In response to Liam Donaldson being a civil servant and therefore unable to defend himself, i find this utterly preposterous. The whole process has been conceived with his leadership and not once has he adequately attempted to defend it or himself. He has relied upon press attention upon many others who have eventually taken the correct decision to resign, to divert it from himself.

One cannot defend the indefensible, and one cannot defend oneself without first speaking or raising ones own voice! No, it is not that he cannot, it is that he Will not defend himself!

As for those who talk of militancy they would do well to remember that unlike all others supported by unions we do not have the right of strike, all events have been paeceful and merely through speach and power of numbers. Remember what it is that we are fighting for...our careers and training mean the healthcare which you all hope for when you or your loved ones are seen by a doctor!

GL, Birmingham,

As a predecessor of James Johnson as Chairman of the BMA Council who was also defenestrated as being thought (wrongly) to be too close to the Government of the day (Conservative in my case), I am baffled by the situation Mr Johnson has found himself in.
It has seemed clear for a long time that New Labour are no friends of the professions, especially medicine, nor I believe has been the Chief Medical Officer himself. The politicians at the Dept of Health are, almost without exception, unimpressive and it should have been possible for the BMA to run rings round them. Perhaps they did on pay. Nevertheless how did the profession's leaders allow themselves to be sucked in to such an obvious disaster as MMC/MTAS?
There will be many post-mortems going on in BMA House right now as to how this all came about. Was it simply a latterday Icarian tragedy? To liken the brightness of the DoH to the sun seems to stretch the analogy rather too far though.

Jeremy Lee-Potter, Wareham,

I take task with just the last part of the statement from the former BMA member from Glasgow who says:

"The BMA has been for many years an ineffective force for the medical profession and has become a tool of the government to undermine. The BMA has been damaged by this affair but hopefully with Mr Johnson now gone (and others sure to follow) the organisation can go on to regain the confidence of its members and especially juniors, by becoming more open, transparent and representative."

The BMA cannot change under New Labour, and the euphemism "brown nosing" has taken on a new spin. Many medical directors in NHS hospitals have become syncophants with their likeminded lackeys and covertly undermine their colleagues in their quest for personal status and financial gain. Little wonder the NHS is imploding.

Former BMA member from Hastings

Michael Pembrey, Hastings, UK

To Anthony James, who thinks a political minority are taking over our 'union':

When MMC was proposed 2 years ago, concerns were raised in every corner of the profession and the BMA brought these to the DOH. Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, they were ignored. The BMA, for reasons unclear, chose not to step up their complaints.

RemedyUK is not and never has been a 'cell' within the BMA. It is an independent group of doctors wanting to act further to condemn, not just criticise, this MTAS/MMC crisis. Their action led to the judicial review in court last Wednesday.

Many doctors are happily members of both organisations, but recent developments have lead some to reconsider. The BMA used our subscription money to defend the government in court. Mr Johnson wrote a letter to the Times defending MMC. 700 junior doctors resigned from the BMA in one day in response. This demonstrates that our 'union' is currently not representative of many doctors actually out manning the wards.

Amanda, Medical SHO., London,

The public should bear in mind that the government who can't even run a database of 30, 000 doctors, keep it secure, prevent it crashing and make it assign interviews fairly have much bigger IT plans.

Would you trust them to put your identity on a database?

They say it will prevent terrorism - ridiculous!

Would you trust them with your medical records given the fact that they accidentally outed medics on the net?

Jeremy Newman, Beverley, UK

I am afraid that many senior doctors' leaders from the Royal Colleges also have allowed the new application procedures to be brought in despite'their protests'.
It is inconceivable that the NHS should have a system of recruiting which is 'fair and competitive' yet bears no resemblance to any system of appointment in any other organisation in the world.

Peter Wyld, Oxford, UK

Liam Donaldson is behind this debacle affecting the whole NHS.

He cannot hide in the shadows much longer. When Hewitt goes, his coat will be on a wobbley nail indeed.

Dr Robertson, Glasgow, Scotland

I take task with just the last part of the statement from the former BMA member from Glasgow who says:

"The BMA has been for many years an ineffective force for the medical profession and has become a tool of the government to undermine. The BMA has been damaged by this affair but hopefully with Mr Johnson now gone (and others sure to follow) the organisation can go on to regain the confidence of its members and especially juniors, by becoming more open, transparent and representative."

The BMA cannot change under New Labour, and the euphemism "brown nosing" has taken on a new spin. Many medical directors in NHS hospitals have likewise become syncophants with their likeminded lackeys who covertly undermine their colleagues in their quest for personal status and financial gain. Little wonder the NHS is imploding.

