Britain Leads with Double the Foreign Healthcare Workers Compared to West, Report Shows

A study has found that Britain employs double the number of international doctors and nurses compared to the Western norm.

According to recent figures released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), approximately 38.3% of the United Kingdom’s healthcare staff came from outside the country in 2023.

The General Medical Council (GMC) states that this number, which applies exclusively to physicians, has now increased to 42 percent.

Approximately one-fifth, or 19.6 percent, of the healthcare professionals in 28 advanced and emerging nations consists of physicians from abroad.

In contrast, in the western region, most nations have significantly lower numbers, depending more on physicians and nurses who were educated locally.

In Germany , the percentage is 15 percent, in France It is 11 percent and in Italy Only one percent. By comparison, in Norway approximately 44 percent of the country's physicians are foreign-born.

In many Western nations, the percentage of foreign-trained nurses is less compared to physicians, with this figure reaching 23 percent in the United Kingdom in 2023.

The UK's Senior Medical Advisor, Professor Chris Whitty, has recently collaborated on a study that identified issues within the present medical professional development framework and emphasized the importance of achieving an appropriate mix of local and international healthcare workers.

The researchers stated: "Maintaining the correct mix of locally educated graduates, internationally trained individuals who have worked in the UK, and newly arrived international graduates is a key concern for policymakers, and the significant adjustments made to these proportions have led to certain challenges in training."

We must not avoid tackling this matter, while continuing to support the outstanding international graduates within the NHS who deliver patient care.

Earlier this year, it came to light that one fifth of NHS workers hold nationalities different from British, which equates to roughly 311,000 individuals within a total workforce of 1.5 million.

Numerous healthcare experts highlight the crucial contribution of international physicians and nurses in adequately staffed the NHS and maintaining quality patient care.

However, tensions have arisen in recent months regarding their involvement in the healthcare system following the shortage of specialized training positions for UK-trained medical professionals and resident physicians.

Starting five days of strikes last week, trainee physicians—formerly referred to as junior doctors—listed insufficient training positions along with salary concerns as the reason.

The locations where junior physicians gain training to become specialists have been limited by the government, with reduced emphasis on UK-trained medical professionals during Boris Johnson's administration in 2019.

On average, four junior physicians apply for each specialty training position, and these positions are accessible to international candidates as well.

NHS trusts had a legal obligation to prioritize British graduates for these positions up until 2019; however, after doctors were included on the UK’s shortage list, trust organizations gained the ability to hire for these roles directly from overseas.

Conservative opposition health spokesperson Stuart Andrew stated to The Telegraph that "the increasing dependence on medical staff trained abroad serves as an alert."

As additional personnel come in from outside the country, UK-educated physicians find themselves competing for less available positions," he stated. "In order to ensure the long-term stability of our NHS, we need to revise the system so that it both attracts international staff and supports and values local expertise.

Gareth Lyon, who leads health and social care initiatives at the Policy Exchange research institute, stated: "The United Kingdom must focus on training additional physicians and setting up further medical institutions for their education."

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• Is the UK healthcare system experiencing difficulties because local doctors are finding it hard to secure positions amid an increase in foreign medical professionals?
• Has the sharp increase in doctors trained abroad been changing the face of healthcare in the UK?
• Is financial reduction limiting opportunities for future UK doctors, with the NHS increasingly relying on international professionals?
• Is Labour planning an extraordinary reform of the NHS that would favor local physicians over international candidates for the first time ever?
• Is the NHS nearing collapse with an astonishing 23.8% of nurses coming from overseas?