Migrants in Medicine: Exploring the Workplace Experiences of Doctors in the NHS

The NHS is one of the most important sectors in the UK economy and society, chosen as “a signifier of Britishness” in the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games and often described as a ‘uniquely British’ institution (Simpson 2014:58). It has also historically attracted considerable numbers of migrant professionals. Recent data show that 35% of doctors in England’s NHS are non-British (Baker 2023), a trend projected to continue over the next decade (GMC 2023). However, migrant healthcare professionals have been found to experience various forms of exclusion, arising from immigration policies and institutional practices within the sector (O'Brien and Ackroyd 2012). Additionally, the NHS has undergone a range of new public management initiatives aimed at increasing efficiency, transparency and accountability, which have led to rising bureaucracy, precariousness, and workloads for staff (Leicht et al 2009). How these increasing pressures have affected diverse groups within the sector is less well understood, and a deeper exploration of their experiences, resilience and wellbeing is needed.

Against this backdrop, our paper examines the workplace experiences of doctors in the NHS, particularly focusing on comparisons between British, foreign-born, UK-trained and foreign-trained doctors. Data collection (semi-structured interviews) and analysis for this project are ongoing. Early findings suggest that pressures such as managerialism, overwork, burnout and lack of work-life balance are common across all groups. However, results also indicate a segmented profession where foreign origin and foreign training influence perceptions of doctors’ competence, expertise and authority, further intensifying their work and limiting their inclusion. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the pressures faced by different professional groups, particularly foreign-born and foreign-trained doctors, and challenge assumptions about the internationalisation of professions (Pustelnikovaite and Chillas 2023; Muzio et al 2011).