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At least 1,000 overseas-qualified doctors must wait until the summer to take their exams as the General Medical Council cancelled them shortly before Christmas.

Given that government and NHS officials are desperate for more staff, this will be unwelcome news as a surge in covid faces forces backs up against the wall again.

The professional and linguistic assessment board tests, which determine whether an overseas medic can perform the same way a foundation year two doctor can, were meant to go ahead in January and February.

But they have been shelved until a later date, as the GMC made their decision in “direct response” to the covid surge.

The regulator said up to 54 doctors were needed, per day, to act as examiners alongside a “large number of role players and staff”.

Director of registration Una Lane said: “We are deeply disappointed to have to cancel exams at this time, but given the pressures on the NHS and the impact on examiner availability, it was the only viable option.”

However, the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin criticised the GMC’s move.

Its president JS Bamrah warned it “only served to give the wrong impression to migrant doctors in this country”.

Vax deadline ramps up the pressure

Now we’re the other side of Christmas, many healthcare leaders will be worrying about the 3 February deadline, set by the government late last year, to give all NHS staff their first covid vaccine.

Many made clear it would be tough but they’d get the job done and would continue to engage with staff. But new guidance to be issued next week will ramp up the pressure even further.

It is expected this ‘phase two’ guidance will set out the broad principles around the dismissal of unvaccinated staff who also cannot be redeployed.

However, critics have argued although they agree with the guidance in theory, the timing is all wrong. It is understood that some unions will soon be calling on the government to shift back the looming February deadline and ease up pressure on the health service.

Others disagree and one anonymous chief executive from London added: “To delay simply puts off the inevitable and colludes with a narrative that this is a mean thing to require. It’s the law.”.

Whether it’s law or not, this deadline adds heaps more pressure on to trust leaders and many will be hoping they can persuade the last few cohorts of staff before the month is out.