British GPs looking to move abroad

The number of British General Practitioners (GPs) planning to live and work overseas has risen by more than a third in the last five years, according to a report in GP magazine Pulse.

International Jobs in Demand
The magazine’s research shows that 722 GPs requested Certificates of Good Medical Standing – which are required by doctors when registering to work abroad – from the General Medical Council last year, compared to just 521 in 2008.

Most of the GPs are planning to move to either Australia, New Zealand or Canada, the magazine says. All three of these countries have a wide range of medical professions listed on their various skills in-demand for immigration purposes lists.

Increased workloads and decreasing pay are said to be the two main factors driving British doctors overseas.

The British Medical Association has described the number of GPs leaving the NHS to pursue a career overseas as “a significant danger to the profession.”