Northern Ireland struggling to retain doctors, GMC chief warns

Northern Ireland is struggling to retain medical talent as significant numbers of graduating doctors quit the region after medical school, the chief executive of the General Medical Council (GMC) has warned.

Charlie Massey told an audience of GPs in Belfast that most doctors leave Northern Ireland within five years of graduating to take up their first training posts elsewhere – often in England.

Speaking at a Pulse Live event in the city, Mr Massey said GMC data shows Scotland and Wales face the same challenge.

He said: “Northern Ireland – along with Scotland and Wales – is struggling to keep hold of its medical talent.

“While 81% of doctors who graduated in 2019 from English medical schools were still working in England in 2024, the figure in Northern Ireland was only 44%.”

The audience was told that figure was 51% in Scotland and 31% in Wales.

He said it comes at a time when general practice is particularly struggling.

The audience heard the GMC’s latest workplace experience report shows GPs in Northern Ireland are at significantly higher risk of burnout, and 80% say they find it difficult to provide sufficient patient care at least once a week.

Mr Massey said: “A significant shift is on the horizon, with Northern Ireland’s future GP leaders a much more diverse cohort than their predecessors.

“While only 3% of first-year GP trainees in Northern Ireland came from outside the UK 10 years ago, that proportion shot up to 45% in 2024.”

He said providing adequate support, such as good inductions, for these doctors as they contend with practising in a new country at a time of acute pressure is “crucially important”.

He added: “This isn’t just an ethical issue; it’s a patient safety issue too.

“The workplace environment and support doctors receive have a direct influence on the quality of care that they provide.”