The day presents an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful contributions of our international colleagues, on which the NHS depends. 

What is Overseas NHS Workers Day?

Overseas NHS Workers Day was launched in 2021 by DAUK’s international medical graduate lead (IMG) Dr Pushpo Hossain. 

With around one in five NHS staff in England report a non-British nationality, Overseas NHS Workers Day is an opportunity to celebrate and thank the doctors, nurses, support staff, and other professions from around the world whose skills and tireless work help make the NHS what it is.

It is also a day to raise awareness of the challenges many overseas workers face, from visa and training hurdles to career progression barriers.

And it is a moment to champion opportunity across the NHS workforce. DAUK continues to call for policies that expand training places and address workforce planning, ensuring doctors trained in the UK and internationally can thrive and contribute fully to patient care.

Get involved in Overseas NHS Workers Day

There are lots of ways people and organisations can take part on or around 6 March:

• Share a message of thanks on your organisation’s intranet, newsletter or social channels.
• Post pictures and videos of overseas staff on your trust-wide social media platforms
• Encourage leaders to publicly acknowledge and celebrate international staff contributions.
• Decorate your workplace in blue and green, the colours of Overseas NHS Workers Day.
• Host an international lunch or showcase the flags of the nations represented in your NHS teams.
• Use the hashtags #OverseasNHSWorkersDay and #ONHSWD to share stories and photos online.

#ONHSWD

Don’t forget to use the hashtags #OverseasNHSWorkersDay or #ONHSWD. You can tag us as well: @thedoctorsassociationuk on Instagram @TheDoctorsAssociationUK on Facebook @theDA_UK and @WorkersNHS on X, and @thedauk.bsky.social on BlueSky

Please support our work by contributing to our crowd funder or by becoming a member.

Workforce planning

This is a massive failure of workforce planning. Despite the clear need, hundreds of doctors coming through UK medical schools and IMGs already practising in the NHS are being denied opportunities because of underfunding by successive governments, which have failed to increase the numbers of specialty training places. Dr Matt Kneale, DAUK committee member and former chair, said: “We recognise that there are real issues with specialty training places that need nuanced solutions that are both pragmatic and lawful. “It’s difficult to justify leaving UK-trained doctors unemployed while training numbers remain static. “These graduates could be contributing to the NHS workforce rather than being underutilised, especially given the public investment in their education. “It’s also worth questioning the fairness of continuing to recruit IMGs through costly PLAB exams when many face limited prospects of NHS employment.

International medical graduates

“This risks setting unrealistic expectations and could leave some IMGs feeling misled about their opportunities.” Dr Pushpo Hossain, DAUK’s IMG lead, said: “As an IMG myself, I had more than two-and-a-half years of NHS experience before applying for training jobs. “If an IMG has worked in the NHS for two years, they should be able to apply for training posts under the same criteria as a UK graduate. “This would strike a fair balance and recognise their experience within the NHS.” Tax payers’ money is increasingly being spent pushing non-doctor roles, such as physician associates, despite concerns over their training, scope of practice, and patient safety.

Non-doctor roles

The expansion of non-doctor roles is another factor impacting resident doctors and IMGs and limiting their opportunities. Patients want to see a doctor, and patient outcomes are significantly improved when they do. Dr Ellen Welch, DAUK vice-chair, added: “We need to look at why doctors are out of work, while rotas are understaffed and waiting lists still stretch into the millions. “We need our government to fund job opportunities for both UK and international graduate doctors instead of paying less qualified non-doctors to cover doctor roles.” Please support our work by contributing to our crowd funder or by becoming a member.

Physician associates

DAUK is actively involved in the national discourse around the roles of physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs). Our committee members have been vocal in the media, raising concerns about the roles and the regulation of PAs and AAs by the General Medical Council (GMC). We briefed politicians in the House of Commons and House of Lords on the draft Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates Order 2024, the legislation for the regulation of non-doctors by the GMC, as it passed through Parliament.

Leng review

DAUK also briefed Peers ahead of a Lords debate on the Leng Review, which we welcomed when it was announced in November. We responded to the GMC consultation on their regulation, highlighting the widespread concern on the lack of scope and standards in what is being proposing. The GMC has now begun regulating PAs and AAs, despite a lot of concern around it, with our chair Ms Helen Fernandes saying it will not protect patients or doctors. We have given our support and contributed financially to a legal challenge by Anaesthetists United to the GMC regulation of PAs and AAs. DAUK will not let up on the issue of PAs and AAs. We firmly believe the future of the medical profession and the patients it looks after are at risk.

