UK red tape blocks Australian and New Zealand specialists from NHS rejoining, doctors say

London — NHS services are grappling with a shortage of specialists, but a rule that blocks British doctors who have worked abroad from rejoining the service has become a flashpoint. Advocates say the General Medical Council does not automatically recognise specialist qualifications from Australia and New Zealand, despite similar training. The result, they say, is a 'bizarre' red-tape barrier that leaves hundreds of doctors stranded overseas as the NHS battles vacancies.

To be eligible for an NHS hospital consultant post, applicants must join the UK specialist register. The process, which can take two to four years, requires submitting around 1,000 pages of evidence and recording every procedure they have performed abroad to prove it is equivalent to UK practice. The extra steps can cost about £100,000 in fees and lost earnings, and in some cases doctors have had to fly back to Australia to source the correct paperwork.

An open letter signed by dozens of doctors has been sent to health secretary Wes Streeting, calling on the government to legislate automatic recognition of Australian and New Zealand specialist qualifications in fields such as paediatrics, oncology, pathology and surgery. David Abelson, a respiratory consultant who organised the letter, described the hurdle as a 'bizarre double standard.'

Among the signatories are Franki and Matt Hart, who left NHS junior doctor jobs to relocate to New Zealand and are now consultants in Sydney who treat seriously ill children. They told The Times they want to return to the UK: 'The UK is where my heart is. It's where my family are, and I still love the NHS,' Franki Hart said. 'I'd love to come back and do some work there. But it's just not feasible, because we can't get our qualifications recognised.' Matt Hart added: 'There is a shared culture, a shared language, a shared way of practising medicine.'

The dispute comes as the NHS continues to rely on doctors trained abroad to fill specialist vacancies. The service has more than half of its specialist roles unfilled, and the National Health Service sometimes recruits from India, Pakistan and Nigeria to plug gaps. UK authorities automatically recognise European medical qualifications, but not those from Australia and New Zealand, according to the letter.

Abelson argued the current rules create a 'bizarre double standard' and urged quick reform to avoid further brain drain and patient-care delays.

The open letter requests legislation that would allow the GMC to automatically recognise Australian and New Zealand qualifications for consulting roles in major specialties, a change that would require action in Parliament.