NHS LEGACY: Migrant doctors were the backbone of the NHS or it would have collapsed
By Buddhdev Pandya MBE
On the 60th Anniversary of NHS the President of British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, a national body recognised as a ‘voice’ of Indian doctors, Dr Ramesh Mehta describes the migrant doctors as the “backbone’ of the NHS.
The British National Health Service was formed after the War in 1948 as a result of dire conditions in the country.
For almost sixty years it provided 'health care' paid through central taxation, and helped to set core values of social welfare in the society.
Patients enjoy free cradle to grave personal health care, unlike some other countries where the means-tested systems or privatised provision where only the rich access best treatment at the point of needs.
In the United Kingdom, there are four different health systems. During recent years the NHS in England has moved towards the market forces whereby hospitals and community services have to compete with the private sector for patients. Scotland provides the Doctors more say in services, with limited involvement from the private sector. While Wales has close working relationship between the NHS and local government and Northern Ireland, somewhat hamstrung by its current political situation.
In 1945 they were only 1000 and by 50s it has arisen to 3000. Today one third of the doctors in the NHS are from the Indian Sub-continent. The presence of the migrant doctors in the NHS, particularly from country such as India have been mainly due to the fact that it was cheaper and availability to work in areas where the local graduates were not prepared to venture.
Lord Taylor of Harlow had once summed up the situation by saying that the NHS would have collapsed if it had not been for the enormous influx from junior doctors from such countries as India and Pakistan. The majority migrant doctors hold the view that in reality these doctors were here to provide pair of hands in rottenest, worst hospitals in the country because there is nobody else to do it.
Today, 117,036 overseas doctors are working in the National Health Service. Of these, 16,000 are of Indian origin. Over, 35,000 doctors and 12,000 dentists are from the Indian Sub-continent.
The migrant doctors came with two clear motivations; for achieving skills excellence and career progression which provided economic success. Their work ethics and dedication inevitably played a significant part in the success story of the NHS.
The NHS would have collapsed if it had not been for the enormous influx from junior doctors from such countries as India and Pakistan. The majority migrant doctors hold the view that in reality these doctors were here to provide pair of hands in rottenest, worst hospitals in the country because there is nobody else to do it.
- Lord Taylor
Despite having Race Relations legislation in place to tackle racial discrimination for promoting equality for over 40 years; what followed was a plethora of guidelines and rules issues by the authorities which still remain at an advice level while institutional racism had taken it toll on the migrant doctors working in the NHS.
BAPIO and other IMG organisations have now become more vociferous as the number of overseas doctors reflected in the disciplinary process is disproportionately higher that their white counters parts. A migrant doctor is more likely to be judged harshly than a European and in many cases blatantly flouting principal of fairness and contemptuous flouted with prolonged drawn out legal battle.
According to Dr Ramesh Mehta, the President of BAPIO, “The migrant doctors face ‘lace curtain racism’ hidden behind the institutionalised failures”. He adds that this is due to lack of proper monitoring and implementing policies which combine with disregard for principals of equality and lack of sensitivity towards the diversity in work force in the NHS.”
The NHS and Welfare state has been crown jewels of the trade union movement and the old Labour Party for the past sixty years. Built around socialist principals it began a new journey. A political crusade to integrate private sector by the charismatic Labour Party leader Tony Blair began mimicking the Tory policies a decade ago by introducing private sector finance in the public services delivery as a path to modernising the NHS.
The NHS is now reaching near a new political cross road! None of the political parties are prepared to risk telling the voters that it is gradually being heaved to the private sector and most likely to end up as a fee paying service, inevitably leaving some services inferior to the affluent areas.
After ten years of the Labour Party in power which had claiming at every general election that the NHS was not safe in the hands of the Tories, today it is very difficult to find NHS dentist in many parts of the country. The dental service charges are dissuading many families from visiting their dentist regularly. The new Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown seems to be caught ‘between the rock and hard place’, unable to retreat back to socialism anymore!
In the period where the politicians have been claiming that ‘we never had it so good’, the quality of service and access to many treatments are regarded as no more than just a 'post code lottery'.
Despite having changes introduced on many services, including gradual increase in prescription charges, the Hospitals and other services are forced to find savings.
Even though the NHS is attracting considerable private sector investment and there has been an increase in the NHS budget, the ‘tick-box’ and target culture has placed elderly and mental health care at the lower end of the priority and pushed to the 'care into community'.
During recent years, many leading medical professionals have been expressing concerns that patient care is suffering and the delay in treatment may be putting lives at risk.
Political observes see the rumbling of NHS image is largely due to the lack of any coherent strategies for resource management and lack of focus on quality of the patience care despite having committed professional medical staff at all levels of the system.
The Emergency and Accident services provide excellent response even though the patients discharged earlier from the hospitals and GP’s are unable to cope with demands; all ending up at the A&E eventually. After all the criticism of the NHS, it remains a ‘gem’ at the heart of the British people; envy of the world.
3rd July 2008
Buddhdev Pandya MBE is a political columnist and journalist.
buddhdevp@googlemail.com
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