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Out-of-hours threat to medical recruitment

Monday 17th May 2010

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation has responded to the announcement on changes to out-of-hours care by the new Government.

According to plans outlined by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, family doctors will be forced to take back responsibility for out-of-hours care, although this will not be a straightforward return to the old system where GPs had to be on call round the clock.

The intention is for budgetary responsibility to be handed back from primary care trusts to GPs who will commission services or provide them by working in rotas through local groups.

Lansley also said it was important to ensure overseas doctors had the right language skills after a patient suffered a fatal overdose.

REC Director of External Relations Tom Hadley said: "Whoever holds budgetary responsibility, the key is to ensure that patients receive the right levels of care.

"Locum doctors and other temporary staff provide crucial front line services and their contribution must not be marginalised, especially as working time rules now place strict limits on individual GP working hours.

"Despite the focus on new rota systems, specialised recruitment agencies will continue to provide a cost-effective means of ensuring that the right staff are in the right place at the right time."

On language skills Hadley said: "There is scope to review the GMC's ability to take language skills into account when registering doctors from other European countries.

"However there will always be a need for an effective assessment process at Trust level and for other vetting procedures to take place with regards to CRBs, references and ID checks.

"The REC Medical Group will continue to emphasise the positive role that specialised locum agencies play in ensuring that all doctors have the necessary skills and credentials before they are placed on site."

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