The UK is facing growing difficulty attracting and retaining overseas-trained doctors, with many turning to countries like Australia, Canada, and the US for better pay and quality of life. A new survey by the General Medical Council has laid bare just how unattractive the UK has become for many international medical professionals.
Out of over 3,000 doctors surveyed, more than 80% said that other countries offer significantly better salaries than the UK. When it came to broader quality of life, the UK ranked poorly on nearly every metric. Living costs, professional respect, patient care standards, and staffing levels all came in far below expectations. The picture painted is one of a health system under pressure, and a lifestyle that feels increasingly unmanageable, especially for those coming from abroad.
Perhaps even more worrying is the short time many international doctors are now staying. Of those who began working in the NHS since 2021, nearly half left within a year. Most of them hadn’t planned to leave so quickly, but cited stress, low pay, and a sense of being undervalued as reasons they couldn’t stay longer. Despite a relatively straightforward route into UK medical practice, visas and registration are reportedly less complicated than in some countries, but the day-to-day experience often falls short.
The demands of the job, combined with the rising cost of living, have pushed many to reconsider. One doctor from India described feeling “overworked and underpaid” after arriving in the UK, only to return home within months, citing a better balance and a lower cost of living. Others have taken to social media to voice frustration at the NHS bureaucracy, lack of support, and unpredictable workloads.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has acknowledged the problem, calling the UK’s reliance on overseas doctors unsustainable. He emphasized the need for more investment in domestic training, but experts say retaining the talent already coming in is just as crucial. Without meaningful improvements to working conditions and salaries, international recruits will continue to treat the UK as a steppingstone, not a long-term destination.
With more than a third of NHS doctors now trained overseas, the system can’t afford to lose them. For many, the choice isn’t just about pay, it’s about respect, support, and a livable life both inside and outside the hospital.
