Dr. Peter Prinsley, a former ENT specialist and current MP, is advocating for an increase in guaranteed graduate training slots for UK medical students to combat the growing shortage of training opportunities.

He emphasizes that priority should be given to UK graduates and suggests utilizing physician associates to fill roles currently held by international recruits.

Prinsley warns that the lack of training slots is driving many UK graduates to seek further studies abroad, which risks their permanent departure from the UK healthcare system.

The British Medical Association (BMA) plans to address the training slot shortage at its annual conference in Liverpool, advocating for a significant increase in training posts for resident doctors.

Current estimates from the BMA suggest that around 20,000 applicants will miss out on training slots this year, highlighting a critical shortage with 4.7 applicants for every available position.

Recent figures show that there are 33,108 medical graduates competing for approximately 13,000 training positions, with a notable increase in international medical graduates, which has doubled in two years.

The Department of Health and Social Care has reiterated its commitment to nurturing home-grown talent while recognizing the importance of internationally-trained staff in the NHS.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced that UK medical graduates will be prioritized for NHS jobs under a forthcoming 10-year health plan, criticizing the current system for training doctors without ensuring they can work in the UK.