Dr Jenny Vaughan

We were deeply saddened by the death our dearest friend and colleague Dr Jenny Vaughan. Jenny was a founding member of DAUK, a past chair, and absolutely lived and breathed the Association. There were touching obituaries in the Guardian, the BMJ, and on BBC Radio 4’s Last Word. We are holding a FREE conference in memory of Jenny on 17 May (10am to 4pm) which will feature panels, discussions, and presentations on the causes she was passionate about, as well as some of the challenges facing the NHS.

GP crisis

Our GP committee has been extremely busy highlighting the issues that face general practice. Dr Ellen Welch’s book, Why Can’t I See My GP?, has been a cornerstone of our work with a copy sent to every MP before the general election to help them understand general practice and to make it a key issue. Since the election, copies have been sent to members of the Health Select Committee and to MPs who are also doctors, and we have relaunched our GP manifesto. Dr Welch featured in the Daily Mail, the Sunday Times, i News and the Daily Express, and was interviewed on Sky News, BBC Radio 5Live and BBC Radio Cumbria – among others. Her book prompted debate on ITV’s Good Morning Britain about which types of ailments people should see their GP with, and whether children should be taught in schools how to use and access the NHS.

Manifesto

The GP committee hosted an election briefing during which it unveiled its manifesto for saving general practice. Since the election our GP committee continues to hold the new government to account on issues around general practice. We warned that the increase in employer National Insurance contributions could put financial pressure on already struggling general practices. And while we cautiously welcomed an announcement by the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, for an extra £889m for general practice, we stressed that a huge amount of the money will be swallowed up meeting those National Insurance obligations. DAUK continues to call for funding to help solve the GP crisis. Indeed, we welcomed the findings of the Darzi Review, which advised the government to invest in general practice.

Work with government

We have offered to work with the government on solutions to the issues facing primary care. Our research has found that the equivalent of 3,000 doctors are currently unemployed or underemployed stand ready to work in general practice with the right investment. Committee members have been incredibly busy speaking to the media to highlight the issues facing general practice, not least Dr Sarah Jacques who shared her powerful story of burning out as a GP on BBC Breakfast and in the Telegraph. GP spokesperson Dr Steve Taylor has produced an astonishing wealth of data and statistics on the NHS and general practice, which he shares in his social media network. It’s helped Dr Taylor build an extensive following, including with health journalists, and insert him and DAUK into social media conversations.

NHS Practitioner Health

We highlighted a move by NHS England to stop the funding for hospital doctors referred for help to NHS Practitioner Health. Those who support doctors through Practitioner Health were also told just the week before it was due to be closed. One of our members, at that meeting, anonymously tipped us off. A social media campaign highlighted the NHS England plans in the media and the decision was reversed less than a week later.

Dr Sarah Benn

We were ‘shocked and saddened’ by the sanction handed down to Dr Sarah Benn following her Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service hearing. Dr Benn, a GP for 32 years, was suspended from the medical register following her participation in peaceful climate protests. DAUK’s Dr Steve Taylor wrote a letter to the Times on the case and the discussions around it, saying that protesting would not affect clinical judgement or trustworthiness.

Climate crisis

We joined Plant-Based Health Professionals UK (PBHP UK) to highlight serious concerns from the medical profession over the Government-backed Let’s Eat Balanced campaign. Dr Matt Lee, DAUK’s sustainability lead, and Dr Shireen Kassam, director of PBHP UK, co-wrote an open letter to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to express their deep concerns at the high level of misinformation within the campaign, and ask for the campaign to be retracted. The letter was reported in a number of publications including the Independent and openDemocracy. A series of guest blogs have been published on our website, including this by Dr Marnie Sethi on the health impact of the climate crisis.

NHS Whistleblowing

DAUK supports the proposal for the Office of the Whistleblower and is working with not for profit organisation Whistleblowers UK to change how society thinks about whistleblowing. Dr David Nicholl is at the forefront of our work in this area to enable healthcare professionals to raise concerns without fear. Dr Nicholl highlighted our work to protect NHS whistleblowers at the Medical Journalists’ Association’s (MJA) symposium on Building Trust in Health Journalism. The symposium was supported by DAUK and gave our committee members the chance to hear presentations on a range of issues, and to make contact and build relationships with key health and medical journalists.

