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MTAS and the GMC

Read about our campaign to bring the Architects of MTAS before the GMC Fitness to Practice committee.
 
Petition for signatures
Our letter of referral
The legal background
 
We need to raise funds to support this case. We welcome donations by Paypal, bank transfer or credit/debit cards.

 

A call for Accountability for MTAS and MMC
 

On 24th October there were 1638 signators to this call. At that time our lawyers wrote to the GMC requesting an enquiry. A fuller statement is available here.


 

We now have 1728 signatures and are not currently taking any more.

We the undersigned believe that:-

I am signing this despite having been one of the few people to "win" the MTAS lottery, because I have seen too many excellent colleagues and juniors effectively told their skills, commitment and contributions are worthless. Had any one of us treated a patient as the profession were treated we would be rightfully called to account.
Trainee

 
- MTAS and MMC was a disaster that damaged an entire generation of doctors, and
 
- The professional conduct of those who led these reforms fell below the standard expected of Doctors in Management and brought the profession into disrepute, and
 
- We believe that they should be held accountable for their actions.
 
We therefore call for a full GMC enquiry into the role of doctors in both the design and the day-to-day running of the MTAS process. It should specifically look at whether or not professional advice was sought and acted upon during the design and piloting stages. It should determine whether or not administrative errors were made during the course of running the recruitment process, whether or not there were failures of due process, and how any such errors were handled by the doctors involved.
 
The Health Committee Enquiry into MTAS was highly critical and is peppered with words like ‘defective’, 'unsafe', 'disastrous', and 'inept'. Few of the bodies and organisations involved have escaped criticism. The general impression is of a project that was badly conceived, with widespread misunderstanding of the purpose of these reforms, that was poorly implemented and rushed.
 
The fallout and repercussions of this botched project are widespread. A generation of doctors, both junior and senior, feels disillusioned, undervalued and that it has been let down by its leaders and political masters. Recruitment and organisation remains a shambles and patient care has been made harder
 
Image During the project development it became apparent that there were multiple ‘red risks’, and there were calls for delay. These calls were ignored. Even when 12,000 marched in the street to oppose the new system the alarm bells were not listened to and the process was not halted. Why was there was such a pressure to press on regardless? One can only assume that the reasons were political and not practical.
 
A small elite group of senior doctors were leading this project. Had it been a success they would now be queuing up for their glory and honours. Instead it was a failure. Yet not one of them has been brought to account for the misery they propagated. They have shrugged of any calls for resignation, as though a disaster of this magnitude was a run-of-the-mill event. And doctors have had a tendency to stand shoulder to shoulder when things go wrong and to cover up for one another.
 
The General Medical Council has issued clear guidelines for doctors who take up management roles, and it has taken action in the past against doctors who have failed to maintain public confidence in the profession or to uphold standards in non-clinical roles. The intervention of the GMC may be necessary if we are to restore public confidence in the accountability of medicine.
 
Image The jurisdiction of the GMC in cases involving medical managers was highlighted in Roylance v GMC (No 2) ([2000] 1 AC 311). In this case, the Privy Council confirmed the view that holding that the public interest included, but was not limited to, the protection of individual members of the public. Other factors were the maintenance of public confidence in the profession and declaring and upholding proper standards of conduct. Lord Clyde stated that “misconduct" is "a word of general effect, involving some act or omission which falls short of what would be proper in the circumstances." He pointed out that conduct removed from the practice of medicine might qualify if it was of a sufficiently immoral or outrageous or disgraceful character. This was because the public reputation of and public confidence in the profession could be adversely affected. Dr Roylance was the chief executive of a hospital in which there had been excessive mortality rates of children who underwent cardiac surgery, and was charged with failing to take sufficient action to fully deal with the problem. His conduct was not in the class of moral turpitude or of so outrageous a nature as to bring the profession into disrepute. Nevertheless, he was properly convicted since he could not divorce his duties as a medical practitioner from those as an administrator.
 
We are aiming to get 500 signatures to this petition which we will then present to the GMC.
 
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A selection of the many comments we have received:-
 

I am signing this despite having been one of the few people to "win" the MTAS lottery, because I have seen too many excellent colleagues and juniors effectively told their skills, commitment and contributions are worthless. Had any one of us treated a patient as the profession were treated we would be rightfully called to account.
Trainee
 
 
As a result of MTAS and the poor so called training oportunites remaining in the UK I have left the country to work in Australia and do not intend to return.
Other Hospital Grade
 
 
Its taken far too long to make these people face up to their culpability.
Consultant
 
 
A great deal of effort has been made to make doctors accountable for their decisions. This extends to medical managers, and the higher echelons of management should not be immune. The GMC states what an effecitve manager should be able to do. It seems clear that managers involved in MTAS and MMC failed seriously in a number of ways, not least in that there should have been clear lines of accountability. This should be the subject of a GMC inquiry.
Trainee
 
 
I would like to click on doctor in training fron the drop box above, unfortunately, armed with logbook and many other competency assessment sheets, MMC and MTAS made sure that I have been culled from the training system. On top of that I am paying mny GMC dues for 10 years running. Why?
Other Hospital Grade
 
 
MMC haunts me even today inspite of being on a run-through scheme. It was a disaster and has managed to destroy professional and personal lives of doctors.
Trainee
 
