Why are so many NHS workers moving to Australia?

A post on Twitter sparked controversy towards Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who claimed that the number of doctors leaving the NHS for Australia was not as widespread as people assumed it is. The Twitter post acknowledged that more than 12,000 doctors had moved to Australia in the last two years.

The tweet was based on a quote from the President of the Royal Society of Medicine president, Roger Kirby. Roger Kirby told the Telegraph in 2022 that "6,950 UK doctors applied for a certificate to work abroad, rising from 5,576 in 2021".

After conducting an intense investigation into the statistics given to the Telegraph, Full Fact found that the numbers did not necessarily represent the number of doctors who had moved to Australia, instead it represented the number of doctors working abroad that had already received a certificate of "food standing" with the GMC (General Medical Council).

A huge factor that could be pushing UK doctors to Australia is the pay gap. A consultant in the UK can reportedly earn between £88,000 to £119,000, but experienced doctors in Australia can earn up to £135,000.

Reports also claim that advertisements that have been published in the BMJ, one of the world's oldest general medical journals, are promising UK doctors a six-figure salary and 20 days off each month to "travel, swim and surf in the sun".

Dr Drew, an NHS Doctor, told reporters that he pulled out of the moving to Australia application process after she recognised the country's higher taxes and fewer holiday days.

Arguing against the propaganda, Dr Drew said: "Do you know they have a 45% tax bracket for anyone earning more than $180,000 Australian dollars? Do you know they have a claims-based insurance model for indemnity and staff are required to have runoff cover?"

But a study conducted by the insurance firm Budget Direct found that the cost of living in Australia is much cheaper than in the UK.

Their findings show that eating out in London is 15 per cent more expensive than in Sydney, with renting and utility bill prices being almost double in London compared to Sydney.

Lisa Sutton, a former NHS Diagnostic Radiographer, is one of the thousands of doctors who impulsively moved to Australia.

Lisa Sutton revealed: "The money is amazing, and they pay my relocation fees. My NHS trust has given me a sabbatical to try and lure me to come back but our management is dire, and we struggle with actually being paid properly, let alone what we get paid."

On reflection, Lisa Strutton spoke of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. She continued saying: "Some of my colleagues were unable to pay their mortgages and childcare during the first wave of Covid when we were working like crazy. I'm going with a view of a working holiday but who knows if I'll be back."

Jessica Hoole, a Paediatric Nurse who moved to Australia in 2007, also has no future plan to return to the NHS. She told reporters: "The quality of life is not even slightly comparable. I earn much better money. I live on the water and enjoy an active outdoor life."

"I have two jobs, one hospital-based, and one community based- which gives me really good balance. I couldn't even consider working in the NHS again," she concluded.

While NHS workers continue to strike across the UK, calling for fairer work hours and wages, reports recognise that the hospital staff in Australia are paid a double rate if they work overtime.

Natalie Joyner, a former NHS Nurse who moved to Australia spoke out about the lack of work-life balance for medical staff in the UK. She said: "I hear stories of nurses needing to go to food banks to be able to feed their families. They work so hard and are not appreciated by the government."

Nurse Joyner concluded: "All the nurses in the UK got was a clap, they didn't even get a pay rise. They still had to go to work while the government had a party!"