Overseas NHS Workers Day

The NHS came together for our fourth annual Overseas NHS Workers Day on Friday 1 March. Overseas NHS Workers Day is now a firm fixture in the calendar and provides a chance to celebrate the incredible contribution they make to the NHS and the health of our nation. Social media was full of videos, photos and the stories of our international colleagues, using the hashtag #OverseasNHSWorkersDay. Trusts displayed flags representing the countries of birth of overseas staff; colleagues wore blue and green, the colours of the day, and some even had an international-themed lunch. Overseas NHS Workers Day takes place this year on Friday 7 March. Join in the celebrations.

Academic Foundation Jobs

An open letter was sent to all medical school deans urging them to unite in opposition to changes to the allocation of academic foundation jobs. We believe UKFPO’s announcement that all Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP) applications will fall under the Preference Information Allocation system posed serious issues. The frustrations of the many medical students who were allocated to foundation schools outside of their top choices were shared by our student committee. And we requested a formal review of the UKFPO system by the Department of Health.

DAUK in the media

DAUK and our committee members regularly contributed to articles and broadcasts, and provided briefings and background material to journalists working on more in-depth pieces. We are proactive in putting out comment on our website and social media, and sending it direct to journalists. Our members are working hard to build good working relationships with reporers, including though networking at events such as the Medical Journalists’ Association annual awards. Our work to oppose the expansion of PA and AA roles has had real cut through and been highlighted in the national media, and medical websites and publications. And we have had some stunning media coverage for our GP committee, with members regularly invited to comment in health publications such as GP Online and Pulse Online. We look forward to continuing to advocate for doctors, patients, and the profession in 2025. And, if you can, please support our work by becoming a member or donating to our Go Fund Me.

Join the Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK) for the fourth annual Overseas NHS Workers Day this Friday 1 March.

Overseas NHS Workers Day is a special opportunity to celebrate all of the wonderful contributions of our international staff to the health of the country.

Recent data shows around 265,000 out of 1.5 million NHS staff in England reported a non-British nationality, which is around 19 per cent.

They work tirelessly every day to support the NHS and to provide outstanding care for patients.

But they also face difficulties and challenges while helping to save lives.

Dr Pushpo Babul Hossain, DAUK’s IMG lead and founder of Overseas NHS Workers Day, said: “DAUK is proud to be celebrating the diversity, strength and skill that our international staff bring to the NHS.

“Overseas NHS Workers Day is a chance to give back, to recognise the incredible contributions they make, and also to raise awareness of some of the issues faced by international staff.”

While Overseas NHS Workers Day is a chance to celebrate the value that all overseas workers bring to the NHS, year DAUK is highlighting the contributions of international medical graduate (IMG) GPs.

It follows the release of the book ‘Why Can’t I See My GP?’ by former DAUK co-chair Ellen Welch, which shines a light on the crisis facing general practice.

We will be sharing some of the stories of IMG GPs and celebrating their successes, as well as those of overseas workers across the NHS.

And we are inviting NHS trusts, health organisations, patients and the general public to show how much we value our overseas workers.

How to get involved:

• Post a message on social media using the hashtags #OverseasNHSWorkersDay #ONHS2024
• If you are an overseas NHS worker, share your story with us
• NHS trusts and organisations might want to share stories from their overseas workers or a supportive message from a senior leader
• Wear blue and green, the colours of the earth and of Overseas NHS Workers Day
• Send a colleague a message or a card to let them know you appreciate them
• Download posters from our Overseas NHS Workers Day page and display them
• Display flags of different countries
• And if you are posting pictures and videos on social media, please remember to tag us and use the hashtags #OverseasNHSWorkersDay #ONHS2024
  • @theDA_UK and @WorkersNHS on X/Twitter
  • @thedoctorsassociationuk on Instagram
  • @TheDoctorsAssociationUK on Facebook

he BBC’s adaptation of Adam Kay’s best-selling book This is Going to Hurt, which shows the stark reality of how it feels to work in the NHS, aired last week.

The seven-parter is loosely based on Kay’s time working as a junior doctor – health workers across the UK have praised the show, saying it shows the racism, trauma and burn-out doctors and nurses experience while working in the health service.

The first episode played out a horrific racist moment in which a patient screamed ‘Get that P*** off my baby’. As an international graduate, it sadly reflects my experiences of racism within the NHS where comments such as ‘Why don’t you go back to where you came from?!’ or ‘I want to be seen by a white doctor!’, are all too common.

I joined as a doctor from my home country of Bangladesh in January 2020 – just before the pandemic hit the UK. I’d always wanted to become a part of the legacy of the NHS, to contribute to an institution that provides almost all services to patients for free.

