Talking about AMEs, apparently the country is divided up into areas and the number of AMEs in each is restricted and producing a waiting list. If that isn't a restrictive practice to keep revenues up, I don't know what is...
Yes, it is, but on the flip side it costs about £5K to do the courses to become an AME and takes about four weeks so there is a certain amount of upfront investment required. If any tom, dick or harry could do it it you might get so many in an area there wouldn't be much money in it at all and then motivation and standards would slip. Also, individual AMEs wouldn't do enough examinations to maintain currency. There is a -- kind of -- rationale to limiting numbers if you want to maintain standards and make it worthwhile for GPs to be interested in the work.
It is expensive, but then you are paying for 10 years training to become a GP, plus the added expertise, training and experience to be an AME. Junior solicitors start to bill at £120 per hour plus, so in a free market context AMEs are good value.
Me, I'd love to become an AME, but I haven't even bothered writing to the CAA, so unlikely is it they would be interested. In any case, it's not all roses. The hard part would be taking someone's licence off them. Not fun. Spare a thought for the AME in those circumstances.
QDM