It's NRI vs EU docs in UK

London: An association of NRI doctors in the UK has initiated a legal challenge to the British government against its new ruling abolishing permit-free training for international medical graduates.

The association is also standing up for the alleged discrimination against non-EU medicos, mostly Indians, in recruitment for the National Health Service.

"The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO) has sent letters of intent to the Department of Health and Home office to give two weeks notice before filing the case in the High Court," said the President of BAPIO, Dr Ramesh Mehta.

"The new rules introduced by the Department of Health without adequate consultations, prevent National Health Service Trusts from recruiting junior doctors from outside the EU unless they can demonstrate that no UK/EU doctor is available to fill the post," Mehta said.

BAPIO has also informed the Commission for Racial Equality that the Department of Health so far has shown no evidence that it has conducted a thorough Race Equality Impact Assessment required by the statute, he said.

Earlier, over 500 doctors, mostly NRIs, had demonstrated in front of the Department of Health on April 21 but the government is yet to respond to their demands.

Mehta said the sudden introduction of the new rule has affected thousands of doctors already on permit-free training in the UK.

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“Some doctors are yet to find their first post in the UK while many others have already completed substantial amount of their training here and now find they may have to leave before completing it," he said.

"Discriminatory job advertisements have been issued by a number of NHS Trusts effectively barring IMG doctors from even applying for jobs," Mehta added.

"NHS needs to recruit professional staff based on merit and not nationality to provide best service to the patients. The new ruling undervalues the contribution made by doctors from new commonwealth for decades," said an advisor to BAPIO, Dr R Lakshman.

"A petition signed by over 6500 doctors demanding the Department of Health to change its ruling has been blatantly ignored,” said consultant paediatrician and Secretary of the BAPIO's London division, Dr Satheesh Mathew.

“We are left with no option but to challenge it legally," he added.