§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will bring forward proposals to eliminate unemployment among newly qualified doctors.
§ M r. Kenneth ClarkeI am very concerned that about 12 newly qualified doctors have been unable to find a post from 1 February to provide them with the experience they need to become fully registered. However, in at least four cases; the doctors did not apply for jobs which were available outside their preferred areas.
We took a number of steps following a similar problem in tie summer, including asking health authorities to provide more posts. We are now considering as a matter of urgency what further can be done and have already asked the Council for Postgraduate Medical Education to consider the problem and to make recommendations for solving it.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many doctors who qualified during the last two years are at present not in full-time medical employment.
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§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThis information is not available centrally. About 12 newly qualified doctors have not been able to find pre-registration house officer posts starting on February 1. Of these at least four were prepared to apply for posts only in London and the south east and two were re-qualified overseas doctors.