Nothing is more rewarding than knowing you can provide your people with the best healthcare without handing them a bill at the end. This is what attracts so many international staff to the NHS every year. But little did I know that following my dream to treat patients for free had a huge price tag – just because I’m not British.

Almost 200 different nationalities are represented within the NHS. And the majority of these are at the mercy of yearly hospital contracts to get their visa renewed.

To legally reside and work in the NHS, visas typically must be renewed on an annual basis, which can cost up to £500 per applicant, per year. Their fate is almost always tied to obtaining a card called the Biometric Residence Permit. To put this into context, without this permit staff are unable to work, open a bank account, apply for a license to drive or even rent an apartment. Travel outside the UK for incidents such as a family emergency is avoided – as without the BRP one cannot re-enter the UK.

After five years in the UK, we then become eligible to apply for an Indefinite Leave to Remain, which means we are then a permanent resident. Despite working on the frontlines of the pandemic, there is no guarantee of getting this application accepted, and the rejection rates are alarming even after submitting a perfect application. Each application comes with a huge price tag of around £2400 per applicant.

What’s more, the state of the NHS depicted in This is Going to Hurt has only got worse. Since Kay wrote the bestseller, we’ve seen ten years of austerity, severe staff shortages and the pandemic – yet as an international medical graduate, I’ve had to run an extra mile to prove that I’m worthy to live in the UK.

On top of this, in order to avail NHS services myself, I had to pay an international health surcharge of around £400 before being granted a visa to work in the UK. This charge was scrapped thanks to campaigning by Doctors’ Association UK. Since I joined the NHS, I have paid my taxes religiously but I don’t have any recourse to public funds should I become sick or unable to work.

Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it at all, to stay away from my home and the life I knew so well to come and live in the UK where immigration rules seem so hostile.

I’ve worked side by side with my British colleagues and cared for all the patients’ as if they were my own family – but when the storm of the pandemic calmed down – I was made to feel disposable. I watched as other countries recognised the contributions of their international workers and, at times, I feel I’ve chosen badly. It’s a likely prospect that I’ll make the difficult choice to leave my NHS dreams behind for a better opportunity somewhere else.

Until the authorities acknowledge the contributions of international healthcare workers in the NHS and establish measures to retain staff, the quality of care and patient safety will suffer – and that is going to hurt.

Dr Pushpo Babul Hossain, International Medical Graduate Lead with the Doctors’ Association UK

On Friday March 4, the  DAUK celebrate Overseas NHS Workers Day  with a showing of the Hostile documentary, to raise awareness of the extra pressures faced by international staff, and support Indefinite Leave to Remain for Overseas NHS Staff 

The role played by international staff in the NHS received widespread media coverage recently after current head of NHS Test and Trace Baroness Dido Harding said she wanted to make the NHS less reliant on foreign doctors and nurses if she became the next head of NHS England.

As a ‘foreign’ doctor myself, comments like this sadly echo the racist statements we are increasingly hearing from patients. These include things like: ‘I want to be seen by a white doctor’ or ‘Why don’t you go back to where you came from’.

At a time when abuse towards NHS staff is becoming the norm, and all areas of the service, especially primary care, face overwhelming demand, we need the next leader of the NHS to understand that the NHS relies on its workforce to function.

International staff

Almost 200 different nationalities are represented within the NHS in England. The majority of staff are British, but as of January 2020, 169,000 (13.8%) report a non-British nationality, with Indian, Filipino and Irish representing the highest numbers. Some 67,000 members of staff are nationals of other EU countries.

Despite being the biggest employer in the UK, the NHS doesn’t have enough staff to meet demand. According to recent data from NHS Digital, the NHS has a shortfall of 84,000 FTE staff, and this does not include primary care where we know there is a shortage of GPs, and is before absence figures for COVID-19 are factored in.

Since its inception in 1948, the NHS has been heavily dependent on overseas healthcare workers, demonstrating that ‘foreigners’ are not only important, but vital for the smooth functioning of NHS services.

COVID-19 pandemic

This is even more apparent as we emerge from the challenges of the last 18 months, where international healthcare workers have stood shoulder to shoulder with their British colleagues.

Last month, former health secretary Matt Hancock told the parliamentary inquiry into COVID-19 that 1,500 health and social care workers have died during the pandemic and we know that with those from a Black, Asian or ethnic minority background are at an increased risk.

‘Foreigner’ comments make international healthcare workers sound like a burden on the NHS and completely undermine their contributions. Not only do they offer their skills and experience as healthcare workers, but they pay the same amount of tax as any British worker without having any recourse to public funds.

