Paediatrics application system glitch

National software used by doctors to apply for specialist training posts in paediatrics has been suspended after faults were discovered with the system.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said it had experienced a technical problem with its online recruitment system and closed the application process temporarily.

The RCPCH discovered that “in a number of instances” the software used for the national recruitment process had swapped data between applications when applicants were filling in the same grid question at exactly the same time.

The same software is being used for applications to psychiatry and obstetrics and gynaecology training posts. The Modernising Medical Careers programme has advised all applicants to check their application forms.

The problem follows the security breaches that led to the withdrawal of the national Medical Training Applications System (MTAS) in 2007.

There is no longer a nationally-run application system for training posts. Some specialties run their own national application processes, such as the RCPCH. But applications to most posts are locally managed by individual deaneries.

The RCPCH said problems with its recruitment software had been identified and rectified, but external checks were still being carried out to make sure it was now working properly.

Following the checks, all those who have submitted an application will be given the chance to check the accuracy of their details.

The deadline for trainees to submit their application will also be extended. “We will ensure that no application is disadvantaged” the College says in a statement on its website.

However, the British Medical Association has urged the Department of Health to contact all applicants.

Dr Andy Thornley, chair of the BMA’s Junior Doctors Committee said: “The failure of a computer system involved in the applications process will be extremely alarming to junior doctors who remember the disastrous collapse of MTAS in 2007.

“The BMA has contacted the Department of Health for reassurance that applicants will not suffer as a result of the failure of this computer system.

“Whilst the problems do not seem to involve security of personal information, it does look like significant numbers of applicants will have submitted applications that have been corrupted due to a fault in the system.

“We are also concerned that the national computer system used to process applications in paediatrics is used in some other specialties. At the moment, it is not clear whether the problem is isolated to one specialty or is more widespread."

Dr Thornley said it was disappointing to hear about the failure in application systems only 18 months after the MTAS problems. He added: “The BMA has repeatedly called for the rigorous testing of any new application systems and it is extremely concerning to see problems once again.”