The BMA's James Johnson explains the need for more doctors

The BMA is stepping up pressure on the government to fund the extra 1,000 places this year.

An expert committee has advised the government that the extra places are needed to deal with doctor shortages in many areas.

Doctors' hours

The BMA says other reasons for staff shortages include efforts to cut junior doctors' hours to the recommended 72 hours a week and doctors leaving the profession because of clashes with managers.

At a recent junior doctors' conference, health minister Alan Milburn gave the clearest signal yet that the government may agree to fund the extra places. However, there is no indication yet of when a decision will be made.

James Johnson

James Johnson, chairman of the British Medical Association's consultants committee, said there was an urgent need for action since Britain was having to recruit doctors overseas to cope with the shortage.

"We need to be self-sufficient," he said. He added that the problem was not due to people not wanting to become doctors, but to the fact that medical schools only have 4,500 places to offer a year.

Prompt decision

Dr Colin Smith, chairman of the BMA's university doctors' committee, says it takes nine years or more for doctors to qualify. "This makes a prompt decision all the more imperative," he said.