After residing in the country for 5-6 years, they then have to pay over £2,000 to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. They are also frequently seen investing in property, shares and tourism.

In 2015, the coalition government introduced the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), an annual fee of £624 that migrants need to pay to use the NHS. For a family of four, this charge, along with visa fees can easily reach £10,000 a year – which for tax paying NHS staff is an extortionate amount of money to pay in order to access the very system they work within.

In October last year, after lobbying by the DAUK, the Prime Minister announced that international health and care staff and their dependents would be exempt from the IHS, in view of their efforts during the pandemic.

It is time we valued our migrant healthcare staff, which is why DAUK will be supporting the bill to grant indefinite leave to remain to overseas staff, like myself, who have given their all to the NHS during the pandemic.

The NHS relies on the goodwill of its workforce to stay afloat, and the next leader of the NHS, whoever that is, needs to take this onboard

• Dr Pushpo Hossain is junior clinical fellow, acute medicine and a committee member of the Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK)
• Read the article in full here

DAUK’s Dr Ellen Welch talks about what the day meant, how it is to become an annual event and it’s main aims.

Read more here.

Migrant workers have been essential to the operations of the NHS ever since its inception in 1948. Over the decades, many programmes have been used to encourage and find overseas workers and help them migrate to the UK to be employed in the healthcare system, demonstrating how important they are.

Migrant workers have been essential to the operations of the NHS ever since its inception in 1948. Over the decades, many programmes have been used to encourage and find overseas workers and help them migrate to the UK to be employed in the healthcare system, demonstrating how important they are.

However, throughout the current COVID-19 pandemic, many have argued that migrant workers have not been given the rightful respect or recognition they truly deserve. Many of them have been putting their lives on the line every single day fighting against a deadly virus, yet still face immigration insecurity.

There are currently 170,000 overseas NHS workers from 200 countries residing within the UK, many of which have to apply every year for five years to renew their work visas. Some are required to have employers provide certificates of sponsorship for them, and if they do not, then they can be deported at any time despite their critical service to the country. As the pandemic has raged on since March 2020, support for a private member’s bill which would grant migrant NHS workers indefinite leave to remain has grown.

The Story So Far

In 2019, Boris Johnson announced a new “NHS visa” which would make it significantly easier for doctors and nurses from around the world to work in the UK. This was pre-pandemic, and is said to have been established due to fears that the NHS would not be able to attract staff after Brexit, showcasing how important migrant workers are to our health service.

In April 2020, Priti Patel announced an Immigration Health Surcharge was under review, which would essentially mean migrant NHS workers are taxed twice to use the health service themselves. However, following the outbreak of COVID the UK government decided to abolish such fees as a gesture of appreciation for the service NHS workers were providing. Although this initially seems positive, studies have found that due to differing immigration statuses, there were only 12% of migrant workers paying the surcharge. This means that although the gesture exists, it did not alleviate any widespread issues for migrant workers like it first appeared to.

Furthermore, in the peak of the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, the government announced that all non-EU migrant workers in the health sector whose work visas were due to expire would have it extended for another year with no fee. However the scheme is expected to end in March 2021, leaving many migrant doctors, nurses and paramedics in a position where they must spend hundreds of pounds and weeks applying for new visas from then on. This seems like an extreme disservice to the workers who have carried the country through the pandemic, who are then having to spend their own hard-earned money just to try and remain in the country to continue with their service.

The Private Member’s Bill

In November 2019, the Immigration (Health and Social Care Staff) Bill 2019-21 was put forward, which would offer migrant healthcare workers indefinite leave to remain. This is similar to the actions taken in countries such as France, who are granting full citizenship to frontline migrant workers. The bill is supported by the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Nursing, the Doctors Association UK, Independent Age, and Unison, and MPs are thought to have received upwards of 7400 letters of advocacy for the bill.

Unfortunately, the second reading of the bill was delayed in January 2021 due to the Common’s COVID safety rules. The Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine, who sponsored the Bill, has since called on the government to consider debating the bill remotely, due to the urgency of its nature.

How Will This Impact EU Nationals?

As of June 2020, 67,000 of the UK healthcare workforce are nationals of EU countries – 5.5% of NHS staff in England. It is estimated that 9.1% of doctors and 6.0% of nurses in the UK are from the EU, but since 2016 this has actually fallen.

Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and the UK, EU nationals now have until the 30th June 2021 to apply for settled status via the EU Settlement scheme. Those healthcare workers who are successful in their application will be able to remain in the UK and will have access to public services and healthcare. EU nationals who have the status of indefinite leave to remain do not have to apply for this. However, if they choose to do so and are successful they will gain the right to leave the UK for up to 5 years and not lose settled status rather than two years under indefinite leave to remain.

EU nationals are largely not going to be impacted by this bill. This is because they have the EU Settlement scheme in which to apply to, which non-EEC migrant healthcare workers do not have as an option. The issue is that for those healthcare workers that do apply to the scheme and are rejected, they will be facing immigration insecurity once again.

In the long run, the proposed bill that would grant non-EEC healthcare workers the indefinite leave to remain could create some changes in employment opportunities for EU nationals. This will be because there will be a much smaller turnover in non-EEC staff who are losing immigration status and leaving the UK, therefore leaving fewer job openings for EU nationals who are wishing to settle in the UK and work in healthcare. However, this is an ongoing issue so such impacts cannot yet be determined. It is certainly a topic area that EU nationals may want to watch closely.

Read the full article here

“The NHS could not function without its foreign born workers. Around 169,000 people, or 13% of the workforce was born outside of the UK.”

Radio 4 interviewed DAUK’s Dr Pushpo Hossain on NHS Overseas Workers Day last Friday:

Would you like to continue working in the nhs?

“I really love working for the NHS and I would like to call it my home. But unfortunately it is our fate as an international health care worker, we are on temporary visas and cannot obtain permanent residency…we have to be on temporary visas for five years before we can apply for the Indefinite Leave to Remain, which also comes with an exuberant fee of around £3000 per applicant.”

Will your salary be affected by this proposed 1% pay increase? 

“To be honest, it feels very, very insulting…for some of us [the 1% pay increase does not even cover] the £3000 that is required for the Indefinite Leave to Remain application. So how are we being recognized? How is this being fair to all these international health care workers…we have put our lives on the line and is this how they want to reward us?”

I didn’t join medicine for the money, in fact quite the opposite. But during the the past 10 years, junior doctors have faced pay cuts by as much as 30 per cent in real terms. During the same period, our honourable MPs have voted to give themselves no less than eight pay rises.

Most “junior doctors” earn less than tube drivers, self-employed plumbers and construction workers, among many others. Compared to professionals such as city bankers and lawyers, it the difference is even starker.

When you picture a junior doctor, you probably think of someone in the first year out of medical school. In reality it’s any doctor who’s not yet a GP or consultant, which takes years of work. Specialties such as psychiatry and surgery require a minimum of 8 to 10 years after graduating and passing annual assessments and exams.

For other specialities, it’s closer to 15 years, and many are still termed “junior doctors” into their late 30s and 40s – especially if training is done part time, or doctors change specialty.

A survey of members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) across the NHS and independent sectors – released in June last year – found that 36 per cent of respondents were thinking of leaving the profession. Of those thinking of leaving, 61 per cent cited pay as a factor. A different survey, released in December, found that 30 per cent of nurses asked planned on leaving the profession within 12 months thanks to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many had visited food banks, while 39 per cent had skipped meals to feed their family or save money.

The RCN has set up a £35m industrial action fund to support its members through a loss of earning should they decide to strike over this. NHS staff generally don’t like talking about money, but a 1 per cent pay increase for NHS staff is pretty appalling when you consider this actually means a real-terms rise of potentially just £3.50 a week.

Almost all the medics I know in the UK say they wouldn’t recommend the profession to their children. Yet, in countries where doctors are paid better – being a doctor is still something to aspire to. The NHS hospitals, mental health services and community providers are currently faces a shortfall of 84,000 full-time equivalent (FTE ) staff.

Burnt out frontline workers are retiring early, going off sick, or emigrating to countries where they will enjoy a better quality of life. My cousin, who is also a junior doctor, earns almost 600 per cent of my salary in another country. We graduated the same year and work the same hours.

It’s time to recognise and value the contribution made by NHS staff. Between March and December last year, more than 850 health and social care workers died of Covid-19 in England and Wales, yet staff continue to do their jobs to the best of their ability.

In recognition of the efforts of thousands of migrant workers within the NHS, The Doctors’ Association UK today launched “Overseas NHS Workers Day”, to celebrate the contributions of those who have propped up our health service during the pandemic, and to raise awareness of the issues they face.

Fairer pay for all NHS staff would be a starting point in view of the sacrifice made by so many during the pandemic.

The author is using a pseudonym. He is a GP trainee