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Advantages of working in the UK

• February 28, 2018

Advantages of working in the UK
 

Welcome to the second blog post of our series. In today’s post we explore the several advantages of an International Medical Graduate relocating to the UK and working for the NHS.

The NHS is the largest employer in the UK and Europe. It is one of the largest healthcare systems in the world as it employs over 1.5 million people to hundreds of diverse roles. However, currently there is a shortage of doctor’s in the UK and therefore the system is continually looking to employ more clinicians.

As an international doctor, no matter what speciality and area of the NHS you join, you will become part of a skilled, devoted and passionate team of people whose priority is to provide the best healthcare and treatment to their patients.

1. Rewarding work

All doctors who have worked hard to master the science and the art of modern clinical practice, create a tremendously positive impact on their patient’s lives every single day. As a healthcare professional, IMG’s will be able to satisfy their passion to help others whilst simultaneously earning a living.

For most people, there are generally two common themes behind their reason for becoming a Doctor. The first theme is their ability to make a positive difference to a patient’s life. Whether a patient needs pain relief or a life-threatening operation, for a Doctor, to be the person who alleviates their pain or change their life is extremely fulfilling.

The second theme behind a Doctor’s chosen career path is their ability to develop relationships with their patients. A Doctor-patient relationship can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to several decades, but nevertheless, the personal element of the relationship allows a Doctor to respond genuinely and subjectively to their patients. This allows the Doctor-patient relationship to develop into a genuine connection rather than the Doctor simply providing a service.

2. Training

One of the principal reasons that people decide to leave their job is due to the lack of opportunities their employer offers and they yearn for a chance to gain new skills and knowledge. For the NHS, it is fundamental for their system to provide their employees with the opportunity to advance their skills and develop their careers.

For all levels and specialities within the NHS, we believe that the NHS in conjunction with the Royal Medical Colleges provide some of the best medical training programs in the world.

3. Job Stability

Another advantage of being a Doctor in the UK is job stability. Whilst there are people and sickness within the world Doctors will always be needed. There are over 250,000 Doctors working for the NHS, with over 70,000 of those receiving their primary medical qualification from abroad, and there is a continuous call for more IMG's to come and work in the UK.

Furthermore, most hospitals and healthcare centres in the UK are open 24/7 which means that all healthcare professionals will always have full-time hours. But as hospitals are demanding institutions, most employees are offered overtime because of the high demand of patient’s needs.

4. Income

Healthcare professional’s salaries differ dependent on the Doctor’s experience, speciality and setting. However, most Doctors enjoy above-average earnings and if you are a speciality Doctor you will earn a basic salary of £37,923 to £70,718. In addition to your basic salary there is a potential to earn additional income. This can be done via:

• Additional Programmed Activities (PA’s)
• Bank locums within your hospital
• Agency locums in surrounding areas
• Private work

5. Pension and Benefits

The NHS offers their employees outstanding pension packages and is one of the most generous and comprehensive schemes available in the UK. An NHS pension includes life assurance benefits, ill health benefits and voluntary early retirement benefits and a full range of other benefits.

Furthermore, all NHS employees are entitled to a minimum of 27 days annual leave, which will increase to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years’ service, plus 8 days public holidays. However, it is important to note that entitlement to Annual Leave will be determined by each individual NHS Trust.

Moreover, the NHS pension scheme is one of the most generous and comprehensive schemes available in the UK. Membership of the scheme is automatic when you join the NHS and as part of the scheme, the NHS pay a contribution equal up to 14.3% of your salary towards the cost of your pension.

6. UK lifestyle

Moving to the UK can offer a life of history and culture and society full of diversity. The UK is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 1952, which makes her the longest-serving current head of state.

The UK is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The UK’s capital and largest city is London and other major cities in the UK include Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast.

Despite the UK being geographically small, it is extremely influential in world trade and politics. Not only is the UK influential in the economy, it possesses beautiful architecture and is well-known for its music, films, literature and football.

Britain is a vastly ethnically diverse society with rising numbers of people who identify themselves as an ethnic minority. With over 1.5 million people being from an Indian or Asian group who are all spread across the entire UK. Furthermore, 26% of the NHS workforce are international Doctors and 11% European Doctors. Although it is difficult to count the number of mosques in the UK, as it is any other place of worship, research has identified over 2,000 mosques across the whole of the UK. In addition, specialist food suppliers are also nationally distributed. All major supermarkets and restaurants supply halal meat, including Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Zizzi and Nando’s.

In addition, we recognise that relocation to a different country often has a large impact on family life. Therefore, we will be able to offer practical advice on family life including UK schools for your children and language classes.
 

Schools
 

The majority of schools in the UK are owned by the state, completely free to attend, and follow a National Curriculum. Children who are aged five to eleven will attend primary school before moving onto secondary school.

Because of the decentralisation process in the UK, the schooling system can vary between different regions. Nevertheless, education for all children is compulsory for children aged five to sixteen and the school leaving age is eighteen, however the last two years are optional. The school year typically runs from the beginning of September to the end of July.
 

Language
 

English is the most widely used language across the world and has a large vocabulary with nearly half a million words. This is resultant of the various groups of people, nationalities and cultures that use the language.

For international Doctors relocating to the UK they must first have passed the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The IELTS is required by the UK Home Office for each category of visa applications.

The test will assess all your English skills – reading, writing, listening and speaking designed to reflect how you will use English at work in your new life.

However, for your family members who will not have to take the IELTS, but will want to improve their English there are a couple of different learning options for them. First, there are hundreds of language centres that are members of Accreditation UK. Or second, there are several online courses, where an individual can improve their English language skills from the comfort of their own home.

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Overall, there are various advantages of relocating to the UK and if you have decided to do so then get in contact with us at [email protected] so we can assist you in finding a job and guide you at every step during the relocation process.