Overseas doctors and the UK's National Health Service

Abstract

“Doctor Evil” was just one of a barrage of similar headlines that appeared in tabloid newspapers following last month's failed terrorist attacks in the UK. As The Lancet went to press, six people with links to the National Health Service (NHS) were under arrest for the attempted bombings. That most of the suspects are doctors has been the subject of much discussion in the media. Sadly, there will always be a small number of doctors that try to, or do, cause harm. The danger now is that the actions of a few will be used as an excuse to discriminate against the many overseas doctors who currently work, or want to work, in the NHS, since those involved in the attempted attack originally came to the UK from India and the Middle East. On July 4 the Government announced a review into NHS recruitment and more stringent checks for migrants wishing to work in the UK. This news does not bode well for overseas doctors, who already face unjust treatment in the UK. Ethnic minority groups have long been less likely to get senior positions in the NHS. And, last year, because of a shortage of posts, the Government told NHS Trusts not to employ overseas junior doctors if there are suitable British or European applicants for positions. Such a situation is shameful since the NHS has long relied on overseas doctors to fill workforce gaps. A report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that in 2003, almost a third of all doctors working in the NHS had obtained their qualifications overseas. The ongoing contribution of international graduates is crucial for meeting the health needs of the UK and its diverse population. Overseas doctors will be central to supporting the NHS' inequalities agenda, tackling disparities in health across ethnic minority communities in the UK. This role, along with the enormous contribution overseas doctors have made to the NHS, should not be forgotten as the UK considers existing and future recruitment policies. Although criminal checks may be a necessary counterterrorism measure, discriminating against doctors on the basis of race, religion, or country of birth is not.