RCGP urges action to retain international GP graduates

The RCGP warns that losing international medical graduates after training risks worsening GP shortages and calls for easier routes to remain in the NHS.

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs said: “The NHS, not least general practice, relies heavily on international medial graduates (IMGs) to deliver the increasing volume and complexity of care patients need. If fewer are working in the NHS post-qualification, as today’s report finds, it will have consequences for our already overstretched general practice service, and the amount of time patients are waiting for care. This is a deeply concerning trend, and the reasons for it must be identified and addressed.

“We regularly hear from our IMG members how arduous and expensive the process to stay working in the NHS post-qualification can be given the need to secure employment in a practice with a licence to sponsor them. As such, we want to see GPs from overseas given the right to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain upon completion of GP training.

“We simply cannot afford to lose highly-skilled doctors from overseas who have completed their GP specialty training in the UK. This accounts for around half of all GP registrars who qualified this year and without them, the workforce gap would be significantly worse, and many patients would struggle to get the care they need. As a College, we agree that the UK should work towards becoming less reliant on international recruitment in the long term by training more doctors domestically - but we also need to value the IMGs we already have delivering care on the frontlines, and support them to stay.”

Further information

RCGP press office: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.