Former BMA member from Hastings

Michael Pembrey, Hastings, UK

Interesting to read some of the comments here.

I am also an outside but it appears to me as though the BMA have not been representing their members views.

The bold statistics make quite worrying reading.

Essentially 11,500 hospital doctors out of a 29,000 working population (so called "junior doctors") will never be able to have a training job in the NHS after 1 August under the current system.

This means that if they want to specialise (i.e. become a heart surgeon, liver specialist, cancer specialist etc) they have to go abroad.

So the Government is incentising 11,500 working doctors that the NHS needs to move abroad.

Understandably most of those 29,000 junior doctors are disgruntled with this.

They expected the BMA to support them vocally on this.

The leadership of the BMA didn't and indeed seemed to want to back the DoH position.

Mr Jaynes - this isn't a minority of doctors going militant. It's about 11,500 doctors worrying that they will have to leave UK.

Mohammad Khan, London, UK

Anthony Jaynes and Paul Holden:
There is an attempt to 'take over' the medical profession, to devalue it and neuter it - by none other than this self-serving, venal Labour Government. For them, it seems more important to 'reform' along half-baked, ideological lines, rather than achieve valid improvements.

Why doctors 'need' to be treated the same way as the Miners is beyond me - unless one is looking at it from a chippy, bitter 'calss-war' point of view, (i.e., irrational and biased). However, I am sure such as you, Paul, will be glad to hear that the programme of destruction is well on-track, despite doctors' 11th hour protestations.

The selection process we have been afflicted with is unethical and unfair; doctors are entitled to equitable treatment under employment law the same as everyone else. Whether you like it, or not.

Dr James Lacey, London,

I am a GP and a BMA member (still!).
I also was involved with selection for GP specialist training which possibly gives me more insight than most into the issues raised.
There are problems with MMC (modernising medical careers) however it is in essence a sound and worthwhile concept. However from inception it has been poorly planned (especially for the hospital specialities), poorly resourced and badly managed, although I think it is fair to say that the individuals involved have done their best.
What is inexcusable is the attitude of the Department of Health and Government throughout the whole affair and the approach adopted by certain senior individuals within the Royal Colleges and the BMA. Mr Johnson's resignation is long overdue and I hope his replacement will perform the job he/she is appointed to perform.

Dr.B., Manchester,

Johnson is nothing short of a traitor- I am sickened that my money, as a BMA member, was used against Remedy UK, to support the Dept of Health.

All of the aspiring politicians in medicine, Johnson et al, keep stating that they "support the principles of MMC." These have never been written down, but consist of- shorten training, reduce choice, reduce experience, encourage mediocrity, discourage excellence, as these thing will not make you more likely to be a consultant.

NO-WHERE in any goverment literature is there any evidence for what is going on, reproducibility, clarity. Would you expect a doctor to give you a pill and say "I have no idea what it is, and I'm not going to follow you up and see what effect it has?"
The word "Consultant" is also conspicuously missing.

I have withdrawn my BMA membership.

We are not a disgruntled minority- the 30,000 juniors, who are the affected, not the consultants, stand together behind remedyuk.

Hewitt and Donaldson must go

dclaraway, glasgow, scotland

This smacks of blaming everyone but himself. Going quietly would have been so much better than this.

He has now not only damaged the BMA but also remedy. Remedy hasnt done 'a 180'. I received an email months ago from remedy telling me there probably wouldnt to be time to do the whole lot over before August.

Shut up Johnson!

Katie Giles, Kettering, Northants

Over 1000 doctors have resigned from the BMA since the BMA fielded witnesses against the Junior Doctors in court.

Think about it - a trade union opposing its members in court.

Yes, it took MTAS to wake up the doctors - and the rest of us - to what was being done to dumb down clinical excelence in this country - would you rather be treated by a consultant with 6,000 hours training, or one with 30,000 hours? - MMC is cutting specialist training to 1/5th its current duration.

The seniors betrayed the juniors for political preferment and kudos, and the juniors were just too busy working shifts and saving lives.

Johnson was right to resign, and so should Patricia Hewitt, Lord Hunt, Sir Liam Donaldson, and Carol Black, all of whom are betraying patients and doctors alike.

Benedicta Warsop, Keighley, UK

Dear Mr Holden, doctors are also concerned about the impact of MMC on quality of care. The European Time Directive (practically ignored by the French!) makes us less likely to be dangerously tired while on duty, but it also reduces the depth of experience we gain before we become consultants. One of the big concerns with MMC is that this will be trimmed further, and we will have less experience to call on when making decisions.

