The British Medical Association (BMA) today
responded to a Defence Select Committee report warning that all branches
of the
armed
forces
are “suffering
from critical shortages” of
medical staff.
Commenting on the report, Dr Brendan McKeating, chairman of the BMA’s
Armed Forces Committee, said:
“ Our armed forces have had problems recruiting and retaining
doctors for many years and are suffering significant undermanning in
many specialities relevant to military medicine. A recent BMA survey
showed that around half the doctors currently serving in the armed
forces are considering leaving in the next five years, either because
of the turbulence associated with service life, or the pay differential
between the defence medical services and the NHS.
_ We are sure the Ministry of Defence
will meet its operational requirements but this will involve extra
strain being put on doctors
in the armed forces.
_ The Defence Medical Services are
recruiting in a difficult environment and we hope that the forthcoming
pay award for armed forces doctors
will go some way to addressing the problems. The BMA has worked closely
with the MoD to provide compelling evidence of the need to match the
pay of armed forces doctors with that of their NHS counterparts.”
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on 20 April 2006. For further information, please visit their website
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