Key Summary
- Health and Care Worker visas issued by the UK to Indian nationals has fallen by about 67 per cent
- Many graduates are leaving the UK as salaries are lower when compared with those offered in some European countries
- Australia, Canada and the Middle East are preferred destinations as they offer higher pay and clearer long-term pathways
For many Indian medical professionals, the UK used to be a preferred destination for building their careers, and they have played a vital role in the NHS since its establishment in 1948.
However, in recent years, the number of Indian medical professionals coming to the UK for studies and work has declined, and many of those currently in the country are choosing to migrate due to bleak prospects.
Senior doctors of Indian origin working in the UK's National Health Service (NHS) told PTI that many Indian health professionals are choosing to leave the UK - not out of dissatisfaction with clinical work, but because financial and immigration pressures have made the UK a less viable long-term option.
The doctors interviewed spoke in their personal capacity and did not represent the views of the NHS or their employer.
Indian government data presented during the Winter Session of Parliament showed that Health and Care Worker visas issued by the UK to Indian nationals fell by about 67 per cent, with a sharper decline of nearly 79 per cent among nursing professionals, following sweeping changes to its immigration framework.
Rajay Narain, a senior NHS cardiologist with more than 20 years of experience, told PTI many Indian health professionals are choosing to leave the UK as countries such as Australia, Canada and parts of the Middle East are offering significantly higher pay and clearer long-term pathways.
"Many graduates are leaving the UK as salaries there are lower compared with those offered in some European countries. Recent data indicate that Indian-origin healthcare professionals are increasingly choosing to work abroad, attracted by better pay, higher standards of living, and comparatively lower taxes," Dr Narain said.
NHS challenges
As a professional working with the NHS for two decades, Dr Narain recalled how it was once regarded as one of the leading healthcare systems globally.
"Over time, however, it has faced numerous challenges, including long waiting lists for patients requiring procedures," he said, adding that many no longer see long-term career prospects in the UK, and several British-Indian professionals are even returning to India in search of improved opportunities.
India's contribution to the NHS was significant, rooted in the historical links from the British Empire era when medical training in the subcontinent was modelled on British standards, and Indian medical degrees were recognised by the UK's GMC until 1975.
Drive against migration
One of the main factors behind Indian-origin healthcare professionals leaving the UK is that successive governments, regardless of political affiliation, have committed to reducing net migration, said Radiologist Sanjay Gandhi, who is a part of the NHS in the South-West UK.
"However, as controlling illegal immigration has proven difficult, legal migrants, including those working in the NHS, often face the impact of these policies. Another factor is the growing competition from locally trained doctors. Although the number of medical graduates has risen, training positions have not increased proportionately, leaving many qualified doctors struggling to secure jobs," Gandhi told PTI.
Professor Gandhi works as a consultant radiologist at one of the largest teaching hospitals in the NHS.
In his 35-year medical career, he has taught at prestigious universities in the UK, India and the USA.
Regarding the challenges faced by medical professionals of Indian origin in the UK, Gandhi further stated that the General Medical Council (GMC) has been directed to limit the number of PLAB (Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board) tests, which are costly, and even for those who pass, job security is limited.
International medical graduates from India and other countries are required to pass the PLAB tests in order to work in the UK and register with the GMC.
"However, securing a position in the UK has always been challenging," he added.
According to the UK government data (2024), Asian or Asian British staff make up 13 per cent of the NHS workforce, and account for 16 per cent of the full-time and 8 per cent of the part-time workforce.
Highlighting the long-term implications, Gandhi said the number of Indian professionals in the UK is expected to decline, noting that he knows of at least half a dozen doctors who have moved to Australia or New Zealand in the past three years alone.
The latest GMC figures show that 4,880 doctors who qualified in another country left the UK during 2024 – a rise of 26 percent from 3,869, who did so in the preceding year.
Low pay, high taxes
When asked whether low pay and the cost of living are the main issues, he said both are a concern, adding that high taxation makes the situation worse.
An NHS consultant in the highest pay band pays the additional rate of income tax at 45 per cent, along with 2 per cent National Insurance (Class 1) contributions.
They also contribute around 12.5 per cent (for those earning £65,191 and above) pensionable pay to the NHS pension scheme.
Referring to the challenges faced by trainee and qualified doctors in the UK, the senior NHS radiologist said they are struggling to secure positions - not only paid roles, but even clinical attachments.
"Pathways for overseas healthcare professionals have largely reduced, while resident doctor posts now attract hundreds of applications within hours, making positions harder to secure even for UK graduates," NHS Pulmonologist Manish Gautam told PTI.
He said that after the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHS has been under significant financial pressure, with much of its pandemic and post-pandemic spending going to agency and bank staff to cover workforce shortages.
Highlighting the intense pressure on NHS trusts to deliver savings and improve productivity, Gautam said this has driven a shift away from temporary staffing towards building a more sustainable substantive workforce, a transition that will take time.
"Although UK healthcare experience remains highly valued, opportunities are constrained by financial realities," he added.
Growing racism
Health secretary Wes Streeting had recently voiced alarm that NHS staff were bearing the brunt of a return to 1970s and 1980s-style racism in Britain, where it is “socially acceptable to be racist”.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) had highlighted a surge in nurses suffering racist abuse at work.
A survey conducted by the RCN shows that the Labour government's move to curb net migration, both illegal and legal, and the anti-foreigner rhetoric by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party have sparked distress among foreign NHS and social care staff.
