JUNIOR DOCTOR U-TURN A MASSIVE AND EMBARRASSING FAILURE FOR HEWITT - LAMB

7.03.40pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th May 2007

Commenting on the Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt's written statement today on the future of the medical training scheme for junior doctors (MTAS), Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb MP said:

"This is a massive and embarrassing admission of failure.

"Having stubbornly persisted with the current system despite calls for its abandonment, Patricia Hewitt is now dropping it one day before court proceedings begin into its fairness.

"This suggests no confidence in a system she has been forced to defend in the House of Commons four times. This shambles is sadly symptomatic of the Government's incompetent stewardship of the NHS.

"The massive disruption caused could have been avoided if the Government had listened to health professionals' warnings at the start. Ministers instead ploughed on regardless with a doomed system, threatening the careers of young doctors and causing serious concern to patients.

"Patricia Hewitt should come before the House of Commons once again to address the many questions that remain unanswered about this fiasco."

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