Heathcoat-Amory questions Alan Johnson on junior doctors

David Heathcoat-Amory: What estimate he has made of the number of British-trained doctors looking for permanent placements; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The estimated number of junior doctors who will complete their specialist training in England in 2007, and who are therefore likely to be looking for permanent posts, is 5,400. That number also includes those doctors who may choose to take a voluntary break before applying for posts.

David Heathcoat-Amory: The Department of Health made a complete hash of negotiating the GP contract, giving doctors a great deal of extra money for doing what they were in many cases doing already. Does the Secretary of State agree that the contract has now attracted a great many doctors from overseas with the result that home-trained doctors are now unemployed in their thousands? When is the Department going to acquire some commercial sense and look after taxpayers’ money properly and have better regard for doctors trained at taxpayers’ expense who now have no prospect of a permanent placement?

Alan Johnson: The right hon. Gentleman is confusing several different issues...

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