The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has responded to a story in The Guardian about the closure of the Medical Training Initiative (MTI) scheme.
Professor Mumtaz Patel, RCP president, said:
‘The Medical Training Initiative (MTI) has been one of the UK’s most successful international medical training programmes, enabling doctors from around the world to gain valuable NHS experience before returning to strengthen healthcare systems in their home countries. The programme is mutually beneficial and has delivered significant benefits for participating doctors, for the NHS and for patients. It has supported international collaboration, helped share clinical expertise, supported bidirectional learning and built lasting professional relationships between the UK and partner countries. Through the MTI, the RCP alone has facilitated more than 200 NHS placements for international medical graduates in recent years, helping to develop the global physician workforce while supporting services across the NHS.
‘We are very disappointed by the decision to discontinue the scheme. At a time when healthcare systems across the world face growing workforce pressures, programmes such as the MTI play an important role in developing skills, supporting education, bidirectional learning and strengthening international partnerships. We have urged NHS England to work closely with the medical royal colleges to explore options for preserving the benefits the programme has delivered over the past 17 years and to ensure that opportunities for international medical exchange, learning and collaboration are not lost.’