Workforce: Acculturation of international medical graduates into the NHS

Abstract

Since the inception of the NHS, international medical graduates (IMGs) have been recognised as integral to the NHS long-term plan. These diverse groups of doctors make up approximately a fifth of all licensed doctors in the UK. The NHS has a history of reliance on IMGs to fill shortages and add to the workforce. IMGs face numerous challenges while immigrating and starting a new job in the UK. Conversely, the employing hospital has a responsibility to help their new IMGs adapt to the UK system of medical practice. Keeping the above-mentioned concerns in mind and hoping to tackle these issues faced by IMGs, a clinical attachment programme has been initiated at Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (ASPH) by a group of clinicians, administration staff and the medical director. Although there are various pathways for an IMG to enter the healthcare system in the UK, the ASPH has provided an organised programme that promises to deliver high-quality doctors that value patient safety. This article outlines the programme that can be adopted by other NHS trusts to acculturate and have a positive impact on the IMGs' careers, as well as their work-life balance.

Letters to the Editor

“…Editor -We read Thacker et al's article with interest and welcome initiatives to help international medical graduates (IMGs) achieve success working within the NHS. 1 Regarding clinical work, potential difficulties have previously been identified including differing local disease patterns, communication and issues such as a different work culture and hierarchy, so a well-structured clinical observership is to be applauded. 2,3 However, we suggest that IMGs' experience of starting work in the NHS is also significantly impacted by wider practical considerations.…”

The role of medical support workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the NHS in the UK: A qualitative service evaluation at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

“…In 2020, over 10,000 IMGs joined the NHS workforce, 4 , 5 helping alleviate service pressures. IMGs require GMC registration and a licence to practice in the UK following completion of the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) exams, 6 which are both time-consuming and costly. This poses a barrier for IMGs to adopt a physician role in the NHS.…”

Implementing the HEART score in an NHS emergency department: can identity leadership combined with quality improvement promote racial equality?

“…BAME doctors have a fear of making claims of bias to their employees and instead keep their heads down, as they see no point in challenging the racism they meet as they do not feel supported if they did (GMC, 2019b, p. 64). Instead of an NHS wide strategy in place to challenge these barriers and provide training on what to do when on the receiving end of racism from colleagues and patients, IMGs are instead called to “accularate” (assimilate) (Thacker et al , 2022) or integrate (Bogle et al , 2020) into the NHS.…”