We have a chronic shortage of general practitioners. As demand for our services grows and our workforce shrinks, we are more reliant than ever on doctors from abroad, who make up 46% of our GP trainees. 12th of February).
Britain needs to train more doctors, but we also need to ensure that our colleagues who come to Britain to train and work in our healthcare system are supported, valued and encouraged to stay, so that our patients receive the care they need and deserve.
Currently, GPs in training from abroad are not given the opportunity to apply for permanent residency after qualification, unlike their colleagues in other medical specialties, because specialist GP training only lasts three years.
The Home Office recently introduced a four-month extension to training to give them more time to find suitable sponsorship, but they still have to jump through hoops to stay and work in the NHS. Not only is this stressful for them, it makes no sense given the investment Britain has put into their education at the risk of losing them.
With the general election looming, all political parties should seek to ensure that these excellent GPs, who we so clearly need to apply for, remain indefinitely after completing their training.
Prof. Kamila Hawthorne
Chairman, Royal College of General Practitioners