22 October 2007

4,000 UK-trained doctors without jobs could take up Australian immigration

There are approximately 4,000 UK-trained doctors who were left without jobs in 2007, the director of NHS Employers has said. With severe shortages of doctors and healthcare professionals in countries like Australia, many of these new doctors may consider Australian immigration.

Steve Barnett was speaking at the NHS Employers annual conference in Birmingham and criticised the chaotic recruitment process in the UK this year, particularly for junior doctors. "People are the most important thing about the NHS, and when you manage them poorly or subject them to too much change then the consequences can be sharp and painful," he said.

The UK has also continued to recruit overseas-trained doctors and many doctors are disillusioned with the system. In Australia the shortage of doctors has been described as critical and around 3,000 foreign medical graduates a year are issued with Australian visas. More experienced doctors are also needed and qualified doctors will often be fast-tracked through the Australian visa system.

Australia needs more doctors: Anyone applying for an Australia skilled visa should begin by completing the Australian Visa Bureau's online Australian visa application to see if they meet the Australian visa requirements.