How prepared do IMGs feel to practise in the UK when they start their first role?
Around half the doctors we surveyed said they had very little knowledge of how the UK healthcare system works, and most felt it was a gap in their knowledge to some extent. Other common gaps in knowledge included GMC ethical guidance, employment law, patient behaviour, and life in the UK. Understanding of how medical negligence works in the UK was higher.
As a result, IMGs said they could have felt better equipped to practise in the UK. In particular, they would have benefited from a stronger induction into the UK healthcare system/NHS, and more support in understanding the cultural and communication differences that come with practising in the UK.
What are the biggest challenges for IMGs?
The doctors we spoke to highlighted the different cultural ways of working, particularly the difference in patient/doctor interactions and managing patient expectations compared to the country they were practising in previously. The way doctors communicate between themselves can be different too, and it can initially be challenging to deal with differences in language and meaning.
IMG doctors also said their desire to settle in and progress in their new role sometimes meant they took on too much before they were ready, or they didn’t know when or how to ask for help. Plus, they worried that litigation is more common in the UK, so there is sometimes the need to practise in a certain way to avoid complaints or criticism.
What would IMG doctors have benefited from when they started work in the UK?
IMG doctors thought many challenges could be overcome if they could get expert information on things like the NHS system, culture and communication differences, and patient/doctor relationships before they started in their first post.
What do IMGs know about the need for medical indemnity and protection?
Unsurprisingly, most IMGs are not familiar with how indemnity works in the UK and the role of Medical Defence Organisations (MDOs) before they arrive. They usually learn from colleagues about the importance of MDO membership alongside NHS indemnity. When they become more familiar with the role of MDOs, they value the advice, protection, security, and legal support membership provides.