BMA boss quits over doctors fiasco

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James Johnson has been forced from his post after a letter he sent to the Times last week about the Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) was felt to be "insufficiently sensitive" to the problems being experienced by young doctors.

Earlier this week Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt was forced to make an embarrassing U-turn over the controversial system, promising it would not be used for the second round of interviews for posts.

The system has been subject to a legal challenge in the High Court, with a decision expected this week.

MTAS has come in for heavy criticism from junior doctors and senior medics, who have branded it unfair.

It was also subject to an online breach of security which allowed access to confidential information including doctors' addresses and telephone numbers, previous convictions, sexual orientation and religion.

Mr Johnson, a vascular surgeon, has been chairman of the BMA for four years, and said he had intended not to seek re-election for a fifth year at elections in June.

But he admitted he was resigning early following "unhappiness" within the association over the letter he wrote with Dame Carol Black, chairman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, without consulting senior colleagues.

BMA treasurer Dr David Pickersgill said: "The letter referred to the current problems over the Government's mishandling of the appointment system for junior doctors, known as MTAS.

"While it reflected the Association's agreed position of working towards a pragmatic solution for this year, its tone failed to reflect the anger being currently expressed by members of the association, particularly junior doctors. It was felt to be insufficiently sensitive and has led to a loss of confidence in the chairman."