UK: The General Medical Council (GMC) says some overseas doctors come to the NHS with “little or no preparation” for working in the UK.
It says those trained under different cultural and professional standards need more support.
The GMC is planning a basic induction programme for all doctors to help them understand how healthcare is practiced in the UK.
Doctors’ representatives say the scheme will help to protect patients.
More than one in three doctors registered in the UK qualified abroad.
The GMC says the NHS has relied heavily on their skills and dedication, and could not have kept going without them.
But it says they need better support in order to practise safely. The recommendation for an induction programme comes in its first State of Medical Education and Practice report.
This presents a profile of the medical profession and outlines challenges for the future.
It says last year there were 239,270 doctors on the medical register. Just over 150,000 qualified in the UK, a further 23,000 trained initially in the European Economic Area (EEA), and 66,000 completed their medical undergraduate education overseas.
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