A group of Northern Ireland medics held a meeting at Stormont yesterday to campaign against Government changes to junior doctor recruitment and training.
A total of 50 MLAs, including First Minister-designate Ian Paisley and Health Minister designate-Michael McGimpsey, also attended.
They joined junior doctors, hospital consultants, concerned relatives, and members of the public outraged by the imp
act of the Government's Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) initiative in Northern Ireland.
The initiative aims to modernise junior doctor training, by reducing the length of training while fast-tracking doctors into specialist sub-consultant roles.
Doctors are concerned that the reduction in training will lead to inexperienced doctors being pushed into specialty work too early in their career, causing patient care to suffer.
The initiative will also bring about changes to the recruiment process, which will mean senior doctors will now compete with those on the new Foundation programme for jobs.
The organisers believe these changes, coupled with the fact that there are over 800 doctors competing for only 400 places on the new training system, will lead many to leave the province in search of employment.
Dr Christine Hughes, meeting organiser, said: "Although the latest proposal means everyone will get a chance to be interviewed in Northern Ireland, it has not addressed the fundamental problem of cutting down training and reducing the number of training posts."
Mr McGimpsey told the meeting he would make junior doctors his first priority as health minister.
Mr Paisley also voiced his concern the impact of the new system will have on both junior doctors and their patients.
