Thousands of Doctors set to head for Australia

Higher wages, shorter work hours, better work conditions, and an attractive alternative lifestyle are among the reasons doctors from the United Kingdom are considering a move to Australia over other countries after UK Health Secretary imposed tough new contracts on junior doctors that would have them work longer hours for less money in UK hospitals.
A day after the UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt confirmed the tougher contracts, some 3,468 requests for a certificate to practise medicine outside of the UK were made to the UK’s NHS - the regulator normally gets between 20 and 25 requests a day, notes are report in The Guardian.
Depending on their seniority, doctors can earn up to 50% more in Sydney or Melbourne, despite generally working less overtime. The UK provided Australia with 13% of its GPs and 22% of its specialists in 2011. The crisis in the UK could see these numbers rise.
Associate professor Brian Owler, who is head of the Australian Medical Association, who is critical of the NHS contract changes told The Guardian that junior doctors should be “highly valued” and indicated that Australia should welcome them all.
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