Response to the General Medical Council’s report ‘The State of medical education and practice: workforce report 2024’

Responding to the General Medical Council’s report ‘The State of medical education and practice: workforce report 2024’, Suzie Bailey, Director of Leadership and Organisational Development at The King’s Fund, said:

‘As patients still struggle to access appointments and with the waiting list for planned hospital care standing at 7.6 million, it is encouraging that the number of doctors on the register has been growing at the fastest speed in the past decade. It is also clear from this new data that hiring new doctors on its own is not enough, there needs to be adequate training and support in place, all of which can be in short supply in a stretched healthcare system.

‘The reasons why the number of locally employed (LE) doctors in particular are increasing should be examined to understand why individuals may be choosing this career path. Reasons may include flexible working, potentially better choices around work-life balance, as well as avoiding yearly transfers between different hospitals that may involve moving to different areas. However, we know these doctors also experience racism, inadequate inductions, lack of recognition, poor access to training and career development.

‘Today’s report finds that more than two thirds of new joiners came to the UK from abroad. The NHS would not be able to function without its international workforce, and the medical profession is more reliant than other staff groups on overseas recruits. Ethical international recruitment is essential to fill staff shortages in the short term given the time it takes to train staff. However, to provide the number of staff the NHS needs, greater investment in training and staff development will be needed, alongside improved retention rates.

‘There are immediate actions the government can take to improve working conditions and therefore keep hold of the staff it already has. These include introducing minimum standards for facilities like staff access to food and water, supporting flexible working patterns, tackling race discrimination, bullying and unprofessional behaviours, introducing key indicators to measure staff wellbeing improvements and supporting the development of high-quality leaders in health and care.’

Notes to editors

1. The King’s Fund published 10 actions the government can take to improve NHS working conditions: 10 Actions The Government Can Take To Improve NHS Working Conditions | The King's Fund 

2. The King’s Fund published a reflective blog on specialty and specialist and locally employed doctors in the NHS: Reflections Of SAS And Locally Employed NHS Doctors | The King's Fund 

3. The King’s Fund published a nutshell on staff shortages: Staff Shortages | The King's Fund 

4. The King’s Fund published a nutshell on the NHS workforce: NHS Workforce Nutshell | The King's Fund 

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The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and care in England. We help to shape policy and practice through research and analysis; develop individuals, teams and organisations; promote understanding of the health and social care system; and bring people together to learn, share knowledge and debate. Our vision is that the best possible health and care is available to all.