| The MMC Inquiry: 4th evidence session, 17 January 2008 |
|
|
|
| Saturday, 19 January 2008 | |
|
Senior royal college figures have told a committee of MPs they were powerless to stop MMC against the might of the Department of Health (DH) decision-makers.
The Commons Health Select Committee took evidence from representatives from the royal colleges today (17 February, 2007) as part of their on-going inquiry into the twin failure of MMC and MTAS. Prof Dame Carol Black, chairman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (RCS), and Mr Bernard Ribeiro, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, both agreed that they had ‘signed-up’ to the underlying principles of MMC - as laid out in the chief medical officer’s (CMO) Unfinished Business report. But they claimed the DH and MMC team had repeatedly ignored their warnings over MTAS and run-through training. Commenting on the failure of MTAS, Mr Ribeiro said the RCS council had raised repeated concerns about an central, electronic selection process. But he added: ‘This was something that was presented to us as a fait accompli. We accepted it on the basis of assurances it would work.’ Shockingly, Dame Carol also claimed that none of the royal colleges ever saw a completed MTAS application form. She told MPs: ‘They saw parts of it, but a completed form was never sent for their approval.’ A weak Academy Although Mr Ribeiro accused the DH of ignoring the profession’s warnings, he said it would be ‘silly’ for the colleges not to accept some responsibility for the disaster - and acknowledged that they ‘could have aborted the whole process’. Dame Carol admitted that the Academy in particular had not been strong enough, describing it as existing only ‘in rather rudimentary form’. She said: ‘Each college did its very best with individual needs. What was lacking was we did not act together as an Academy…That is a definite lesson to be learnt.’ Support for Tooke When questioned by MPs, Dame Carol, Mr Ribeiro and Dr Bill Reith, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners’ postgraduate training board, expressed their full support for Prof Sir John Tooke’s final recommendations. Dame Carol said failure of the DH to respond to the report was creating ‘unease’ within the profession and declared there was ‘an urgent need’ for one to be issued. Mr Ribeiro told MPs he had received assurance from health secretary Alan Johnson that an announcement would be made by the DH by the end of February. The infamous Times letter MPs also took the opportunity to quiz Dame Carol about the controversial letter that she co-authored with the then-BMA chairman Mr James Johnson. BMA council members forced Mr Johnson from his post following the letter’s publication in The Times. Labour MP Dr Doug Naysmith asked Dame Carol why she had used the letter to express confidence in Sir Liam Donaldson when he had been so widely criticised. Dame Carol responded: ‘The letter was an attempt at unity that obviously did not work well…In supporting the CMO we were supporting the principles as expanded in MMC.’ Lack of piloting Also giving evidence to MPs were three deanery representatives - • Prof Elisabeth Paice, dean director of the London Deanery and chairman of COPMeD • Prof David Sowden, dean of the East Midlands Healthcare Workforce Deanery and currently seconded to the DH as senior responsible officer for MMC • Prof Sarah Thomas, dean of the South Yorkshire and South Humber Postgraduate Deanery All three expressed disappointment that deaneries had been unable to pilot a knowledge test as part of the selection process. Prof Thomas said the idea of a knowledge test - which would have provided a ‘level playing field’ for trainees - had been sidelined mainly because of ‘vehement’ opposition from the BMA. ‘It was minuted at a meeting that [the BMA] would absolutely not support a knowledge test,’ she added. Some successes Although the trio agreed the MMC debacle had caused considerable distress to junior doctors - and that project management had been ‘exceptionally poor’ - they were keen to emphasise there had been some successes. Prof Sowden said: ‘If you go to DGHs outside the south-east which have difficulty attracting trainees, they are singing the praises of their latest cohort.’ Prof Thomas added: ‘Hull, particularly, said they had seen their best doctors ever and DGHs across Yorkshire and Humber have seen much better recruits.’ Hospitals across Merseyside, Manchester and Newcastle have reported a similar outcome, the two professors said. • The fifth oral evidence session will be held on 24 January, when MPs will hear from PMETB, NHS London, NHS North East and NHS Employers |