UK must keep hiring thousands of foreign doctors each year to combat shortage

BRITAIN must keep hiring thousands of foreign doctors each year because too few are trained here, health chiefs claim.

The General Medical Council estimates that by 2038 four in ten medics in the UK will have qualified overseas.

2

2

An NHS workforce plan unveiled this year will double British medical school places and recruit more through apprenticeships — but it will take years to have an effect.

The number of doctors signing on to work in the UK is rising and 63 per cent of new joiners in 2022 — 23,838 people — got their medical degrees abroad.

Charlie Massey, chief of the GMC, said imported docs “bring skills and experience that are vital to our health services”.

Meanwhile, the number of medical students at British universities has fallen since 2020.

There are more than 125,000 vacancies across the NHS, with staff shortages adding to long waits.

Sir Julian Hartley, boss of NHS Providers, said yesterday: “Everything that we can do to retain and develop valued doctors and other staff is crucial.

Despite diversity there are still concerns about racism in the health service.

The 2022 NHS staff survey found 20 per cent of non-white staff experienced discrimination from a patient or member of the public, and 17 per cent experienced it from a colleague.

Sir Julian added: “Leaders of health services know there is always more to do to tackle inequalities and discrimination in the workplace.”