 
Those who forced through the disastrous MTAS and MMC reforms clearly failed to fulfil their responsibilities competently. They have demonstrated a complete lack of accountability and honour. It is time for the GMC to act.
Trainee
 
 
MTAS is a disaster. Those responsible should be accountable for their actions.
Trainee
 
 
MTAS was directly responsible for the death of my clinical career after 8 years postgraduate training. I now no longer work as a doctor, as a direct consequence, and have even been forced to leave the UK and my family to pursue alternative career goals. What a waste of 14 years of my life! Someone should be held responsible for this, surely?
Trainee
 
 
Was directed to this petition by Dr Mehta from BAPIO. Impressive work remedy. good luck and all the best.
Unspecified
 
 
They have put us through nearly two years of anguish and uncertainty over jobs. It is time to turn the tables onto them!
Trainee
 
 
I fully support any move that brings those responsible for the MTAS fiasco to account. Their failure to consider the warnings shows an unacceptable level of contempt for then many members of the profession who saw the dangers and voiced their concerns. Their actions have had profound effects on the professional and family lives of many junior doctors, yet they continue in positions of power, when in reality, they should be defending their positions on the medical regsiter.
Consultant
 
 
Who gets the blame? I bet it is not the guilty - POLITICANS!!
Other/Unspecified
 
 
It was a totally uncomprehensible and ill-thought out attempt to exert Management control over the lives and careers of young doctors. The architects should be sacked and pay compensation for the harm done.
Non-Medical
 
 
Struggling to fit into training now as being overtaken by more junior run through trainees on medical training posts in Scotland.
Trainee
 
 
To manage effectively you must produce results and be accountable. MMC has already proven a disgrace with disatrous results, where is the accountability?
Trainee
 
 
I support this call for accountability completely. Senior doctors and the architects of MMC should be subject to the same standards of accountability as juniors increasingly are. Do the honourable thing!
Trainee
 
 
Time for the makers of MMC to meet their nemesis.
Consultant
 
 
Because of the new MTAS and the change in the Home office immigration rules in April 2006 I had to compromise my career in United Kingdom and now trying to go to USA. Please not that I had all my basic surgical training for 4 years in United Kingdom.
Other Hospital Grade
 
 
Sir Liam, Accept responsibility for your role in MTAS. Accept that MTAS was a shambles and has adversely affected the careers of thousands of doctors. Then do the decent thing and resign!
Trainee
 
 
It is a scandal that such intellectually limited people are in positions of power: therefore, no surprise at any lack of atonement on their part. It is unfortunate that the whole of the medical profession, and health care in general, has to continue to suffer for their failings.
Consultant
 
 
Although everybody recognises that MTAS and MMC was a disaster, we seem to be continuing with this rubish system. We spend most of our time filling stupid forms, self assessments ... Those responsible for such misery should pay for not listening to what everybody was saying
Trainee
 
 
They sold their souls to the devil, and should now face the consequences.
Consultant
 
 
Get rid of these negative role models. We should strive for excellence, and vulnerable trainees need inspiring leaders if they are to be the professionals the NHS needs.
Trainee
 
 
Power to your elbow. Stop the doctor bashing now.
General Practice
 
 
A shameful and inept attempt at modernising medical careers has instead set it back by a decade ! Doctors have never been so undervalued before.
Trainee
 
 
totally agree, well done remedy.
Other/Unspecified
 
 
The biggest disaster to hit the medical profession in the UK ever. I am one of the lucky ones and have survived, but there are thousands out there that are not so fortunate. Very sad times.
Trainee
 
 
a complete shambles! Donaldson and Hewitt should be held firmly accountable and their actions investigated. Whilst the BMA should hang their heads in shame for all their inaction over the issue.
Trainee
 
 
Excellent idea!!It should teach them in future never to be so cavalier in their attitudes to junior doctors and so inherently irresponsible to the future of British medicine.
Trainee
 
 
This MTAS fiaso destroyed ny dreams and ruined my life. It impacted and strained my marriage. I was unable to enjoy the first 1 year of my daughters life as she was born during this fiasco.
Trainee
 
 
It is time to reflect fully on why this happened and to take action to ensure nothing similar happens again
Trainee
 
 
Only one person has come out with any honour and that is Prof. Alan Crockard the rest need to realise what they have done to UK medical teaching and training. MMC/MTAS has done to medicine what Project 2000 did to nursing.
Consultant
 
 
well done guys
Trainee
 
 
Accountability is absolutely essential in order to learn lessons and avoid the same blunders in future. The GMC intervene in far smaller issues with far smaller implications. There is a clear case for GMC action here.
Trainee
 
 
The whole system is a mess. The juniors coming through now are underskilled and lack confidence. The NHS is in serious trouble.
Trainee
 
 
Training has decreased in quality. Trainees and consultants are apathetic and demoralised. Many colleagues have been effected mentally and physically with complete lack of thought and respect.
Trainee
 
 
I think the GMC screener should be much more optimistic about the possibility the architects of MMC have impaired fitness to practise now that the standard of proof is civil.
Consultant
 
 
Totally Agree.
Non-Medical
 
 
MTAS/MMC - yet another example of Animal Farm that this country has become.
Trainee
 
 
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