The future of the UK medical profession is bleak

Editor - Almost everyone in the united kingdom today knows that there are problems with the NHS. The main problem is an increase in demand and a decrease in supply - in other words, the NHS has become a victim of its own success.

So what is the solution? Demand cannot be decreased as life expectancy is increasing, so the way forward will be to increase supply, two major areas being funding and more doctors.

The Labour government has taken steps in these two areas by putting more money into the NHS and at the same time training more doctors. however, the following danger signs spell doom: political interference in the NHS is reaching epidemic proportions; there is an outcry by junior doctors over long hours and low pay; there is a negative portrayal of the NHS by the media; and there has been overamplification and exaggeration of medical negligence and professional misconduct leading to career and character assassination.

All these things are beginning to have an effect on the profession and gradually medicine as a career is failing in its appeal to the younger generation. The constant demoralisation of the profession is beginning to leave a mark. At present many doctors must be thinking, "The NHS is not for me, I'm going private. After all my hard work in medical school it's not worth practising in the UK. I might consider becoming an army doctor or seek greener pastures elsewhere."

The funding of the NHS could improve by whatever approach the government adopts, but increasing the number of medical entrants will not automatically mean more doctors. Why? people are not normally excited about getting involved in anything on the brink of collapse or which faces continuous attacks from all sides in society. Therefore if this trend continues long enough the united kingdom might need to import doctors from China.

Lara kuponiyi, second year medical student, university of Southampton
Email: Ovk199@soton.ac.uk


studentBMJ 2001;09:217-260 July ISSN 0966-6494