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MMC England e-update - 20 November 2007

Welcome to the 20 November 2007 MMC England e-update which provides the latest news on the Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) programme.

This update focuses on the latest news on specialty recruitment 2008. The main news is that the Court of Appeal has found against the Department of Health in consideration of BAPIO’s appeal against our guidance to limit international medical graduate access to junior doctor specialty training posts.

Further details are also available in this update about where to find more information generally on next year’s recruitment process.

More information on all the news in the update is available at: www.mmc.nhs.uk. In this e-update:

Medical graduates from outside the European Economic Area
2008 recruitment round for Academic Clinical Fellowships in Medicine and Dentistry
2008 general recruitment to specialty training
Important note for trainees that have already accepted a run-through training post in 2007
Key dates coming up

Please note that the information in this e-update is relevant to England only.

Medical graduates from outside the European Economic Area
The Court of Appeal have found against the Department of Health in consideration of BAPIO’s appeal against our guidance to limit international medical graduate access to junior doctor specialty training posts.
The ruling means that we no longer have the option of issuing the guidance for 2008 on which we were consulting that prioritises UK medical school graduates for specialty training posts. We face the prospect of a large number of applicants competing for places.
Doctors from outside Europe have made and continue to make a huge contribution to the NHS. The issue is not, and never has been, whether they can continue to work as NHS doctors – which they can – but whether the taxpayer should be investing in training them instead of UK medical graduates.
We will now be studying the ruling alongside responses to our recent consultation on the issue, as well as exploring all other options available.
Future e-updates will contain more details on this important issue.
Click on the link below to read the document that was published for discussion and feedback on international medical graduates for more background information: www.mmc.nhs.uk/download_files/IMG%20Consultation%20PDF.pdf
2008 recruitment round for Academic Clinical Fellowships in Medicine and Dentistry
Recruitment to Academic Clinical Fellowships (ACFs) 2008 has now opened, with a closing date for applications of November 26 2007.
The recruitment process has been launched by the National Institute for Health Research Capacity Development Programme.
Up to 250 Fellowships are available in 2008 and will provide funding for doctors and dentists entering specialty training and for those already in specialty training who hold a national training number, who have outstanding potential as a researcher and / or educationalist.
Successful applicants will have 25 per cent of their time protected so they can develop their academic skills and prepare and compete for a training fellowship for a higher degree. Funding will be available for a maximum of three years, or four years for General Practitioners (GPs).
Recruitment for ACFs is beginning now, ahead of the recruitment drive for standard specialty training. Anyone making an ACF application can also apply for non-academic specialty training. The ACF recruitment timetable for GPs will be the same as the timetable for standard specialty selection.
The application process will be managed locally by Deaneries in partnership with Universities who will base their decision on clinical competence and evidence of significant academic excellence and potential.
Only applicants who can demonstrate outstanding potential for development as a clinical academic in research and/or education will be considered for these posts. Deaneries will be able to advise on the level(s) and specialty(ies) of posts available and the application process. Potential applicants will be asked to provide an academic referee.
Shortlisting and interviews will take place in December 2007 and January 2008. Details of the Academic Clinical Fellowship opportunities available for 2008 and Deanery contact information can be found on the NIHR Research Capacity Development Programme website at: www.nccrcd.nhs.uk.
2008 general recruitment to specialty training
There will be locally led, staggered recruitment for specialty training in England in 2008 and there will be not be a national IT system for applications.
Deaneries will organise their own recruitment process for most specialties. Their responsibilities will include; advertising vacancies, using their own or specialty-based application forms - which must be structured CV based forms with specialty specific questions, using their own shortlisting criteria and scoring systems, interviewing and selecting successful applicants; making offers and receiving acceptances.
Deaneries and specialties will determine entry dates, rather than one entry point. There will be a maximum of three recruitment processes a year.
Ministers accepted in full the proposals submitted by the MMC programme board for specialty training in 2008. The board includes representatives from the BMA, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, as well as representatives of the NHS.
Work continues on the possibility of introducing for 2008 more flexibility into training and whether some specialties should have a break between core training and higher specialty training, with competitive entry to higher specialty training. More on this will follow in the next few weeks.
Guidance for applicants is likely to become available in early December 2007.
These are interim arrangements for 2008. Formal plans for 2009 and beyond will be discussed in light of Sir John Tooke’s independent review of MMC.
The 2008 recruitment process is a regular topic of discussion at the MMC Programme Board. To read minutes of the meeting follow the link to: www.mmc.nhs.uk/pages/programme_board.
You may find it useful to read a paper on the outcome of consultation and decision on recruitment to specialty training in England in 2008, click on the link below to read more: www.mmc.nhs.uk/pages/news/article?45B74A2F-AF7C-4963-8ED1-D4D5A9D76CF5.
Important note for trainees that have already accepted a run-through training post in 2007
All trainees that were offered and accepted run-through training in the 2007 recruitment process will continue to have run-through training, even if changes are introduced for 2008 and later years.
Key dates coming up
Please find below a provisional timescale for specialty training recruitment in 2008. Further e-updates will be released with more information as soon as it is available and all the latest news will be posted at: www.mmc.nhs.uk.
October 2007–January 2008: Planning, design and implementation of the 2008 recruitment process.
26 November 2007: Closing date for applications to Academic Clinical Fellowships.
Early December 2007: Applicant guidance for the 2008 general recruitment round to specialty training in England is likely to become available.
31 December 2007: End of Secretary of State’s employment commitment.
December 2007 to January 2008: Shortlisting and interviews will take place for Academic Clinical Fellowships. Offers will be made at the end of January 2008.
January 2008: General recruitment for specialty training is due to begin.

Useful email and website addresses
MMC website:
www.mmc.nhs.uk

Medical graduates from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) – document for discussion and feedback:
www.mmc.nhs.uk/download_files/IMG%20Consultation%20PDF.pdf

NIHR Research Capacity Development Programme website:
www.nccrcd.nhs.uk

Recruitment to Specialty Training in England in 2008 – Outcome of consultation and decisions:
www.mmc.nhs.uk/pages/news/article?45B74A2F-AF7C-4963-8ED1-D4D5A9D76CF5

MMC programme board:
www.mmc.nhs.uk/pages/programme_board

Consultation paper on the 2008 specialty training recruitment and selection process:
www.mmc.nhs.uk/download/consultation.doc

MMC helpdesk email:
support@mmc.nhs.uk

List of Deanery websites:
www.mmc.nhs.uk/pages/deaneries

NHS jobs:
www.jobs.nhs.uk

If you are seeking further information concerning applications elsewhere in the UK visit:

Scotland:
www.mmc.scot.nhs.uk

Wales:
www.mmcwales.org

Northern Ireland:
www.nimdta.gov.uk/mmc

Foundation programme:
www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/pages/home