HC Deb 12 May 1969 vol 783 cc965-7
24. Mr. Dudley Smith

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what consultations he has had with the appropriate medical authorities about the need for overseas doctors who seek employment in this country to have a higher standard of spoken English; and what action is to be taken to achieve this objective.

Mr. Crossman

I have consulted representatives of the profession and other interested bodies with a view to strengthening and extending the present voluntary attachment scheme which provides overseas doctors with an introduction to clinical practice in this country. I have also asked hospital authorities to consider whether their arrangements for selecting doctors for employment are adequate.

Mr. Smith

But does not the Secretary of State feel that it is absolutely essential that overseas doctors should undergo some compulsory form of assessment of their English before they take posts in this country?

Mr. Crossman

I have considered this very carefully, and I would hope that as a result of what I have been saying we can move towards a compulsory system, but there would be very widespread exemptions. Many of the people who come from overseas will have no requirement for it, for they will have learned here and will have done their studies here, and I do not want to impose a compulsory scheme on those who could well be exempted.

Mr. Paget

In considering this shortage of doctors should we not be profoundly grateful to these people who come to help us out, and should we not try to cut out all this criticism?

Mr. Crossman

Of course we should be grateful to overseas doctors, but also we should consider making sure that there is not a doctor practising who is not capable of communicating successfully with both nurse and patient. We are grateful to them, and we want to help them to do their job.

Mr. Maurice Macmillan

But does not the Secretary of State think that the real responsibility rests on the employing authority to see that doctors do have enough command of English, and will he take some steps to tackle the other side of the problem, which is to prevent English doctors leaving this country in such large numbers?

Mr. Crossman

There is no question of prevention in the sense of legal embargoes on people to prevent them from leaving. The way to prevent them is to give them a decent career structure, and that is what we are trying to do, and as I said in the second part of my previous answer, the hospital authorities have responsibility, but I also consider that the attachment scheme, if it is strengthened and extended, will be a useful adjunct to the hospitals' responsibilities.