Out and about… at the BMA Junior Doctors Conference

After a grim year, junior doctors looked ahead, reports Jacqueline Simms

Many reasoned that delegating basic tasks, such as blood-taking and cannula insertion to AHPs, will de-skill and undermine junior doctors’ training

With the disaster of last year’s recruitment process still raw in people’s minds, the conference took an optimistic stance, exploring the future role of the junior doctor. Professor Rubin, Chairman of the PMETB and the GMC education committee, put the MTAS worries of current day training into perspective. He said that doctors have always felt inexperienced. MTAS is one of the modernday barriers doctors must overcome, just as it took 50 years for the GMC to be accepted by the government. He acknowledged the achievements of non-medics such as Johns Hopkins, and warned doctors not to be so quick to criticise non-medics when they tell them what to do.

A number of speakers addressed the challenges facing the NHS to resolve the constraints of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) within a profession grounded in 24-hour responsibility, servitude and continual training. The conference was in agreement that the EWTD will mean longer training in some specialties. The second open debate of the day was chosen by the more junior “grass root” attendees, and tackled the “role of allied health care professionals (AHPs) and their impact upon the training of junior doctors”. Lively debate ensued on whether AHPs are undermining or adding to junior doctors’ training.

Many reasoned that delegating basic tasks, such as blood-taking and cannula insertion to AHPs, will de-skill and undermine junior doctors’ training. In response, it was argued that using AHPs will make the work of junior doctors more efficient, by dividing up workloads. Chairman of JDC Ram Moorthy ended the day by stressing the fundamental importance of junior doctors in keeping the NHS running, and deserving high quality training and standards. He called for unity of the profession and respect from managers and civil servants. Through effective communication, so key to our professional lives, Ram was confident that we can move forward and improve medical training.

Jacqui is an F1 Doctor at King’s College Hospital, London. The conference was held on 26 April 2008.