Jessica O'ConnorThe BMA has welcomed new emergency legislation to prioritise UK-trained medical graduates for NHS jobs, while warning it falls short of resolving the deepening employment crisis facing doctors.
Responding to the UK Government’s Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill, Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the UK Resident Doctors Committee, said the move marked progress but did not address the lack of available posts across the NHS.
He said: “Today is a step forward to fixing the jobs crisis for doctors with this new legislation.
“However, there remains progress to be made on giving resident doctors in the UK confidence the Government can fully solve the absurd jobs crisis.”
The bill introduces a UK-wide policy prioritising doctors trained domestically for NHS roles, aimed at reducing the number of qualified graduates unable to secure work despite public investment in their training.
However, the BMA has raised concerns about the impact on internationally trained doctors with extensive NHS experience.
Dr Fletcher said changes to training and recruitment must continue to recognise those doctors who have long supported the health service.
He added: “We are however concerned about the effect on doctors with significant NHS experience who originally qualified abroad […] something that this legislation does not go far enough on.”
The union also warned the bill would not lead to an immediate increase in doctors on wards, citing a severe mismatch between applicants and available posts.
While the BMA said the use of emergency legislation signalled growing urgency from the Government, it stressed that only sustained investment in genuinely new medical roles would provide a lasting solution.
Dr Fletcher concluded: “We are an under-doctored country – the NHS cannot afford to lose those doctors who have propped the system up for so long, and we must see genuine new investment in job roles to properly fix this jobs crisis.”
