From Newsgroup: soc.culture.british

The UK now has more doctors from ethnic minority backgrounds than white doctors, while numbers of non-UK graduates in GP training continue to rise,
GMC figures have shown.

In its latest annual report on the medical workforce, the regulator
revealed that the number of non-UK graduate doctors in training increased across all specialties, but rCyespeciallyrCO in general practice.

The percentage of international medical graduates (IMGs) in GP training
rose from 34% in 2019 to 52% in 2023, making it the highest proportion of
all specialty training programmes.

Since the demographics of the training cohort is a good predictor of the
fully qualified GP workforce, the GMC forecasted that rCygeneral practice
will have higher proportion of non-UK graduates in futurerCO.

The regulator emphasised the importance of IMGs in general practice being rCyintegrated to supportive teamsrCO and having access to rCythe same opportunities for career progression as other doctorsrCO.

rCyDoing so will aid retention and ensure the UKrCOs general practice systems operate at their best,rCO the GMC report said.

Last year, in the same report for 2023, the GMC argued that the NHS must address why general practice is less attractive to UK graduates.

Overall figures showed that between 2016 and 2023, the number of doctors on
the medical register from an ethnic minority background increased by 78%.

This means 2023 was the rCyfirst timerCO that ethnic minority doctors have outnumbered white doctors, which the GMC said rCyfurther emphasisesrCO the need for rCyzero tolerance of discriminationrCO in the UKrCOs healthcare systems.

The report said: rCyDoctors joining from abroad have driven the headcount of doctors to grow at the fastest rate recorded in the 13 years that the state
of medical education and practice has published.

rCyThis is the main reason that ethnic minority doctors are now a larger component of the workforce than white doctors.rCO

Pointing to the fast growth of locally employed doctors (LEDs), the GMC
also warned that the UK rCyrisks wasting the talents of tens of thousands of overlooked and undervalued doctorsrCO.

The number of LEDs grew by 75% between 2019 and 2023 in England and Wales, compared to only a 9% growth in doctors on the GP register over the same period.

These doctors are in roles which are rCytoo often poorly defined with limited opportunities for career progression and trainingrCO, the GMC argued.

Last year, NHS EnglandrCOs long-term workforce strategy confirmed plans for rCydoctors other than GPsrCO to be able to work in primary care rCymore easilyrCO.

The strategy said that LEDs are a rCyrapidly growing grouprCO and that NHSE will work with partners to rCyidentify ways to better support postgraduate career progressionrCO for this group.

In 2022, the GMC pushed for a change to the medical performers list to
allow non-GP doctors to provide primary medical services, and chief
executive Charlie Massey later said there is a rCysizeablerCO pool of SAS doctors rCyitchingrCO to work in general practice.

Dr Karen Ellison, medico-legal services lead at the Medical Protection
Society, said the GMCrCOs findings on the number of IMGs means rCyit is more important than everrCO to rCyproperly support these doctors from the moment they arrive in the UKrCO.

She also said: rCyDespite their essential role in the healthcare system, locally employed doctors are often undervalued and continue to face
challenges particularly due to the lack of career opportunities. Medical Protection backs the SAS CollectiverCOs calls to supporting these doctors by providing better access to training opportunities and career progression.rCO

Suzie Bailey, director of leadership and organisational development at The KingrCOs Fund, said the NHS rCywould not be able to function without its international workforcerCO and the medical profession rCyis more reliant than other staff groups on overseas recruitsrCO.

She added: rCyrC>Ethical international recruitment is essential to fill staff shortages in the short term given the time it takes to train staff.

rCyHowever, to provide the number of staff the NHS needs, greater investment
in training and staff development will be needed, alongside improved
retention rates.rCO

<https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/workforce/uk-has-more-ethnic-minority-than-white-doctors-for-first-time-says-gmc/>

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