British Medical Journal to report widespread discrimination against Indian doctors in UK

Saturday, 28/09/2013

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/nris/british-medical-journal-to-report-widespread-discrimination-against-indian-doctors-in-uk/87498

LONDON: Evidence confirming widespread discrimination against Indian doctors in Britain was unveiled this week with a first-of-its-kind analysis showing only 4.5% of ethnic minority medical graduates pass the all important clinical skills assessment examination at their first attempt as against 17% of the British colleagues.

Researchers have found that white doctors in the UK are almost three times more likely to land a hospital job than ethnic minority doctors (13.8% versus 4.8%) with the study to be published by the British Medical Journal ( BMJ) raising serious concerns over discrimination in the UK general practitioner examination.

The data provided by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the General Medical Council (GMC) found Indian medical candidates who trained outside the UK were also more likely to fail the clinical skills assessment than their white UK colleagues (65% versus 4.5%).

The figures, based on 2012 ethnicity data from 50 hospital trusts in England, show black or black British applicants were the ethnic group least likely to secure hospital doctor jobs (2.7% success rate), followed by doctors of mixed ethnicity (3.5%) and Asian and Asian British doctors (5.7%).

Interestingly, doctors who didn't disclose their ethnicity during the application process had the highest success rate in landing jobs of any ethnic group (23%) - further muddying the waters around potential discrimination in the appointment of National Health Service (NHS) doctors.

The study therefore says it cannot rule out "subjective bias owing to racial discrimination" in the exam.

In order to practise as an accredited general practitioner (family physician) in the UK, doctors must pass the MRCGP (Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners) examination.

A judicial review into the fairness of the controversial clinical skills assessment (CSA) test - the examination which confirms that a doctor has satisfactorily completed specialty training for general practice and is competent to enter independent practice - will be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice next month. The courts have listed the review launched by the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) for October 18.

Indian doctors working in the UK has taken the RCGP and the GMC to court alleging the examination is flawed and discriminates against international trainees.