The new Labour government says the NHS is broken and insists it’s trying to work with doctors to fix its problems. But many are still being tempted by new, easier roles abroad – with overseas firms alert to the possibility of luring British talent.
Dr Tom Petrie is packing up his stethoscope. It goes into his suitcase alongside the framed family photographs and other mementoes to remind him of the life he is leaving behind.
Dr Petrie is swapping Leicester for Darwin in Australia.
After just a year as a junior doctor, he’s had enough. He says he can’t work in a broken healthcare system anymore.
“I’d be dealing with a critically ill patient and having tasks coming through on my phone saying that a patient on the other side of the hospital needs me,” Dr Petrie explains.
“But I know deep down that I won’t get to them on that shift because they’re 43rd in my list and I’ve got patients that are in front of them because they’re more unwell.
“And you go home after your shift and although you’re exhausted, you can’t sleep.
“You’re thinking about every single decision you’ve made. You’re worried that you’ve made a mistake because you’re so tired and stressed.”
Dr Petrie says it’s not about the money. Instead, it’s the lack of respect and the poor training prospects.
But ultimately it is because he can’t care for his patients in the way that they deserve. His decision to walk out on the NHS and begin a new life on the other side of the world was not an easy one to take. He feels conflicted.
“But I can’t sacrifice my own happiness, my own mental health, my own physical health. Just because I’m working within a broken system.”