ONE in three medical students plan to shun the NHS and go abroad or get a different job, a survey found.
Britain already has one of Europe’s lowest patient-to-doctor ratios, with just three medics to every 1,000 patients.
GettyA third of UK medical students said they plan to leave the NHS within two years of graduating (stock image)[/caption]
The staff crisis could drag on as thousands of trainees have no intention of a career in the health service.
Cambridge University researchers polled a quarter of UK medical students – 10,486 in total.
They found work stress and low starting salaries were top reasons for plans to work elsewhere.
Writing in the journal BMJ Open, study author Tomas Ferreira said the figures were “alarming”.
He said: “The continued loss of skilled professionals from the NHS is a significant concern.
“The findings of this study suggest that increased recruitment of medical students may not be an adequate solution to staffing challenges.”
Ministers have pledged to double medical school places – which are subsidised by the government – from 7,500 to 15,000 by 2032.
But Cambridge’s poll found only half of current students, 49 per cent, plan to go into specialised NHS doctor training in the UK.
A quarter – 23.5 per cent – said they would practise medicine abroad while another fifth would do another type of clinical job.
Overall, 32.5 per cent said they would leave the NHS within two years of graduation.
Another study by the University of Bath found stress, high workload and under-staffing are the top reasons driving out current NHS staff.
It said “pay alone is unlikely to fix the retention issue”.
Junior doctors and consultants in the British Medical Association are still on strike and demanding better pay and working conditions.
Dr Latifa Patel, of the British Medical Association, said the results were “disheartening”.
She said: “This survey reveals the very real and worrying trend of doctors making the decision to leave the NHS even before they have qualified.
“They are investing seven years of their lives, starting out with the intent to be a doctor in our NHS only to have that enthusiasm and commitment crushed out of them.
“The Government cannot continue to turn a blind eye to this increasingly untenable situation.”
Danny Mortimer, chief of NHS Employers, said: “Healthcare leaders will be concerned by this research.
“However, we know that the majority of medical students who start working in the NHS choose to stay on in the service.”
A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We hugely value the dedication of NHS medical staff and their tireless work to treat patients and keep them safe.
“The first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, backed by over £2.4billion, will double the number of medical school places to recruit and retain hundreds of thousands more staff over the next 15 years.
“We are also focused on improving culture, leadership, and wellbeing to ensure up to 130,000 fewer staff leave the NHS over the next 15 years.”