PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
IMPACT OF ROYAL COLLEGES' RECOMMENDATIONS ON RURAL AREAS (26 July 1998)

That this House notes the target standards for junior medical staffing being issued by the Royal Colleges, sees that they suggest a change in treatment structure away from small groups of doctors who generalise to larger teams of specialist consultants in centralised locations; regrets that if this structure is applied to the geographically remote hospitals serving smaller populations many local services could be closed down and moved to more distant central units; observes the damage such closures would have on staff morale, recruitment and retention; acknowledges the inconvenience which this would impose on patients and the potential threat to their health; expresses concern that junior doctors would get a narrower range of experiences and that as a consequence their training would suffer; and calls on the Royal Colleges to review their guidance to geographically remote hospitals.

Sponsored by:
Sir Nick Harvey (Liberal Democrat)