Doctors Could Be Forced to Work at Least Five Years in NHS Under Plans for "Home-grown" Expansion

An interesting article from a popular UK newspaper, reflecting perhaps the views of members of government and public in confining UK medical graduates to largely low-paid work for five years after graduation, on the socialist principle that the public has paid for their education (they pay quite a lot themselves as well, and end up in debt).

We experienced similar expansion of compulsory government low-paid work (extension of preregistration internship) in the Republic of South Africa after 1994. 

The figure of 230 000 pounds as an average cost is probably demagogic, as no calculation source is being offered. It would be interesting to attempt a robust calculation of the cost of thoracic (cardiothoracic) specialist training.

The concept may come to a surprise to our North American colleagues, as the European socialist health concepts may have not penetrated the New World outside the British Commonwealth.

The United Kingdom has been facing a multilevel exodus of doctors since the beginning of the century, when a progressive deterioration in job satisfaction in the NHS started. It remains baffling how, in the face of loss of a highly qualified workforce, various governments have not attempted any improvement in work terms and conditions of doctors. The NHS salaries have particularly dropped for clinical staff since.