Regulator emphasizes the ongoing importance of overseas doctors despite recruitment efforts

According to the General Medical Council (GMC), attracting skilled overseas-trained doctors to the UK will remain crucial, despite plans to train more healthcare staff domestically. The GMC found that almost two-thirds of new doctors in 2022 qualified abroad. While the government launched a plan to train and recruit more healthcare workers in England, the GMC noted that it would take many years for this to have an impact. Currently, NHS England has over 10,000 full-time doctor vacancies. As part of its Long Term Workforce Plan, NHS England hopes to recruit and retain hundreds of thousands more healthcare staff over the next 15 years. This plan also includes doubling the number of medical school places for student doctors to 15,000 a year. It takes a minimum of five years for trainee doctors to qualify and they must undergo further training. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland also have recruitment and retention programs in place. However, the GMC CEO, Charlie Massey, emphasized the need to rely on overseas-trained doctors to meet the population's needs, as the impact of the government's plan will take a long time to materialize. The GMC predicts that the proportion of overseas-trained doctors working in the UK will remain at around 39% in 14 years. The regulator is also concerned about the retention of NHS doctors, citing dissatisfaction and burnout as reasons many plan to leave the profession. To address this, NHS England plans to offer more flexible working options and career development opportunities. The GMC organizes workshops to help doctors new to the UK adapt to the working culture and encourages overseas recruits to attend. The aim is to provide support and increase the chances of retaining their services for longer. Overseas-trained doctors are seen as vital to the medical workforce, with their absence significantly stretching the NHS's capacity. NHS England's long-term workforce plan acknowledges the importance of overseas doctors and aims to recruit more, retain existing doctors, and reform education and training to meet future workforce needs.