Foreign-trained doctors make up over HALF of Britain's 'horrific' sanctioned list - but are only 35% of workforce

This is despite foreign-trained doctors making up just 35 per cent of the workforce, according to figures obtained by the Centre for Migration Control.

Between October 11, 2024, and September 25, 2025, 189 doctors were issued a warning, placed under conditions, suspended, struck off, or had their appeals withdrawn.

Of these, 107 (56 per cent) had trained overseas and registered to practise medicine in the UK with an international qualification.

Among the 56 doctors erased from the register, 38 - two thirds - were trained overseas.

In the 83 cases where suspensions were issued, ranging from several weeks to indefinite bans, 43 involved doctors trained abroad, accounting for 52 per cent.

Data seen by GB News reveals a range of offences, including working under the influence of alcohol, sexual harassment, criminal convictions, falsified paperwork, threatening behaviour, possession of indecent images of children, and carrying out vaginal or rectal examinations without consent.

In response, Robert Bates, Research Director at the Centre for Migration Control, said: “Our increasing reliance on overseas medical professionals is a travesty that has been entirely self-inflicted by politicians.

"The cap on medical places has meant we’ve been replacing British doctors, trained at our world-class institutions, with those from the World Health Organisation’s Red List, who often have lower standards.

"Some of these cases are simply horrific and illustrative of why we desperately need to return to staffing our NHS with British-trained workers."

In addition, 34 cases resulted in conditions being imposed on a doctor’s practice.

Of those, 10 (29 per cent) were foreign-trained. Of the 25 doctors issued with formal warnings, 10 (40 per cent) were trained abroad.

In total, 271 hearings were conducted by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service during the reporting period - of which 159 (58 per cent) involved doctors trained overseas.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Health Secretary Therese Coffey has now called on ministers to "haul in" the General Medical Council, blasting: "The GMC needs to get a grip on this to keep the confidence of patients."

Dr Peter Carter OBE, a former General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing and honorary fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners, told GB News: "This is a very worrying state of affairs and the GMC must examine how doctors from overseas are assessed.

"As a nation, we have been well served by doctors from other countries, but this trend is a matter of huge concern."

According to the GMC’s own workforce report, the number of international medical graduates (IMGs) working in the UK rose by around 55 per cent between 2017 and 2022.

The number of UK-qualified doctors increased by just 22 per cent over the same period.

Data obtained from the Department of Health and Social Care shows that, as of 2022, IMGs held nearly 50 per cent of GP training posts and around 25 per cent of specialist training posts in England.

Speaking to the People's Channel, NHS doctor Bhasha Mukherjee said: "We know that doctors who train abroad often struggle to assimilate into the cultural nuances of British society, which can lead to complaints.

“The bigger issue over recent years is that the NHS and government have undervalued doctors trained in the UK, leading to a brain drain.

"As a result, we’ve seen growing shortages that have forced the NHS to rely increasingly on overseas staff, who take time to adjust to our systems, guidelines and cultural expectations."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “It’s vital that all patients receive care that is safe and of the highest quality, regardless of where their doctor trained.

“The Secretary of State has previously met with the General Medical Council to discuss concerns raised about the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service.

“Professionals who have acted improperly must be held accountable, and we expect both NHS employers and the GMC to take swift and effective action to protect patient safety in cases of misconduct.”