Inadequate leadership by the Department of Health led to the chaos caused by the Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) programme and problems remain unresolved, says a Health Committee report published yesterday (8 May).

The department’s leadership was totally inadequate and the chief medical officer (CMO) - despite being the architect of the reforms - did not take responsibility for the 2007 crisis, it says. Whilst the medical profession was often more concerned by factional interests than by the common
good, says the report.

Co-ordination between the Department of Health and the Home Office on restricting medical migration was woefully inadequate. Worst of all, the government’s many initiatives failed to prevent open access to training places for doctors from across the globe in both 2007 and
2008. Hundreds of UK graduates have been unable to continue with their training as a result.

Efforts by the Department of Health, the Home Office and the Treasury to manage the situation have been poorly planned, badly communicated and inadequately coordinated.

Amazingly, says the Committee, the Home Office told them it had no plans in place if the Law Lords found the Department of Health’s guidance on overseas doctors to be unlawful.

This ‘embarrassing problem’ must be resolved as a matter of urgency, it said.

For more details of the report go to: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmhealth.htm#reports