We accept the need for reform, but there was no discussion re merits of MMC - a flawed system was just foisted on the profession.

Finally, the application forms appeared to have been devised by the sort of imbeciles who believe competition is psychologically damaging for children! There is a tradition of competition for the best jobs by getting extra qualifications, experience, or publishing papers. But MTAS removed this element from the application. If the public wants doctors to be awarded jobs on merit, they too should oppose MMC in its present form.

Dr A , Birmingham,

I am still at a loss to discover the proven and reliable evidence to answer the classic question - 'What are the problems to which the solution was - (in this case) the introduction of MMC/MTAS?'
Unless it was the revolting politics of envy, prejudice and the imposition of control in the tyrannical belief that a bunch of inferior politicians and professional gravy-train gong-hunters thought one of the last standing intelligent, independent professional groupings would be a pushover like too many others in the past.
This action inflicted on a normally compliant, and it has to be said, a largely politically indifferent profession, has had the converse effect of uniting them as never before. Not so much - 'Divide and Rule' but Unite and Fight!
Most politicians are only interested in the 'wants' of power not the needs of the public and the professions. Until the public and professions understand that concept we will continue to be ruled by despots not democrats.

Louisa, Perth, Scotland

Mr Jaynes, you are mistaken. Remedy is not a BMA cell and if you had paid any attention to the news, you'd see that.
As for a militant wing taking over the NHS, there is nothing to justify this remark. The actions taken by the junior doctors and nursing staff are as much to do with maintaining and improving patient care as anything else. Dont believe government spin and hysteria. It could be argued that the problems exist not from militant action but because of a lack of more "militant" action.

Mr Holden, the NHS is a monopoly employer. The medical profession is not overpowerful (PMETB has taken all power away from the profession). As for vested interests, yes, OUR PATIENTS as per our Hypocratic Oath.

Mr Chung
The BMA is a democratic organisation. James Johnson had to go because he acted in a non democratic manner by not consulting with BMA Council before making his remarks. Thankfully the democratic BMA held him to account for this by forcing him to resign

Former BMA member, Glasgow,

James Johnson is merely one person in an organisation that has repeatedly failed in it's core task - to defend doctors interests.
Please do not let the sacrifice of one scapegoat allow them to carry on as before.

Douglas, Reading, England

By what right does the NHS approach VSO (although an extremely worthwhile organisation) hoping to find junior doctors employment?

The NHS would do well to put its own house in order and not try to rationliise its mistake by linking itself to a very good cause - that is deceitful.

Rodney Barker, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

Ha! Junior doctors acting like Old Labour militants! You fellas should leave the armchair politics to the pundits and, please boys, don't give up your day jobs.

MiddleEnglandDoctor, london, england

As an outsider it seems to me that there is a serious attampt to take over the medical profession, doctors and nurses alike, by a politically motovated minority, reminiscent of the Militant Tendency in the Labour Party of old. A few indications of this, RemedtUK a cell within the BMA, junior doctors shouting down discussion on programmes such as the BBC's Question Time and nurses shouting down the Minister.

Anthony Jaynes, Alton, UK

The difference between Thatcher and Blair is that when she took on over-powerful vested interests (the miners and their union) she didn't give in at the first sign of opposition. Blair's government try try to reform another over-powerful vested interest (medical doctors and their union) and give up almost before they have started.

Paul Holden, Northants, UK

Mr. Johnson exemplifies the "Vichy" senior doctors that have toadied after the DoH in recent times. In a disgraceful cock-up like this he should have stood up for the doctors who paid his salary; that is what he was for.

Guy Calin, Winchester,

I see this all the time in Brussels. Trade associations hoping to gain advantage by cosying up to the European institutions but ultimately betraying the interests of the members that they are meant to represent.

Christopher Gillibrand, Brussels in Exile, Belgium

It is indeed a terrible shambles that the computer system failed, however, at last the appointment process will be brought into the 21th century and end the ridiculous situation whereby which school one attended, which university one trained at, or who one's father was would influence the progress of one's medical career.

James, Edinburgh,

Sadly Mr Johnson has carried the Department of Health's standard to the end. Could I make it clear that the DoH is responsible for the failure to provide a computer system to deliver its appointed roles, this is not the fault of junior doctors or of those doctors contesting the fairness of the system.

TN, London,

Mr Johnson was right to resign.

