FERGUS EWING: Time for the doctor to pay the bill after we’ve treated them
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It costs the state about £250,000 to train one doctor.
Recently I have heard from friends and colleagues that their son, daughter or grandchild has left Scotland, emigrating just after gaining their qualification as a doctor.
Most have gone to countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA or Ireland; English-speaking countries where it is pretty easy to quickly settle down and start a new life.
This is personal freedom.
But it is surely wrong that here in Scotland – and the UK – we spend huge amounts of money to train people for vital jobs and then see the benefit of that investment reaped by others who have put in zero pounds zero pence.
In other countries, they have policies which require newly qualified professionals who leave their own country to pay back some or all of the costs over a long period: a bit like student loans.
This seems to me to be only fair and reasonable.
So, last week in Holyrood I used two debates, one on health and the other on lack of NHS dentistry, to make this case.
A bond would secure the repayment of training costs for those young newly qualified who decide to emigrate.
This applies to the whole public sector: so as well as doctors, we have shortages of teachers, nurses and allied professionals.
All such newly-qualified people have gained through expert training.
All have benefited from a large investment by the State – the taxpayer.
In fact, the Highlands and other rural parts will benefit most from such a policy, as we have the most acute shortages of personnel – in schools as well as in our hospitals.
Other countries, as part of the obligation, also require young doctors or teachers to work in the rural parts of their country.
This ensures that there are enough staff in their hospitals and schools to provide full provision of services.
Surely this is a no brainer?
Neil Gray is the new cabinet secretary for health and open to ideas.
He promised to analyse the numbers leaving.
We shall see if he is able to drive this policy forward.
Order! Order!
The chaos in the Commons dominated the political headlines last week.
The Speaker got himself into pretty hot water!
My sister Annabelle, a deputy presiding officer in Holyrood – our equivalent of the deputy speaker, took a keen interest in those proceedings. She is very cautious in her role, and tries hard to be fair to everyone – not an easy task!
That includes me – her elder brother – even though she takes great pleasure in saying to her chums: “I have waited nearly 60 years for it, but at long last I get legally the power to boss my big brother around!”
There is no point in complaining!
n Fergus Ewing (SNP) is MSP for Inverness and Nairn including Strathspey.
