One more nail in the ....
Dr Sunanda Ghosh's entry to the egroup:

The article says it all..

Actual link to the article

EXTRA INVESTMENT AND INCREASE IN HOMEGROWN MEDICAL RECRUITS EASES UK
RELIANCE ON OVERSEAS DOCTORS

Published: 7 March 2006
By: Dept of health, Sally Aldous
All international doctors now required to have a work permit to work in the UK
All doctors wishing to work in the UK from outside the European Union
(EU) will be required to have a work permit from July 2006 Health
Minister Lord Warner announced today.
The move means that any NHS trust wishing to employ a doctor from
outside the EU will have to prove that a 'home-grown' doctor cannot
fill the vacant post, ending the current permit free training
arrangement for international doctors.
Health Minister Lord Warner said: "We now have more than 117,000
doctors working in the NHS, 31,000 more than in 1997 as well as record
levels of doctors in training in UK medical schools.
"This investment and expansion, coupled with the reform of medical
education, is leading to increased competition for medical posts as
vacancy rates fall.
"Therefore, to ensure that we are only recruiting doctors to the UK
where we have a genuine skills shortage NHS Trusts will be required to
get a work permit for every doctor that they wish to employ from
outside the EU.
"In future IMGs who wish to work or train in the NHS will need a work
permit. To obtain a work permit an employer must show that a genuine
vacancy exists, which cannot be filled with a resident worker.
"We recognise that international doctors have made a huge contribution
to the NHS since it was founded in 1948 and there will still be
opportunities for overseas staff to come to the UK. We will continue
to need small numbers of specialist doctors, who can bring their
skills and experience to the NHS. However, increasingly the NHS will
be less reliant on international medical recruitment."
The changes will come into action shortly when the NHS will only be
able to recruit internationally when they cannot fill a training post
with a UK graduate.
The only exception will be to allow two years of permit-free training
for non-European Union nationals who have trained in a UK medical
schools so that they can acquire full registration with the GMC.
Any doctor wishing to apply for postgraduate medical education
training in the UK , whether at the Modernising Medical Careers
foundation programme level or senior house officer stage, will be
required to have a work permit.
Currently international medical graduates (IMGs) are able to undertake
postgraduate medical education in the UK without needing a work
permit.
Health Minister Lord Warner added: "The Department of Health will
continue to work with the General Medical Council to ensure that IMGs
who are interested in working or training in the UK understand exactly
what type of job and training opportunities exist. "
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