13-03-2007

An open letter to Patricia Hewitt, DOH; Prof Alan Crockard, MMC; Dr Keith
Smith, MMC; Prof Martin Marshall, deputy CMO; Peter Rubin, PMTEB, Prof
Carol Black (Academy of Medical Royal Colleges)


Dear colleagues

We the undersigned are chairpersons of respective specialist training committees within the West Midlands and Northern deanery. We are fully aware of the problems that have occurred nationally with MMC, particularly with the MTAS computer system, long-listing and short-listing as part of round 1 of the application process. We believe that the recent statements of both the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and the Department of Health
are both misguided and likely to exacerbate the problems by failing to call for immediate suspension of interviews within round 1.

In essence, since the DoH have called for an urgent review but failed to suspend interviews, this will immediately mean that any unsuccessful candidate will be able to make a legal challenge under existing employment law. There will be easily enough data from the interviews that have already taken place to get a measure of both the scale and nature of the problems. Round 1 of MMC has been the first implementation of this novel system, in effect a nationwide pilot study. We would urge that there is an immediate cessation of interviews so that precious time is spent analysing the existing data and also to prepare more fully for a more comprehensive long-listing, short-listing and interview process. Finally, we would stress that all of us want to see MMC work, but it is vital that all parties have the time for a proper application process to work in order for the nation to have the best trainees it deserves. Our patients deserve nothing less.

Dr David Nicholl

STC Chair Neurology

(City Hospital, Birmingham)

Dr Matthew Rogers

STC Chair Microbiology

(University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire, Coventry)

Mr Bob Spychal

STC Chair General Surgery (City Hospital, Birmingham)

Mr Tim Graham

STC Chair Cardiothoracic Surgery (Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham)

Dr David Spooner

STC Chair Oncology (Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham)

Dr Jeff Bateman

STC Chair Gastroenterology

(Princess Royal Hospital, Telford)

Dr Jennifer Short

STC Chair Infectious Diseases (Heartlands Hospital, Birmingham)

Mr Derek Skinner

STC Chair Otolaryngology

(Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Shrewsbury.)

Dr Timothy Williams

STC Chair for Neurology & Programme Director- Northern Deanery (Newcastle
General Hospital)



I would further add that since circulating this letter it has come to my attention that the figures that DoH has been using (namely 30000 applicants for 22,000 jobs) are not correct. I was informed by an unimpeachable source that the correct figures are 33,000 applicants for 18,530 posts. I am aware that the DoH denied this figure today in the Daily Telegraph but I have confirmed from my source that the 33,000 applicants for 18,530 posts is correct but all panel members were sworn to utilize the inaccurate figures. I find it impossible to have faith in a system which is based on deceit when we cannot be given accurate data. We await your reply.

Kind regards

Dr David Nicholl FRCP PhD
Consultant Neurologist & Hon Senior Lecturer
City Hospital
Birmingham
B18 7QH
UK