Huddersfield Royal Infirmary is struggling to fill A&E vacancies, it is claimed.
Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman said it was his understanding that the infirmary had problems recruiting and retaining accident and emergency health specialists from this country, forcing them to look for foreign doctors.
In parliament he asked the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, what could be done.
He said to the House: “Just what is going on in medical education in this country?
“We train doctors, but some never work as doctors, and others move abroad.
“Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust has advertised and advertised again, but it cannot recruit accident and emergency staff.
“It certainly cannot recruit any who have been trained in this country, or who have been trained in paediatrics.
“What is going wrong with medical education here?”
Mr Hunt, who spent a day at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax last July, responded: “We have increased the number of doctors in the NHS by 6,600 over the last three years.
“But it is still very difficult to attract as many people as we need to disciplines such as A&E.
“I know that Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is especially concerned about A&E staffing.
“I agree with the Hon Gentleman that we need to do better in this regard.” Consultant Mark Davies, the clinical lead for A&E at the two hospitals, said: “There is a national shortage of trainee middle-grade doctors in A&E and we, as all other trusts, have some difficulty recruiting.
“We continue to endeavour to fill all our vacancies to continue to provide a safe and efficient service.”
