Immigrant doctors at the NHS are furious with the DOH which has allegedly said that they gave prior warnings on the work permit law for trainee doctors.

The Department of Health issued statements earlier this year in their website justifying their cause to implement the abolition of the permit free training law.

According to the statement they claim to have issued cautionary letters to heads of immigrant doctor’s organizations. However this has been blatantly denied by organizations themselves.

Dr Umesh Prabhu, Senior Consultant Surgeon at the Papworth Hospitals NHS Trust and also the vice chairman of the BAPIO (British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin) said that these statements will always stand a bad testimony against the DOH in their future dealings.

“We are at present confronting with thousands of doctors who have tearfully returned to their home countries. It completely annoys me that the DOH has actually said that they consulted with us. We at the BAPIO were never contacted by any one and neither were all the other organisations.” He said.

The new laws meant that thousands of trainee doctors had to leave the country as they would now require a work permit to continue their studies. Thousands have already left as they gave up hope but there are still a few who have decided to fight with the government.

Steve Harman, press officer for the BMA said “One has to understand the postion of the government as well. There are hundreds of local graduates who are unemployed in their home country because of the outflow of immigrant doctors. Though I do support the government for this cause I hoped that they would only implement the change in due course. In that case these immigrant doctors would not be facing with such an issue.”

Meanwhile, the BAPIO has filed a judicial review case against the government last week after collecting almost 50,000 pounds voluntarily to pay for their legal fight.