Remedy UK
Encyclopedia
Junior doctor
Junior doctors in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are those in postgraduate training, starting at graduation with a medical degree and culminating in a post as a Consultant, a General Practitioner, or some other non-training post, such as a Staff grade or Associate Specialist...
s in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The organisation was set up by four junior doctors in 2007 to campaign against UK government-led medical training reforms known as Modernising Medical Careers
Modernising Medical Careers
Modernising Medical Careers is a programme for postgraduate medical training introduced in the UK from 2005 onwards. The programme replaced the traditional grades of medical career before the level of Consultant. The different stages of the programme contribute towards a "Certificate of...
(MMC) and their implementation through the Medical Training Application Service
Medical Training Application Service
The Medical Training Application Service was an on-line application system set up under the auspices of Modernising Medical Careers in 2007 and used for the selection of Foundation House Officers and Specialty Registrars, and allocating them to jobs in the UK...
(MTAS). Remedy UK was created in response to what was perceived to be an insufficiently robust response by the official doctors' trade union, the BMA
British Medical Association
The British Medical Association is the professional association and registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association’s headquarters are located in BMA House,...
, and professional associations (Royal College
Royal College
A Royal College in some Commonwealth countries is technically a college which has received permission to use the prefix Royal. Permission is usually granted through a Royal Charter. The charter normally confers a constitution with perpetual succession and the right to sue or be sued independently...
s of Medicine).
Despite being in its infancy Remedy UK currently has over 13,000 members and campaigns as a grassroots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
doctors' organisation. It is supported by optional subscriptions from its members.
Campaigns
Remedy UK have mounted a number of high profile campaigns against Modernising Medical Careers.- Early Day Motion - an Early day motionEarly day motionAn Early Day Motion , in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament for debate "on an early day" . Controversial EDMs are not signed by Government Ministers, PPS or the Speaker of the House of Commons and very few are debated on the floor...
explicitly backing RemedyUK's concerns about MMC and MTAS has been signed by 127 Members of Parliament - March in March - on the 17th of March 2007 Remedy UK organised the largest public protest by doctors in British History. An estimated 12,000 junior doctors marched from the headquarters of the Royal College of PhysiciansRoyal College of PhysiciansThe Royal College of Physicians of London was founded in 1518 as the College of Physicians by royal charter of King Henry VIII in 1518 - the first medical institution in England to receive a royal charter...
to the offices of the Royal College of Surgeons of EnglandRoyal College of Surgeons of EnglandThe Royal College of Surgeons of England is an independent professional body and registered charity committed to promoting and advancing the highest standards of surgical care for patients, regulating surgery, including dentistry, in England and Wales...
in London. A parallel protest was organised on the same day in Glasgow. - Mass Lobby of Parliament - on the 24th of April 2007 Remedy UK organised a mass lobbyLobbyingLobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
of the UK parliament in Westminster attended by hundreds of doctors. This aimed to directly pressure individual MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
s and to raise awareness of the issues surrounding recent reforms to medical training in the UK. - Judicial Review - Remedy UK launched a judicial review in May 2007 challenging the legality of MTASMedical Training Application ServiceThe Medical Training Application Service was an on-line application system set up under the auspices of Modernising Medical Careers in 2007 and used for the selection of Foundation House Officers and Specialty Registrars, and allocating them to jobs in the UK...
and MMCModernising Medical CareersModernising Medical Careers is a programme for postgraduate medical training introduced in the UK from 2005 onwards. The programme replaced the traditional grades of medical career before the level of Consultant. The different stages of the programme contribute towards a "Certificate of...
in court. Justice Goldring did not rule in favour of Remedy UK but in his summary described the reforms as "disastrous" and suggested that individual doctors cases should be open to scrutiny by employment tribunals.