Responding to the news that the Government is considering allowing more overseas doctors to enter the UK through the medical training initiative (MTI), as well as increase their length of stay from two to three years, Professor Michael Griffin OBE, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh said
“I am delighted that the Government is considering this move.
“NHS Improvement estimates a shortage of 9,337 doctors in England. MTI can help bridge this gap as well as promote the overall knowledge, experience and best practice of the NHS.
“However, it is important that overseas doctors are not used to merely fill rota gaps, but that they receive structured training and mentoring during their time in the UK. Our IMGSS and RISFP programmes help achieve this, and we look forward to building on their successes in 2019.”