He may have wished to support his friend, the Chief Medical Officer for England, but he was wrong to use his BMA position to do that.

I am not a member of the BMA but it seems to me that Mr Johnson's successor should represent the profession in its dealing with government. And not the other way around.

Peter Gooderham, Cardiff, Wales

Mr. Johnson, thank you for standing up for your principles and for your profession. Hopefully, you are setting an example.

This is indeed, not a normal political situation, and indeed, time for one to stand up and protest.

The BMA is a democratic organisation and it is essential in such an organisation for disagreements to be heard. Otherwise, we have an autocracy and we are better than that.

Chris Chung, Carluke, UK

It is an irony that a head of a union uses subscription money from those whom he is supposed to protect and represent to stand against them in court!! It is also utterly disgraceful that Mr Johnson put his friendship with the CMO, who is solely responsible for the MMC mess first and neglected his contractual duties to his members who, with their families, are suffering this huge injustice of 'Messing Medical Careers' which is designed to lower training and create a sub-consultant technician doctor with scalpels behind their ears as well as give total control to the government! Not forgeting deliberaltely creating unemployment to opress and supress the profession and drive down wages! ... Shameful!

The CMO has sold us out and he too MUST go with his friend and Dame Carol too!

No to Messing Medical Careers, No to lowering standards! No to Unemploying the cream of the crop who worked to hard and deserve norishment not sacking! Save British medicine and British doctors for Britain!

Sam, London, UK

Mr Johnson as an individual is entitled to his opinions. They are certainly not shared by a growing number of doctors- be they junior or consultant colleagues. His decision to sign his letter as "Chairman, Council, British Medical Association" implied that he was offering an official view. For many members of the BMA this was the final straw. At least by resigning, he has shown some semblance of honour.

Perhaps Professor Dame Carol Black will now reflect on her unswerving support for MMc/MTAS. Was her letter written with the support of the Academies of Medical Royal Colleges or is she merely expressing her personal view?

Colin Galloway, London,

Interesting to note that Mr Johnson felt it more important to stick up for his 'friend' Sir Liam Donaldson (one of the 'visionaries' responsible for this training upheaval), rather than represent the views of his membership who have steadfastly and vocally opposed the rushed implementation of this new training system, and the associated selection procedures that were later proven to be unfit for purpose. Maybe the guys at the top are all 'mates' with each other and have forgotten to listen to those on the frontline.

Piyush Durani, Nottingham,

The resignation of James Johnson was indeed inevitable after his letter in The Times. It is shameful and embarrassing for the profession that he did not retain some integrity and dignity in his media interviews following the announcement of his resignation. His words in the letter were damaging but the vitriolic attack on Remedy on BBC News 24 smacked of sour grapes, hardly the actions of someone worthy of being in the post he was ousted from.

The BMA has been damaged by this affair but hopefully with Mr Johnson now gone (and others sure to follow) the organisation can go on to regain the confidence of its members and especially juniors, by becoming more open, transparent and representative.

Former BMA member, Glasgow,

RemedyUK have amassed over 10,000 members and collected £25,000 in
under 5 months - I think that clearly shows who doctors feel are
representing them.

James Johnson was very underhand in his BBC interview - making RemedyUK out to be misguided, unrepresentative trouble makers who are delaying resolution. This is highly inaccurate and very damaging self-preserving spin. Most if not all doctors feel that RemedyUK have been the only organisation to stand up for the rights of patients and doctors. I withdrew my BMA membership some months ago. RemedyUK will be MY new representatives - for me they represent truth, honesty and will ultimately be the protectors of both doctors and our patients.

James Johnson should be disgusted with himself - as an aspiring vascular surgeon, I have now no respect for him as a clinician, chairman or a man. RemedyUk are the true heroes within this shambles and Mr James Johnson is a disgrace. His crass resignation forbade the possibilty of any remaining dignity.

Mei Nortley, London, UK

There could be a suspicion that the much maligned computer application system might have had a hidden agenda to break the continuity whereby consultants have traditionally had a say in the appointment of junior staff who assist them in carrying out their duties.

If that were to be the case it could represent unacceptable interference in traditional procedures for selection of competent teams working for the most efficient use of expertise resources within the NHS.

The introduction of new criteria into the selection process, ostensibly in the interest of fairness to candidates, but which may not be relevant to the job description seems to add a political element to selection of professional personnel which could render such selection unfit for purpose.

It might be helpful for any concerned in the debacle to remember that such purpose would include the best interests of patients within the limits of available resources.

dr venables preller, Warminster, UK