NHS training situation has put my life on hold, says doc

A TYNESIDE doctor says her life and career are “on hold” due to the issues behind NHS strikes.

- By SAM VOLPE Health reporter

Resident Doctor Sheryl Higham during a strike outside the RVI

Dr Sheryl Higham, 28, lives in Newcastle Great Park and works at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead.

However, she is a “locally employed” doctor - meaning that she has finished her foundation training but not yet successfully applied for a training place that would, eventually, lead to the prospect of becoming a consultant. The issue, she says, is training “bottlenecks”.

This is something resident doctors have now put at the heart of their dispute with the Government.

The British Medical Association (BMA)’s resident doctor committee has highlighted how last year, around 30,000 doctors applied for just 10,000 training places.

Specialisms in some regions have applicant-to-job ratios of more than 10 to 1.

Some medics have been forced to contemplate unemployment - and leading resident doctors like Dr Jack Fletcher have highlighted the “absurd” nature of doctors facing unemployment while NHS patients face long waiting times.

Speaking ahead of the strikes which began on Friday and ran until yesterday, Dr Higham echoed this.