One in three British medical students plan to emigrate to practice medicine and many will not return, a major survey has found.
The survey of 10,486 junior doctors from Britain’s 44 medical schools found that 32 percent planned to move to Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada.
Reasons for leaving the UK included better pay offers abroad, better work-life balance and better conditions.
Around 60 percent of those surveyed were unhappy or not at all satisfied with the prospect of working in the NHS.
A quarter of the entire UK medical student population took part in the survey, which was published in the journal BMJ opened.
This graph shows the number of UK registered doctors who have requested documents to apply abroad in the last five years. Interest peaked in 2022, but 2023 is also on track to be a banner year
Interest in a transfer abroad for nurses and midwives increased explosively last financial year, with more than 16,000 applications
The study looked at the intentions of medical students after their university studies and/or after completing the two-year NHS Foundation course.
A total of 32 percent planned to emigrate to practice medicine, either immediately after graduation (6 percent of those who planned to leave), after completing the first year (32 percent), or after the second year ( 61 percent).
This group of students were then asked about the likelihood that they would return to British medicine.
Half planned to return after a few years, while 8 percent planned to return after completing their medical training abroad.
The remaining 43 percent of those planning to emigrate said they had no intention of returning to Britain.
About 2,543 medical students surveyed named the places they would like to emigrate to, with Australia the most frequently mentioned destination (42 percent), followed by New Zealand (18 percent), the US (10 percent) and Canada (10 percent). per cent).
Less than 3 percent of all respondents planned to leave medicine altogether, but those who did planned to pursue careers in consulting, technology, financial services and law.
The researchers, including from the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, wrote in the journal: ‘The NHS is facing a critical workforce shortage, with around 10,000 doctors relinquishing their license to practice in 2021, which amounts to a loss of almost one percent. tenth of the physician workforce.
‘A British Medical Association survey of 8,000 senior doctors has found that 44 per cent of NHS consultants in England plan to leave or take a break from the NHS in the coming year.
‘Similarly, a recent survey of 4,553 junior doctors in the NHS reported that four in ten plan to leave the NHS, with 33 per cent of them looking to emigrate to another country to work.
“The combination of these previous surveys of the physician population and the results of our medical student survey suggest that this trend is unlikely to improve at this time.”
The authors said it was perhaps “unsurprising” that medics wanted to move to countries like Australia “given higher salaries, reports of better work-life balance and the fact that the primary language of these countries is English”.
The poll was conducted between January and March 2023 and people were on average 22 years old, with 67 percent being women.
Of all respondents, most (84 percent) planned to complete both years of UK basic training after graduating.
The authors concluded: ‘The findings of this study highlight the urgency of addressing the factors driving the exodus of doctors from the NHS and suggest that increased recruitment of medical students may not provide an adequate solution to staffing issues.
While Australia tops the list for both destinations, other countries such as the US and the United Arab Emirates are also of interest to British doctors looking for greener pastures
Interest in life Down Under has peaked among nurses and midwives in the past financial year, with around 4,000 applications submitted
‘The causes of the problem are complex and finding a solution requires a multifaceted approach. Possible steps include improving work-life balance, increasing salaries, addressing growing competition for specialized training positions and promoting greater flexibility in career paths.
‘Undoubtedly the continued loss of skilled professionals in the NHS is a major concern, so it is vital to consider ways to reverse this trend.’
When Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan in June, he said figures suggested around 95 per cent of medics were still working for the NHS after basic training.
Asked whether people should be bound by an NHS contract, he said that ‘the scale of what is happening is not on the scale of what people usually assume’ and said he had not thought this was the right approach.
Britain has 3.2 doctors per 1,000 inhabitants, ranking 25th among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.
However, this figure also represents the lowest number of doctors per capita among European countries in the OECD, the researchers note.
Figures show that most trainee doctors remain in Britain to practice medicine.
According to the General Medical Council (GMC), only seven of those who completed their first two years of basic training in 2016 had left the profession five years later.
Before the pandemic, more than 6,000 doctors and consultants in training applied to the medical regulator every year for a certificate of good standing, which they use to work abroad.
As doctors lag behind unions, unions say 2023 could be a banner year for disenfranchised medics lured to Australia thanks to ‘brutal’ recruitment tactics
Australian figures show that around half of British medics who apply in Australia are successful, with almost 950 landing jobs in 2021-2022, up from 1,800 who applied in the 2022 calendar year.
After a decline during the pandemic, the number has risen to around 7,000 in 2022 and is expected to be even higher in 2023, although this may simply be a catch-up after a dip during the pandemic.
The GMC says around half of doctors who apply for certification continue to work in Britain.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: ‘Record numbers of staff are working in the NHS with more than 6,000 more doctors than this time last year, and the first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, supported by more than £2.4 billion, will double the number of medical training places to recruit and retain hundreds of thousands of additional personnel over the next fifteen years.
‘Doctors who started their hospital training this year will receive a pay increase of 10.3 percent, while the average trainee doctor will receive 8.8 percent.
‘We have also reformed the tax system for pensions, allowing employees to work longer if they wish, reducing pressure so that employees can enjoy a work-life balance.
‘We are also focused on improving culture, leadership and wellbeing to ensure up to 130,000 fewer staff leave the NHS over the next fifteen years.’
Dr. Latifa Patel, of the British Medical Association, said: ‘There are growing concerns about doctors deciding to leave Britain at the start of their careers and we have seen blatant recruitment campaigns to encourage them to do so.
‘However, this research reveals the very real and worrying trend of doctors making the decision, even before they are qualified, to either practice medicine abroad, leave the NHS or leave the profession altogether.
‘It is disheartening that medical students are already realizing the extent to which our profession has been devalued by continued wage erosion and deteriorating working conditions, and as a result have concluded that the NHS is not the right place for them to work. .
‘They invest seven years of their lives, starting with the intention of becoming a doctor in our NHS, only to have that enthusiasm and dedication crushed out of them.
‘The government cannot continue to turn a blind eye to this increasingly untenable situation.
‘This study clearly shows that increasing the number of medical schools alone is not enough to stem the tide of the growing workforce crisis.
“It is not too late to solve this, but the power to do so lies with the government.
‘Retention must be a priority, and plans must focus on wage recovery, career development and working conditions.
‘The starting point must be that the government makes a credible offer to our members to reverse fifteen years of wage decline.’