Foreign doctors in UK facing discrimination

LONDON, May 17: Doctors from abroad who want to work in Britain are facing discrimination because of new immigration rules, the British Medical Association (BMA) said today.

The BMA, which represents doctors in Britain, said it was so concerned that foreign doctors were being discriminated against that it had written to both the Commission for Racial Equality and the government to complain.

''The NHS is rapidly losing its international reputation as a fair employer,'' said Edwin Borman, chairman if the BMA's international committee.

Since last month, the government has barred NHS trusts from recruiting junior doctors from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) if there are suitable candidates from the UK or the EEA.

''Some trusts are effectively telling doctors not to bother applying for posts if they're from outside Europe, even if they've worked in the UK for years, or qualified from a UK medical school,'' Borman said.

''It's shabby, it's unfair, and in some cases it may be discriminatory.'' The BMA said it had been contacted by around 300 overseas doctors who were worried about the changes.

It did not know how many doctors were already having difficulty finding posts, but suggested it could be several thousand.

It also estimated around 2,250 students at British medical schools would be affected.

REUTERS