• The General Medical Council (GMC) has published The state of medical education and practice 2017, which includes data relating to the changing medical register
• The report argues that we have reached a ‘crunch point’ in the development of the UK’s medical workforce
• It concludes the UK medical workforce has not kept pace with changes in demand, and the UK is at risk of becoming a less attractive place for overseas doctors to work
• It emphasises the importance of maintaining a healthy supply of good doctors into UK practice, and reducing the pressure on doctors wherever possible

Responding to the General Medical Council’s report The state of medical education and practice 2017 the director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, Saffron Cordery, said:

“We welcome this publication which echoes many of the concerns and priorities we raised in our recent workforce report.

“Worries over staff shortages and skills are the number one concern for leaders of NHS trusts.

Worries over staff shortages and skills are the number one concern for leaders of NHS trusts

“We agree that we have arrived at a crunch point in determining the future workforce, not just for doctors but also for nurses and other clinical and non-clinical roles in health and social care.

“The GMC has a key role to play in ensuring we have a medical workforce that is fit to meet the challenges of growing demand and new approaches to treating and caring for patients. We welcome the commitment to making medicine a more attractive and fulfilling career, which should help us all make the NHS a great place to work. And we strongly endorse the importance of the NHS being able to recruit successfully overseas.

“The draft workforce strategy, published last week by Health Education England, set out a long-term framework to address NHS workforce needs, for consultation in advance of a final strategy next July. These findings from the GMC are a helpful contribution to that process.”