Changes to their training are a major concern for junior doctors

The British Medical Association's junior doctors conference in London on Saturday will discuss the thousands of job losses seen in England.

The head of the junior doctors' committee, Jo Hilborne, will say the cuts are due to cost-cutting, rather than efficiency savings.

The conference will also highlight concerns over changes to training.

Situations are different in every trust Department of Health spokeswoman

Dr Hilborne, a specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, said: "These are cost savings, not efficiency savings.

"It's interesting that the trusts didn't need to lose people before.

"But there is no money, so they don't need these people now."

And she said the staff, whether agency or permanent, had been there to deliver a service.

"If they were not, the NHS has been squandering money for years. And I don't believe that for one minute."

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "The sort of figures for 'total job losses across the NHS' which are being bandied about by various organisations simply don't reflect the real picture.

"It does not make sense to look at the different issues in different trusts and add them up to get a crude 'totaliser' figure.

"Situations are different in every trust and hospitals are speaking for themselves on their own individual circumstances."

Training overhaul

The conference will also hear concerns over changes to their training.

The early stages have already been overhauled and there are plans to make changes to the later years of the training period to bring them in line.

The BMA has raised concerns over the timescale planned for these changes - the new system is due to come into force in August 2007.

Doctors at the conference are set to call for a delay to allow the plans - including a curriculum - to be properly developed and put in place.

But the BMA welcomed an assurance that the government was not planning to introduce a "sub-consultant" grade - where doctors trained to consultant level would be employed as assistants.

The proposal had been raised in discussions over NHS medical grades, but the Department of Health said there was "no intention" to create such a grade.

The spokeswoman added: "Our Modernising Medical Careers initiative is designed to improve the structure of medical training to ensure that patients receive high quality care from well trained, fully qualified doctors.

"The new Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board we set up last year is now reviewing all the training curricula to make sure they are fit for purpose."

Alastair Henderson, deputy director of NHS Employers, said: "We recognise that some NHS organisations have been making some difficult decisions regarding workforce reduction because of a variety of different factors.

"However, they are doing all they can to protect clinical jobs and our intelligence does not suggest that medical posts are being affected.

"The majority of the post reductions are among management, admin and clerical staff and there has been a huge increase in the number of doctors and nurses over the last few years."