HSMP doctors disadvantage for training posts ruled unlawful

[avjones]

"Guidance making it harder for doctors from overseas to take up training posts in the NHS has been ruled unlawful.

Thousands of doctors came to the UK under the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme.

They were initially promised permanent residence after four years. However, this status was changed retrospectively.

This meant that they stood to fall foul of the Department of Health guidance, which effectively put doctors who did not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK at the back of the queue for training posts.

The guidance was challenged by the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), which argued it was unfair to its members.

A Department of Health spokesperson said the ruling was "disappointing".

"It means we no longer have the option of issuing the guidance for 2008 on which we were consulting that prioritises UK medical school graduates for specialty training posts.

"We face the prospect of a large number of applicants competing for places.

"Doctors from outside Europe have made and continue to make a huge contribution to the NHS.

"The issue is not, and never has been, whether they can continue to work as NHS doctors - which they can - but whether the taxpayer should be investing in training them instead of UK medical graduates."

The BAPIO had also appealed against a High Court ruling that the government did not have a legal duty to consult overseas doctors before tightening immigration rules last year.

This appeal was unsuccessful. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7087846.stm

[infocat13]

example,
american citizen goes to medical school in the UK wants to stay on with NHS


ah found it!
http://www.workpermit.com/news/2008-02- ... grants.htm
Article seems to say foriegn students are still wellcome in the UK educational system and this article sems to say that the atempt was to bar foriegn medical school grads from doing there clinicals in the UK.
right?