Key Summary
- The regulator said its drive against discrimination has met with mixed success.
- There has been progress in eradicating disproportionality in employer referrals.
- But the progress is slow in eradicating discrimination, disadvantage and unfairness in medical education and training.
The latest report by the General Medical Council (GMC) has said that ethnic minority and non-UK qualified doctors working in the NHS continue to face deep-rooted inequalities, which impact their careers and opportunities.
GMC chief executive Charlie Massey said such inequalities are not inevitable, and healthcare leaders and employers should step up their efforts to address the challenges.
The regulator said its drive against discrimination has met with mixed success.
Massey said, "Our report shows we have a system moving at two speeds. Unmistakable momentum towards eradicating disproportionality in employer referrals, but limited, and in some measures absent, progress against our ambitions in education, which must be addressed."
The GMC said it is on track to eliminate disproportionate employer fitness to practise referrals of doctors from an ethnic minority, or those qualified outside the UK, by the end of 2026.
The latest figures in the report show the proportion of employers where data suggests excess referrals in relation to a doctor’s ethnicity or place of qualification has now reduced by 48 percent since the initial benchmark of 2016–2020.
The regulator has also set an ambition to eradicate discrimination, disadvantage and unfairness in medical education and training by 2031, but progress against this longer-term aim is slower.
Massey said, "Fairness and equality aren’t simply matters of principle – they are prerequisites for productivity and translate to better patient care. Every doctor, no matter their background, must be able to work, learn and thrive in an environment where they feel they belong.
"If doctors face disadvantage early in their careers, or before they begin them, they are already on an unequal footing."
The report says that across education and training, there are significant disparities, with only limited signs of improvement in measures for UK-qualified doctors or medical students from ethnic minority backgrounds.
This is despite signs the gap is narrowing between UK and non-UK graduates, with differentials in specialty exam pass rates decreasing by seven percentage points.
Massey said, "Inequalities in education and training can be difficult to overcome, and interventions take longer to translate into measurable outcomes. There are some positive signs, but where we can see something works then it needs to be scaled up."
The GMC has urged the system leaders, employers and educators to prioritise equality, diversity and inclusion activity through proactive organisational change and workforce plans.
Mandate the GMC’s free Welcome to UK practice workshops as part of an induction programme for doctors new to the UK.
Monitor and measuring the overall impact of ED&I activity and interventions.
The GMC wants the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales, and Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland, to develop and deliver anti-racism resources.
'Fairness in training is essential'
Royal College of Physicians president professor Mumtaz Patel said, "The GMC’s report rightly highlights that deep-rooted inequalities continue to hold some doctors back and undermine the NHS. Fairness in training, assessment and employment is not optional – it is essential to retaining doctors, supporting morale, and delivering safe, high-quality patient care."
She said the medical training system needs a 'fundamental reset'.
"We need more postgraduate training places, genuinely flexible career pathways, and sustained investment in high-quality training and supervision if we are serious about retaining physicians in the NHS.
"It’s good to see progress made in reducing the attainment gap and disproportionate referrals but change in other areas is still happening far too slowly.
"The NHS must refocus its efforts on creating inclusive, compassionate workplace cultures where all doctors are supported to learn, thrive and develop their careers."
