§ Mr. Patrick Jenkinasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he has any plans to improve job security for senior registrars whose contracts expire; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. EnnalsSenior registrar posts are training posts in individual specialties, and the Health Departments and the medical and dental professions agreed in 1971 that it was essential that posts should not be blocked for any significant length of time by doctors who did not need further training in the grade and in that particular specialty. A procedure was established to provide temporary alternative employment for doctors who had completed training but had been unable to obtain a consultant post. It has been necessary to use this procedure only once.
I do not see any need to change these arrangements, which were introduced to meet widespread discontent in the profession about doctors remaining in the senior registrar grade for long periods after completing training, but I will be happy to consider any proposals the professions wish to put to me.