MP Nigel Evans has attacked the government for its handling of the online application system for junior doctors.

The Ribble Valley Tory has welcomed the decision by the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, to shelve the Medical Training Application Service scheme.

And Mr Evans said the system should be scrapped for good, not just for a year.

He said: "From the very outset I have had letter after letter from constituents within the health service and their families, highlighting the difficulties that it posed for the future junior doctors, the future of health care and patients in this country.

"Not only would it affect the careers of young doctors, it would also have led to a lack of continuity of care with all successful applicants starting at exactly the same time.

"I would like to hope that the proper lessons will be learned from this fiasco.

"We need an effective system that meets the needs of junior doctors and the health service at large, one that is secure, properly piloted and fit-for-purpose."