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Uncertainty again for doctors

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: Indian doctors in the United Kingdom are facing fresh uncertainty. The Health Department on Monday quietly introduced a new eligibility criterion for the ongoing round of recruitment to the National Health Service (NHS).

This came less than two weeks after they extracted a concession from the British Government over their demand to be treated on a par with their European Union peers.

In a move the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) described as ``unfair'' and ``unjust,'' the department has decided that only those short-listed doctors from outside the European Union, who have a visa to work in Britain beyond August 2007, would be considered for appointment.

No such condition was imposed when, 10 days ago, the department agreed to delay the implementation of the new discriminatory immigration rules which effectively barred government hospitals from hiring doctors from outside the EU.

National recruitment

The concession meant that all international doctors applying for the first round of national recruitment for training posts in the NHS would be treated on a par with British and other EU applicants.

Many Indian doctors applied and have been short-listed but as a result of the new rule, candidates whose visas are due for renewal before August may not be called for interview.

After making several attempts to persuade the department to change its mind, BAPIO on Sunday obtained a court injunction against the proposed rule.

The BAPIO has already filed a separate appeal against last month's High Court judgment upholding the new immigration rules for non-EU doctors.

``So far we have stood up against unfairness and injustice and we have no plans to back down now,'' said its president Ramesh Mehta.

Its vice-chair (policy) Raman Lakshman said BAPIO was keen to resolve the issue through dialogue but was forced to go to court in view of the Health Department's uncompromising attitude.

Over 15,000 affected

More than 15,000 overseas doctors have been affected by the new immigration regime introduced last year, and 80 per cent of them are from the Indian subcontinent.

With their savings running out and job prospects threatened by the changed immigration criterion many have been reduced to surviving on handouts.

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