British doctors are set to be prioritised for NHS roles under new plans to make the health service “self-sufficient” in staffing, according to reports.
Labour’s 10-year plan for the NHS is due to be announced this week, with ministers vowing to deliver a service “fit for the future”.
The government says the plan will help rebuild the health system and tackle widening inequalities across the country.
The plan will pledge to limit overseas recruitment to no more than one in 10 NHS hires, aiming to overhaul a system where two-thirds of new doctors currently come from abroad, according to The Times.
Doctors will be directed to make returning to work a key focus of treatment, as ministers try to reduce the growing benefits bill, according to leaked documents seen by the publication.
Work coaches will be placed in GP surgeries, and local NHS leaders will be set targets to support patients back into employment, The Times reported.
Last month, health secretary Wes Streeting admitted the NHS treats doctors “like crap” but urged medics not to strike in the latest row about pay.
Resident doctors, formerly junior doctors, are being balloted for strike action after anger over the government’s latest pay offer of a 4 per cent pay rise for most doctors, which unions say is too low.
Mr Streeting has warned that industrial action would push back the progress made on reducing waiting lists and should be a last resort.
Writing for The Independent, the health secretary acknowledged that pay was not the only thing doctors were unhappy about, admitting that the NHS can be a “bad employer”.
The plan pledges to “prioritise UK medical graduates” for junior doctor roles, aiming to prevent British-trained doctors from missing out on consultant-track positions, according to The Times.
Mr Streeting previously said UK medical graduates will be given priority for NHS jobs under the upcoming 10-year health plan.
The health secretary told medical website doctors.net.uk earlier this month: “I want to make sure that if you go through your medical training here in the UK, that you’re able to work in the UK.”
Mr Streeting added it was “completely bonkers” to invest in training doctors but not ensure they can stay in the UK to work.
The latest figures from the British Medical Association showed there were 33,108 medical graduates applying for around 13,000 posts. This includes 12,305 UK graduates and 20,803 from overseas.
The number of international medical graduates has doubled in two years, the figures show, while the UK ones have only risen by a third.
The sharp rise in the number of international medical graduates has been down to the increased demand for doctors in the NHS to fill hospital vacancies.
In 2023 more than two-thirds of new doctors (68 per cent) joining the NHS were non-UK graduates, up from 47 per cent in 2017.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We do not comment on leaks.
“Our 10 Year Health Plan will set out how we will deliver the fundamental reform required to rebuild the NHS.”
