NHS hiring foreign GPs to 'work from the beach' and treat patients virtually

The initiative is part of the NHS's 10-year plan, looking to "free up" GPs in Britain and reduce appointment waiting times.

In autumn 2025, more than seven million patients had waits of four weeks or more for a GP appointment, representing an increase of 300,000 from the same time in 2024.

Instead, the scheme sees an increase in appointments being conducted over video call, while British doctors are allowed to leave the country to work for the NHS from anywhere in the world.

The scheme has been accused of "offshoring people’s health to call centres abroad".

The NHS has launched the pilot with Asterix Health, which is advertised as a "leading provider of remote GP resources".

"We support primary and urgent care providers to improve access to high-quality care for patients, at lower cost," the brand states on LinkedIn.

However, according to the social media platform, just 12 people are currently employed there.

So far, they have eight doctors based in Australia, Malaysia, India and the UK, though there are plans to expand.

The firm claims most of its doctors are "ex-UK GPs", arguing this means it is helping to retain UK-trained doctors "who will have otherwise left the workforce entirely".

The website says they are the only firm permitted to hire doctors remotely on behalf of the NHS, and are currently hiring for a "remote NHS GP" based in Malaysia.

Applicants are told they can work remotely or from an office in Kuala Lumpur.

Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, expressed his concern about doctors taking appointments "from the beach" with a "cocktail on hand".

The NHS also has twice as many foreign doctors and nurses as the Western average.

Shadow Health Secretary, Stuart Andrew, said: "The whole idea of a GP is built around continuity and knowing your community, not being thousands of miles away.

"While technology can help improve access, outsourcing care overseas risks turning general practice into a remote call-centre model, which could undermine trust between patient and the doctor as well as the quality of patient care."

The NHS's 10-Year Plan details how it will "explore opportunities to deploy UK-registered professionals working in other countries, to provide remote services to NHS patients".

It adds that this will "give the NHS an opportunity to tap into global talent, deliver 24/7 access and increase productivity".

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: "Our 10-Year Health Plan is shifting healthcare from analogue to digital to make the NHS fit for the future – but GP practices should offer face-to-face appointments to those who want one.

"We’ve recruited 3,000 GPs in the past year, given primary care a £1.1billion funding boost, and rolled out online GP booking requests to ease pressure on services and improve access to appointments. Patient satisfaction with primary care is now rising."

Asterix Health chief, Julian Titz, claimed primary care is "at breaking point" and that the company are "offering a real solution that enables under-pressure practices to get additional support from professional, highly qualified doctors for clinical tasks."

An NHS spokesman said: "This is a pilot run by a private company which is not endorsed by NHS England, and we have no plans to roll this out nationally."