When we recuit overseas, we have got to do it ethically

John Hutton

Health Minister John Hutton said the NHS needed thousands more doctors, and that most would come from the UK.

But he said the NHS had often recruited from overseas at times of shortage.

"We are doing that again this time to make sure that patients get treatment in this country as quickly as possible."

"When we recuit overseas, we have got to do it ethically, and from countries that have developed health care systems where there is a surplus of skilled, qualified staff."

All-time low

The government hopes that countries such as Spain, Germany and Italy, where there are a surplus of trained doctors, will be able to provide the bulk of the new recruits.

Figures from the General Medical Council show that the number of new doctors registering to work in the UK is at all-time low, down from 11,000 five years ago to 8,700 last year.

We should be concentrating on growing our own doctors

Dr Evan Harris

Dr Liam Fox, the Shadow Health Secretary, said the government's National Plan was "falling to pieces".

"Tony Blair promised voters world class health services. All they are getting is a worldwide recruiting agency."

Dr Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat health spokesman, told the BBC: "This is a crisis measure, and a crisis measure that is much needed.

"We are simply not training enough home grown doctors."

No rush

Dr Harris predicted that there would not be a "huge rush" of doctors from developed countries wanting to work in the UK.

"The flaw in the government's plans is that doctors in industrialised countries will not want to work in the NHS with its high workload and relatively poor pay.

"Only those countries in the developing world who can least afford to will lose their doctors to British hospitals.

"We should be concentrating on growing our own doctors."

The British Medical Association said the UK has fewer doctors per head of population than almost any other country in the OECD.

Dr George Rae, the BMA's Annual Conference Chairman, said: "We need help in the short and medium term in order to offer our patients the speed of access to health care and the time with their doctor, that they need.

"It is far better to have overseas colleagues joining us, than to be sending our patients abroad for treatment."

However, Dr Rae stressed that overseas doctors would have to be offered proper induction and a worthwhile career structure.

Criticism

The government's NHS plan has come in for criticism from some health professionals.

In particular, concern has been expressed over plans for private sector involvement in the health service.

The BMA has called for the government to ensure any private involvement must be value for money, beneficial to patient care and not detrimental to the NHS.

Key points of the plan, which has been described as the biggest shake up of the health service since it was established in 1948, include cutting waiting lists to three months for outpatients, and creating 7,000 extra hospital beds and 100 new hospital schemes between 2000 and 2010.