The end of MTAS

Patricia Hewitt defends MTAS on Question Time

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MTAS has been scrapped.

What more can I say? Well, just a few words, maybe. Just a tiny little gloat if I may. But first a word of acknowledgment to RemedyUK which was formed to do the job that should have been done by the BMA.

And now back to Hewitt. Still no apology from the bloody woman:

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said that after the first round of recruitment, the system would only fulfill a monitoring role this year. Instead, the recruitment process will be CV-based, and handled at a local level by medical deaneries. (BBC)

Note the characteristic face-saving piece of tosh about MTAS being used in a "monitoring" role. Ha! Ha! Next we will ask that nice Mr Mugawbe to monitor the Electoral Reform Society.

One slight concern for some of us. They may yet be criminal prosecutions for breach of security.

It also emerged that the MTAS website had been the subject of two security breaches. Ms Hewitt told the Commons earlier this month she was confident that criminal offences had not been committed. But following further investigations a report has been sent to the police. (BBC)

Vintage Hewitt. She cannot put three sentences together without telling a lie.

I was tipped off about the second security breach and, before informing the Department of Health of its existence, I most certainly checked it out by penetrating the system and accessing confidential information from it. I then immediately informed the Department of Health, as described here.

I am never one to waste police time, so let me say right away, "I done it. It's a fair cop, I want my brief."



Thankfully, I shall not be alone. The following will be in the dock:

Victoria MacDonald (Channel 4)
Dr John Crippen (NHS BLOG DOCTOR)
The combined staff of RemedyUK

Soon we may all be in jail together. A modern open prison where as “trusties” we will spend our time organising the library. Our own little Shawshank Redemption.

This seems a good time to react to an email I received today:

“Dear Dr Crippen, you recently published a picture of Gordon Brown laughing at a joke. Would you consider printing it again?

How to make Gordon Brown laugh

The email questions that Hewitt agreed to answer after her dreadful appearance on Question Time may now be of historical interest, but are fun to read to watch her squirming to avoid the inevitable.

Q: You have apologised three times in the House of Commons for the distress caused to young doctors by the MTAS failures. There is much evidence to prove that the interview system is deeply unfair and two key figures, Alan Crockard and Shelley Heard, have resigned in protest at the shambles. Please can you explain why you insist in going on trying to patch up a seriously flawed system?

Why not stop it now, find an alternative to protect patient care in August, save thousands of young doctors' careers and take a fresh look at how to implement MMC, which many doctors support? You could redeem your reputation overnight by doing this.

Amanda Willmott, Honiton

The answer to Amanda's question, and many others, may be found here.

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There is a serious question that now needs to be addressed, and it may be that Wat Tyler can assist.

How much has MTAS cost the tax payer?

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Just listened to Lord Rhymes-With on Radio 4's PM programme. Hewitt is hiding in the bunker looking at her diary. Rhymes-With refused to apologise, refused to admit there had been a disaster and talked only of "teething problems."

"A grandiose smoke-screen" said Matt Jamieson-Evans, a hospital doctor. Rhymes-With denied that and continued to flannel and lie.

"Is this a great advertisment for Hewitt?" asked the PM programme.

"I am very impressed with the way she works. She is not making wrong decisions" said Rhymes-With.

Dr Crippen predicts Rhymes-With will be spending more time with his family come the Coronation.