Is it Crazy to think that the NHS won't fund docs to do exams

[Littlemissgobby]

So I have carers anyway one that came today is actually a gp in Pakistan.
In order for her to be a doc in the uk she needs to do 3 exams.
I said oh OK will the NHS pay for them. I was thinking that we are short of doctors but no she has to pay them for herself.
To me that's bloody bonkers so am.i unreasonable to think something is not adding up .
We are short of docs but the gov isn't paying for the exams.
Plus another thing why did the tory gov stop nurses getting bursaries to.
We need these people yet we make it hard

As far back as I can remember all my professional exams and insurances were always paid for by me! And I’ve been qualified 30 years!!

Yes, it's crazy. There should be a more sensible system. The government/ NHS/ Exchequer don't want it to be free as that results in people getting the qualifications for free and then escaping by going into private practice or to another country where UK qualifications are recognised without needing further exams and making more money in those countries while the NHS/UK taxpayer is left high and dry.

Some countries have a bond or traineeship system whereby they get the fees paid for as a sort of loan - so they never have to find the cash to pay up. In return they sign an agreement to work for that country's NHS for 6 to 8 years (depending on the size of their loan or subsidy) and the sum is deducted from their pay every month till it's paid off- they're not working for no pay. They end up paying less than today's university students do on their student loan interest. However, should they be tempted to run off halfway without paying off their debt, there are penalties- they do have to pay off what they owe and they have to have a loan guarantor. Exam fees and a nursing degree cost less than a five year degree, and graduates welcome the guarantee of a job after graduation, so the government could use this method to reduce the staffing crisis in the NHS which has been ongoing for more than 10 years now and is getting much worse.

The government could fund more university places for doctors - there are hundreds of students that miss out on a place each year. Of course the government would then need to make sure that there were adequate training places. And also would need to pay them once qualified.

The NHS doesn't pay for UK doctors to sit exams either.

It is crazy. I’m not a medic but lots of my friends are and the amount they have to shell out for professional memberships, insurance and exams is astonishing. People conveniently forget this when doctors campaign for pay rises.

Doctors pay for all of their postgrad exams. They cost 1000s. They also have to pay their own medical defence fees and GMC fees every year.

I understand that, but right now we are absolutely crying out for doctors. It doesn’t make sense to me.

Madness when atm we r short of docs

It’s the way it’s always been, nothing new. I guess because there is nothing stopping anyone from then going into private practice (using plastic surgeons as an example, someone could do complex reconstructive work in the public system whereas someone else could skip off to solely private for lucrative vanity work). Nothing stopping anyone from going to work in another country who have agreements accepting your quals instead of making you resit exams. The only thing that would work if exams are paid for is exchanging it for a period of bonded servitude and then there will be all sorts of disagreements over what that period should be, caveats etc. It wouldn’t be a simple thing.

My adult child works in careers advice (this issue is bread and butter to them) and says some local authorities have a fund to help people who are in work, get better paid work. Some authorities dont. But it might be worth while for your carer enquiring

Most other professions deal with this by a contractual agreement that you will pay the costs back if you move on within a certain period. I have never thought of that as "bonded servitude". It's just a contractual agreement

There are actually lots of GPs who can’t get jobs due to inadequate funding from the government. There aren’t many hospital jobs available either as trusts are skint.

My professional training after my initial degree (I work in the NHS) has cost me 23k. Not funded by NHS.

And if we choose to move on sooner we tend to just negotiate with new employer to cover the money that has to be paid back

Bonded servitude doesn't generally give you thousands of pounds to start off with. :-)

People I know in countries where they have qualified as doctors using a bonded scheme are just glad that their parents never had to remortgage or do without a car or holidays just to pay for university. They still take home enough to buy a car, pay rent and go on holidays, outings, treats.

The only thing that would work if exams are paid for is exchanging it for a period of bonded servitude and then there will be all sorts of disagreements over what that period should be, caveats etc. It wouldn’t be a simple thing.

I have this situation currently (not a Dr). My employer is paying a lot for a three year qualification, and I'll need to pay them back if I leave during it, or within 12 months of finishing.

Lots of places that offer enhanced maternity pay have a similar policy eg you have to come back to work for X months or you have to pay back the enhanced pay.

I don't think any of that is controversial or difficult to administer.

Ive got a similar arrangement...being trained...have to pay it bk if I leave under a certain period.

I've paid for all my professional medical exams and typically got less than my contractual entitlement to study leave. If I wanted to work in the USA I'd have to pay to sit their exams. The UK is a very popular destination for foreign doctors so to be honest we don't need to incentivise people to come here. The issues tend to be in what branch of medicine people want to do - GP is unpopular because it's very stressful and they get a huge amount of negative press - right or wrong, that will put people off the job.

One of my friends works in the NHS and couldn't become a nurse because they cut the funding. Such a shame because they know him, everyone knows he wants the job and would be great at it and wouldn't quit or go to a private one, and he could train while doing his current job, he just can't afford the training because they took the funding away. So he's stuck on a low band.