Male doctors from abroad less likely than their British counterparts to be promoted since the pandemic, research shows

However, women doctors are catching up with male British doctors in the rate they are promoted, the study shows. 

Professor Carol Woodhams and Dr Yuanyuan Huo, of the University of Surrey, and Dr Andrie Michaelides and Dr Christiana Ierodiakonou, of the University of Cyprus, analysed data on 10,485 NHS junior hospital doctors from 2017-2023.

In the three years before the pandemic began in 2020, around 43% of male British and non-British NHS junior doctors reaching or at the end of their training were promoted to consultant, compared with 25% of British women doctors and 32% of non-British women doctors. 

Because many consultants retired during the pandemic, the chances of promotion for junior doctors increased for all groups after March 2020. 

During 2020-2023, 56% of male British junior doctors reaching or at the end of their training were promoted to consultant, compared with 49% of non-British male doctors and 48% of British and non-British women doctors. 

This meant that a gap of 13% (7 percentage points) opened up between male British and non-British doctors, who were promoted in equal portions before the pandemic. It also means that British women doctors closed the gap with male British doctors from 42% in 2017-2020 (18 percentage points) to 14% (8 percentage points) in 2020-2023, and non-British women doctors also closed the gap, from 26% to 14% (11 to 8 percentage points).

Professor Woodhams told the British Academy of Management conference at the Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, today [Thursday, 5 September]: 

"Because of the extraordinary departure rates of consultants during Covid-19, there is much greater likelihood of promotion for all. At the broader level, this health crisis has led to an expansion of the healthcare sector, creating opportunities for more junior doctors to progress as consultants.

"But promotion opportunities are unequally experienced. The British male is a winner in both periods, but the fortunes of both groups of female doctors have considerably improved. It is only non-British male doctors whose promotion prospects have not improved, and have fallen behind their male British counterparts."

The researchers studied junior doctors grade ST5-ST8 in all specialties from March 2017 to February 2020 and from March 2020 to Feb 2023, who did not leave the NHS or transfer to a non-training or GP training route. These groups have undertaken many years of postgraduate medical training and were nearing or at the end of their training for a consultant post.

The researchers found that the widening gap between British and non-British doctors was not due to the latter leaving the NHS or going part-time.

Professor Woodhams said that the research had looked at why male non-British doctors, many from an ethnic minority, had fallen behind in promotion. “Considering that two- thirds of healthcare workers who died from Covid-19 were from an ethnic minority background, it is possible that the members of those groups suffered more losses in terms of social and personal resources, which are core to career development,” she said.

“International doctors experienced severe personal, social and financial challenges during the pandemic, increasing their vulnerability.”

However, their research found that all groups of junior doctors were more likely to stay in the NHS and to work full-time after Covid began than they were before. 

Percentage of NHS doctors eligible for promotion who were promoted to consultant:

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