Inequality continues for BAME, overseas-trained doctors: GMC report

DOCTORS from BAME backgrounds and foreign-trained medics working in the UK continue to face discrimination throughout their careers, according to a new report by the General Medical Council (GMC).

The GMC warned of "persistent and pernicious" inequality, with too many doctors still being reported for alleged misconduct compared to their white, British-trained counterparts.

The report, authored by the GMC’s chief executive, Charlie Massey, emphasises the changing composition of the medical workforce, noting that over half of the doctors who joined the GMC's register last year were international medical graduates (IMGs).

However, despite this shift, Massey stated that many doctors experience discrimination from the early stages of their education through to leadership roles, which negatively impacts morale and performance.

The GMC had set targets in 2021 to address this inequality, following criticism over the high number of BAME and overseas-trained doctors being referred for misconduct investigations.

The report indicates some progress, with the number of NHS trusts and health boards referring disproportionate numbers of doctors based on ethnicity or place of qualification decreasing from 5.6 per cent to 3.2 per cent between 2016 and 2023.

Additionally, the gap in referral rates between ethnic minority and white doctors has narrowed from 0.28 per cent to 0.13 per cent over the same period. There has also been improvement in the "attainment gap" for IMGs in medical training.

While acknowledging progress, Massey told The Guardian that many NHS workplaces are still not inclusive enough.

The British Medical Association (BMA) echoed this concern, with BMA chair Prof Philip Banfield urging faster action to make medicine more welcoming for all doctors, regardless of background.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care also acknowledged the report's findings and told The Guardian that further efforts are needed to address inequalities in the NHS as part of the government’s 10-year plan for health.