Helping British GPS

To The Times

Further to your report “Doctors who trained abroad ‘far more likely to be incompetent’”, British-trained doctors lose money twice: first when foreign-trained doctors come to the UK and suppress wages further, and second when they have to pay medical indemnity fees that crosssubsidise those who trained abroad. GPS are each paying up to £15,000 a year for their insurance: a partner in a practice typically pays £6,000-

£9,000, but a GP working in an urgent care centre or in A&E pays about £15,000, and a full-time partner working out of hours in addition pays up to £20,000.

A risk-adjusted premium that took into account the country in which a doctor trained would be fairer – and cut indemnity fees for Britishtrained doctors by about 60%. This might force the Government to cover the difference for those trained abroad. Dr Alexander Barber, Camberley, Surrey