A report by the General Medical Council (GMC) published last week revealed that there has been a sharp increase in the number of doctors coming to work in the UK from southern Europe. The report, titled The State of Medical Education and Practice 2014, showed that in the past the largest source of overseas-educated doctors came from south Asia. Now, according to the GMC, the UK medical landscape sees, ‘more doctors than ever coming to work here from Europe’.
In an official release, the GMC suggests that the reason for this rise could be due in part to changes in immigration rules that have made it more difficult for doctors outside Europe to work in the UK. They also claimed that the economic downturn in southern Europe, and the expansion of the European Union in eastern Europe, is likely to be behind this increase in Europe-trained doctors moving to practice in the UK.
The report also noted a significant increase in the number of women becoming surgeons and specialists in emergency medicine.
Niall Dickson, chief executive of the GMC, said, ‘The face of medicine is changing and it is important that those responsible for workforce planning understand the implications. Of particular concern are the potential shortages in some specialist areas where there are diminishing numbers of doctors in postgraduate training and large numbers over the age of 50. Recruitment in some parts of the UK, especially deprived areas and more remote communities, is also a significant challenge.
“We hope that this data from the GMC will help inform future decision making. The challenge for governments, educators and those who commission services must be to work together to make sure we have a medical workforce with the right skills and one which is adequately resourced, trained and supported to meet those needs.”
How does working with Europe-trained doctors affect teamwork in your hospital?
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