the price.

Many families and young graduates are understandably asking me how we ended up in this mess. Quite simply, the Medical Training Application Service system in Scotland has been a disaster.

The online application system has been an utter failure while the fact that it was not piloted despite repeated warnings seems utterly ridiculous.

This is a system that ignores practical medical experience, and has led to applicants hearing nothing about posts they applied for, while receiving interviews for jobs in which they had expressed no interest whatsoever. Everyone agreed that the previous system needed reform - however the poor handling of the changes has made the situation immeasurably worse.

This is occurring against an international backdrop where the UK is continuing to recruit doctors from developing countries where their skills are desperately needed.

If we cannot improve the situation we will lose the goodwill of a generation of UK graduates. We owe them far better than the current system is providing.

John Barrett is the MP for Edinburgh West

Original article here