Hypocrisy

Overseas doctors with NHS experience are being refused visas on the grounds their medical degrees are not equal to those in the UK.

The BMA international committee has been contacted by members whose application for a HSMP (highly skilled migrant programme) visa was turned down because their degree was deemed equivalent only to a UK HND (higher national diploma).

HSMP visas are awarded on a points basis and qualifications must be evaluated by NARIC (the UK National Recognition Information Centre). However, NARIC is giving no points for some overseas medical degrees despite applicants being registered with the GMC and having UK medical experience. HND-holders would not be awarded points towards the total needed to gain an HSMP visa.

BMA council chair James Johnson and IC chair Edwin Borman have both written to higher education minister Bill Rammell asking him to review NARIC's methods.

If you have been refused an HSMP on these grounds, contact the international department at internationalinfo@bma. org.uk


The above is yet another example of hypocrisy of the British government's policy. These doctors have already worked in UK for a number of years, been given registration with the GMC, and have been treating patients here for a number of years. All of a sudden, their qualification is inferior, and therefore would not be granted the HSMP. Blatant discrimination!! I am not surprised at all by this. About a decade or so ago, I had also had the dubious "privilege" of experiencing this. I had gained my qualification from Ireland. While my Irish classmate, and fellow housemen was granted Full Registration, I was only granted Limited Registration with the GMC. My qualification and housemanship experience was deemed inferior to his. I had to jumped through hoops for the next couple of years before being granted the Full Registration status. Later, I heard that any non-EEA graduates from Irish Universities who applied to work in the UK had to sit an English exam, before being accepted for registration. How do they think lectures in Irish medical school were delivered....Urdu??

I have no problem that jobs in the country should be given to the locals in the first instance. But to discriminate based on qualifications when it is convenient to do so is just baseless and stupid.