British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin
The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin is a voluntary organisation for Indian doctors in the United Kingdom established in 1996.
The president is Dr Ramesh Mehta of Bedford Hospital NHS Trust
BAPIO estimates that there are around 40,000 doctors of Indian origin working in the National Health Service and that the intake in UK Medical Schools of Indian origin students is about 20%. Doctors from the subcontinent have had difficulties in getting jobs in the most popular specialities and the most desirable areas as was exposed by the work of Aneez Esmail and Sam Everington.
In 2013 the Association launched a legal challenge to the regulator, the General Medical Council, and the standards body, the Royal College of General Practitioners alleging that the clinical skills assessment component of the Membership exam was discriminatory and seeking a judicial review of the way the RCGP conducts the test, because there is a "significant difference in pass rates which cannot be explained by a lack of any knowledge, skill or competency on the part of the International Medical Graduates. 65.3% of international graduates failed their first attempt at the Clinical Skills Assessment (CSA) component of the MRCGP exam in 2011/12, compared with 9.9% of UK graduates. In 2010/11, 59.2% of the international graduates failed at the first attempt, compared with 8.2% of UK graduates, while in 2008, 43% of IMGs failed the CSA compared with 8.3% of UK graduates.
The legal challenge cost the Association at least £50,000.[1] Mr Justice John Mitting presiding over the case said that the Royal College of General Practitioners was neither racially discriminatory nor in breach of its public sector equality duty. He said he was satisfied that the CSA "put south Asians of both categories [UK-educated and those who studied overseas] at a disadvantage" but he described the assessment itself as "proportionate" and designed to achieve "legitimate ends".[2] but it was time for the RCGP to ‘eliminate discrimination’ in the MRCGP and address the disparity in pass rates for non-white groups.[3]
Aneez Esmail was asked to analyse data on more than 5,000 candidates who sat the CSA exam over a two-year period by the GMC. He found that ‘subjective bias due to racial discrimination may be a cause’ of the different pass rates for between white and non-white graduates.[4][5]
References
- ↑ "CSA legal challenge to cost overseas doctors' group £200k". GP Online. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ↑ "GPs' exams disadvantage ethnic minority students, says high court judge". Guardian. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ↑ "BAPIO will not appeal MRCGP judicial review decision". Pulse. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ↑ "GP exam 'unfair to minorities'". BBC News. 19 October 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
- ↑ "British Indian Doctors Association Launches Legal Action Over 'Inequality' In GP Medical Exams". Huffington Post. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 1 October 2014.