Sagging economy and high taxes accelerate Britain’s brain drain.
Official figures show that the number of British-trained doctors registering to work abroad, particularly in Australia and Canada, is increasing at an unprecedented rate, as waiting lists at public hospitals reach new records and official reports of burnout and burnout among healthcare workers.
In the past year alone, nearly 2,000 British doctors and nurses have been granted work permits in Australia, a jump of several 10% on the previous year, making Australia the most important destination for British doctors.
Reports published by the General Medical Council and trade unions also paint a worrying picture of the future of this trend. In internal surveys, a significant proportion of doctors in the public health system have said that they are seriously considering emigrating and working abroad.
Of these, a group of a few 10% said they had considered or applied for job options abroad. The main reasons given by doctors are almost the same. The overwhelming workload in public hospitals, low real wages compared to the volume of work, and the burnout caused by the years of the Corona crisis have left them exhausted.
Doctors say that while the tax burden on the middle class and professionals in England is increasing, the welfare and public services they were supposed to receive in return for these taxes are becoming more limited.
Many of them express frustration that after years of studying and working in the British education and health system, they are now facing difficulties in securing housing, childcare costs and even access to some health services for their families, and say that there is no incentive to stay in the face of job offers with lower taxes and a higher quality of life in other countries.
Health experts in England warn that the gradual departure of specialist doctors, experienced nurses, and other key workers from the healthcare system risks creating a vicious cycle in which staff shortages exacerbate the pressure on those who remain.
This pressure is fuelling attrition and new migration, resulting in longer waiting lists for patients and a deterioration in service quality. This situation, especially in smaller towns and deprived areas, could mean a real reduction in people’s access to basic health services, at a time when successive governments in London have been shouting slogans about reducing regional inequalities.
Beyond the health sector, the broader picture of brain drain and the migration of skilled workers is also evident in official migration statistics. According to new estimates, almost a million British citizens have emigrated from this country in the last three years.