Hiya all,
Not wanting to start a political debate as such, this is an update to a posting I made a few months ago regarding my 2 doctor cousins headhunted out of India to come work here.
They've decided enough is enough with the 'internal politics' of the NHS and are both busy preparing for their exams to move to the USA.
So the NHS is going to lose a highly skilled Anaesthetist (with consultancy experience) and his wife, a Pathologist also with consultancy experience - due to an absurd turnaround in the requirements of foreign doctors. Basically, because now the NHS wants 'home grown' docs first, then docs from the 'EU' second, it puts them at the bottom of the list for getting jobs as they came from outside the EU. They were headhunted in the first place by the NHS becuase their 'home grown' talent was a joke! on top of that, they recently had a baby boy and the 'rules' dictate although he was born here in the UK he will NOT be given British Nationality - which adds further insult.
In the 3-4 years they've been here, they've seen quite a lot of what the NHS is about from an internal resource point of view, the shocking politics, and the final straw is came when they announced they couldn't guarantee him and his wife a job after their contracts run out becuase of them coming from India!
There is much more to this and they both of course know exactly where they stand but from what they've told me, I find it utterly shocking that the NHS is now this way. It's basically being run as a 'business', referrals to which you'll see in other threads and confirmed by what my cousins tell me about their experiences here.
it actually gets worse for other's in a similar situation as them, they can easily point out doctors who have basically been working for free and some just on temporary 3-6 month contracts who've now been told that even though they're doing 'UK experience and training' that at the end of it they probably won't get a job as the 'EU candidates' will get preference -
what they should be doing is not stopping the doctors 'ALREADY' here and working in their roles and studying for their UK exams - bu tmaybe stopping 'NEW' candidates (and even then they shouldnt be doing that becuase they're wanting to come here to work and help the NHS!)
But simply put, seeing as the 'management' of the NHS will 'have its way' my cousins are wanting to get the hell out. Another kicker is that the 'Management' know his anaesthetic skills are a real cut above the new 'home grown' doctors and yet they still call him at home to ask him to come and work 'because they have no one as good as him' ! this is after his contract finished and he didn't renew becuase of this new policy! it's utterly ridiculous!
Of course, with their level of expertise, moving to the USA (or Canada!) will easily Quadruple their combined pay (provided they pass and get into a residency program over there - which he tells me is the 'difficult' part) so I can' t blame them at all.
Lets just say that the words they use to describe feelings amongst doctors like them are not mentionable here!
On the flipside - the dwinding services that the NHS CAN get right are at least helping some individuals - my mum having her knee replacement after only a 3 month wait, and another relative going in for some Cancer treatment that went very well shows that what they NHS can do right it can do relatively effectively.
I just really do feel sorry for the potential patients of the NHS who would have LOVED the care provided by my cousins and their knowledge and experience who now won't ever get that here, but it's a double edged sword, my cousins feel they would like to stay but not with ridiculous 'management' decisions like these being placed on them and others like them.
One day I should get my cousin to post here and explain in depth the things he's seen and observed within the NHS on a broad level and his own personal experience level.
I'm renewing my insurance with BUPA methinks.....
Dennis! West London & Slough UK!
