Concerns over trainee jobs shortage

THERE are not enough jobs for all trainees looking to start foundation training in August 2014, it has been announced.

The programme is oversubscribed for the fourth year running, with final years having to wait until January 21, 2014 to find out how big the shortfall is.

They will then be informed by the UK Foundation Programme Office in March if they have made it onto the “primary list” or the reserve list. The primary list consists of the top scoring applicants to the foundation programme who will be first in line for jobs. The number of those on the list will correspond to the total number of UK vacancies at that time.

Those on the reserve list will be allocated jobs in batches as vacancies arise over the following months.

Last year the jobs shortfall was at its highest level with 295 trainees placed on the reserve list, up from 81 in 2012. All reserve applicants were eventually found jobs by July 2013, eight months after the oversubscription was confirmed.

The UKFPO has said that applicants who do not provide proof of their right to work in the UK by January 17 will be withdrawn from the national process.

UKFPO national director Derek Gallen said: “Although we cannot confirm exact numbers until January 2014, we would like to reassure applicants that, since oversubscription first occurred for the foundation programme 2011, we have successfully placed all eligible applicants before the start of the programme in August, and we hope to do the same again this year.

“As in previous years, we will be working closely with medical schools to ensure applicants who are placed on the reserve list when allocations take place in March 2014 are supported throughout the process.”