Health professionals have been forced to find a new way to find work, with the number of jobs available to people with a BSc degree falling by more than half since 2010, according to a report by the Centre for Applied Research in the Life Sciences (CARLS).
The research shows that although graduates are better than ever at finding work, this is increasingly difficult because employers are less interested in finding qualified medical staff.
The report, released on Monday, found that graduates from BSc or equivalent degrees were finding fewer than 20% of the medical jobs available in the United Kingdom in 2020, compared to 23% in 2010.
The research found that those who obtained a degree at the BSc level were being recruited more than ever, while those from the BEng degree were being encouraged to take on fewer roles.
The study also found that there were less than 2,000 new positions available for graduates with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in 2019 compared to 3,300 in 2010, the year before the Brexit vote.
The UK has the second highest number of graduates with BScs, behind the US, with more than 9,000 graduates per year.
CARLS found that doctors and medical staff were most likely to be promoted to full-time positions in 2020.
Those with an MD degree were also more likely to receive more favourable terms of employment.
The survey found that employers are looking for a more skilled workforce with more skills to compete for new jobs.
It said: “Our survey indicates that many employers are not keen to invest in people who have a BMed degree, and are instead prioritising their own skills rather than those of their employees.
It also found the number available for full- and part-time work in 2019 was down by around 1,000. “
In addition, employers are also less willing to invest the money needed to recruit more staff with a particular background, and fewer are willing to spend on training or apprenticeships to help increase the number and quality of medical staff in their systems.”
It also found the number available for full- and part-time work in 2019 was down by around 1,000.
The most recent figures for the UK show that around 3,000 BSc graduates applied for jobs last year, down by more, on average, by around 10% from 2015.
It also said that there had been an increase in the number applying for full or part-year roles, but this had slowed down.
Dr Paul Maughan, senior lecturer in medical education at King’s College London, said: ‘The UK has a massive shortage of medical professionals, which means that it is increasingly more difficult for people with BMed degrees to find jobs.’
This has had a devastating impact on the quality of care in the UK, as people have had to turn to alternative careers to pay the bills.’
The report highlights that employers may be reluctant to take part in a system that has been so heavily reliant on BMed graduates for a large part of the past 20 years, and that is making it more difficult to recruit and retain the best people to work in our hospitals and medical units.’
Many of these people are now working as consultants and nurses in hospitals, but it is very hard to see them continuing in these roles, as the workforce is becoming increasingly smaller.’
A spokeswoman for the Medical and Dental Employers Association said: ‘[The] number of BMed doctors and MDs has been increasing, and this means that there are more jobs for doctors and nurses.’
However, we are working with the government to ensure that this is sustainable, as we know that a lack of people with medical training is a major contributor to the rise in hospital waiting times.’
A Department of Health spokesman said: The NHS is the health service for the whole of the United States, and we are committed to ensuring that we recruit the best and brightest to fill jobs across the NHS.
We know that we need to attract the best talent to our hospitals, as there is a significant need for nurses, doctors and other health professionals in this country.’
We are also continuing to build on our success in recruiting nurses and medical professionals to work at the hospitals and health service.’
As we continue to recruit doctors and healthcare professionals across the UK to work for us, we will continue to work with the employers and employers organisations to ensure we recruit and train the best possible workforce.’
A spokesperson for the British Medical Association (BMA), said: We are working closely with the health and care sector to ensure employers have access to the best available talent, to fill skills gaps, and to meet the health needs of their patients.
‘We welcome the Government’s announcement today to set up a joint taskforce to promote and recruit the most talented people in the health sector,’ said Sarah Taylor, the BMA’s health director.
‘The BMA welcomes the Government announcement on the Joint Taskforce to Promote and Promote Medical Talent and the commitment
