London - Tests taken by foreign doctors who want to work in the NHS should be made harder to pass to bring them in line with UK standards, a study has said. Research by University College London found a "performance gap" between international and UK medical graduates.
It said pass marks for entry exams sat by international doctors should therefore be set "considerably higher". But the British International Doctors Association disputed the findings and called for a standardised test for all. The research, commissioned by the General Medical Council (GMC), said 1,300 foreign doctors a year passed the competency exams, which assess clinical and language skills.
But it warned their subsequent performance indicated that half of them should not have qualified. It suggested raising the pass mark from 63 to 76%. Figures showed that in the five years to 2012, 669 doctors were struck off or suspended - 420 of those had trained abroad.
Umesh Prabhu, national vice-chairman of the British International Doctors Association (BIDA), said he would only support raising pass marks if there was proof all doctors were tested to the same standard. More than 95,000 foreign-trained doctors work in the UK, making up a quarter of the total number.
The GMC called for the UCL study after it set up a working party to review whether the competency exam needed to be updated. Tougher language checks for European doctors are due to come into force this summer. (FA)