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From epolitix.com
The Conservatives have called for the health secretary to resign because of failings in the training application system for junior doctors. Patricia Hewitt was forced on Wednesday to appear in the Commons to answer an urgent question from her Conservative shadow. Andrew Lansley told her that she "cannot duck responsibility for this, she has to take responsibility for it". "Will she now understand that the only way to do that is to resign?" he asked. The health secretary refused, saying she was taking "responsibility" and working to resolve the difficulties. The resignation call came as the government faced a challenge in the High Court over the Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) recruitment system. Hewitt has sought to reassure those affected that all initial offers under round one of the system will be made to doctors in the next few weeks. But MTAS will no longer be used for round two of the recruitment process. Only doctors who have been unsuccessful in round one will go on to round two of the process. Speaking in the Commons Hewitt said: "Further recruitment will be locally planned and managed by the post-graduate deaneries. "Because most trainee doctors' contracts are due to end before the further recruitment has been completed we will agree the necessary measures to ensure that all those trainees are properly supported and patients continue to be properly cared for." After it was revealed that almost anyone could access the supposedly confidential application website, Hewitt said: "In relation to recent security breaches of the MTAS service a full security review has now been completed and validated and appropriate action taken to deal with the problems." |
