SEMERGEN is the largest society of primary care physicians in Spain with over 120,000 members. The society celebrated it’s 41st Annual National Conference in Gijon last week. Sagesa Healthcare were there to promote our exciting work opportunities for GPs in Ireland.
With over 4,500 attendees, the conference was a great success. Interest in GP jobs in Ireland was fantastic and we look forward to working with many of the doctors going forward.
A study by Medscape revealed that 4 out of 10 Spanish doctors are experiencing ‘burn out’ because of excessive working hours. The study carried out on 1000 doctors showed 55% of doctors work over the 40 hours a week in their contract.
A working week for Spanish doctors is between 21 and 40 hours, as reported by Redaccion Medica. Less than half of Spanish doctor are working the recommended number of hours according to this study. Alarmingly, 16% of doctors reported working up to 60 hours a week.
An average salary of €53.000 a year was reported for all participants in the study. GP’s were the largest specialty group in the study. On average male doctors earn €12.000 a year more than female doctors. Last year, the OMC reported that 50,4% of doctors in Spain are women.
Dissatisfaction with pay and excessive bureaucratic duties were the two principal reasons why 4 out of 10 doctors are or will experience ‘burn-out’. Within the study group, 7% of doctors said they were dealing with depression.
Conversely, 4 out of 10 doctors reported feeling ‘exceedingly fulfilled’ in the jobs, a feeling that extended outside of the work space as two thirds reported being happy in the personal lives.
Short term contracts, dissatisfaction with pay and working conditions are the main ‘push factors’ for doctors looking for work outside of Spain. Inviting jobs offers abroad mean more Spanish doctors are choosing to work in Ireland, for example.
To find out more about GP working in Ireland, visit Sagesa Healthcare. An experienced recruitment company, specialists in the European healthcare recruitment.
Thinking of moving to Ireland? You’re not alone! Many people are thinking about moving to Ireland for work or simply because it’s a fantastic place to live! Ireland is attracting people from all backgrounds and ages and here’s why:
“Local produce, authentic experience” is the mantra of Ireland’s revolutionary food scene. The talented local producers and new up and coming chefs and are to thank for the big changes going on in the Irish culinary scene.
Forget California’s Highway 101, The Wild Atlantic Way is the new coastal drive on everyone’s bucket list! Explore the 2500km of roads across soaring cliffs, thorough buzzing towns, and find hidden beaches and epic bays.
Everything from modern artists to the traditional music scene is renowned in Ireland. Opera, Art, Dance, Culture, Pop, Food – Ireland celebrates it all!
Think you’ll only leave your house to go to the pub? IMPOSSIBLE! There are so many reasons to enjoy the outdoors in Ireland – world class surfing, golfing, hiking, riding, kayaking…the list goes on!
Everything your think you know (language, sports, literature, arts, dance, music..) and much much more!
Ireland reportedly has over 3000 castles! If you’re a history buff or simply enjoy taking in their magic we know you’ll find their landscape enchanting.
“Sit down there and relax while I go wet the tea.” Magic words you’ll get used to hearing. Add a slice of barmbrack you’ll be there for hours.
Google, Apple, Facebook all gravitated to Ireland for it’s skilled local labor market and it is a great place to do business.
Ireland is fast becoming a preferred destination for people to learn English whilst studying full time or as they work. Why risk the uncertainty of the UK when you can practice and improve your English in Ireland!
As always, the people make the place! The Irish sense of humor is known all over the world and you won’t have more fun or adventures than when you’re in Ireland.
To find out about how to make you big move to Ireland contact Sagesa Healthcare.
An ‘out of hours’ GP is a family doctor that works from a healthcare centre during the evenings and weekends. There are a lot of advantages to working as an ‘out of hours’ GP; here are our top 5!
In Ireland healthcare centres must offer a 24 hour a day service to patients so ‘out of hours’ GPs cover the additional hours to meet this requirement. The centres are public but also see private patients. Doctors see patients at the healthcare centres or at the patients homes,by appointment only, the same as during regular hours.
Visit our JOBS page for more information or email us at info@sagesahealthcare.com
Cifras oficiales revelan que el National Health Service (NHS) del Reino Unido están muy por detrás del nivel de personal médico para alcanzar sus metas actuales y para el futuro.
Expertos en el sistema sanitario, ‘The Kings Fund’, explican que la crisis de personal en el NHS se está profundizando tan rápido que el servicio podría faltar hasta 350.000 empleados sanitarios en el 2030.
Las cifras oficiales muestran que el NHS en Inglaterra ya tiene puestos para 10.000 médicos y 40.000 enfermeras para llenar antes de alcanzar los niveles requeridos. Si las tendencias actuales continúan, estas cifras podrían duplicar o triplicar en los próximos 12 años.
Los expertos culpan a una planificación deficiente de la fuerza laboral, políticas restrictivas de inmigración y fondos inadecuados para los lugares de capacitación. Aunque un número récord de médicos jóvenes se están entrenando para convertirse en médicos de cabecera, “también hay algunas personas que abandonan la profesión en un número demasiado grande y que pasan de tiempo completo a tiempo parcial”, dijo el Secretario de Salud y Asistencia Social.
El plan del NHS incluye garantizar la contratación continua de médicos del extranjero. El ‘International GP Recruitment Programme’ forma parte de este plan y se trata de contratar médicos de países europeos como España para trabajar en el NHS. El programa es comprensivo y facilita el traslado de médicos de familia a Inglaterra con muchas ayudas logísticas y becas financieras.
Para saber más sobre el trabajo en el NHS como médico de familia español y las ofertas actuales como parte del ‘International GP Recruitment Programme’ pulse aquí. Para ver el estudio de ‘The Kings Fund’ en más detalle pulse aquí.
A doctor working in Spain is most likely to be female, 44 (or younger) and from Madrid according to a new study published by the OMC (Organizacion Medica Colegial de España).
The study looked into the demographics of doctors working in Spain and revealed the following;
A new study published by the OMC (Organizacion Medica Colegial de España) looking into the demographics of doctors working in Spain reveals why the numbers of doctors is increasing and why there are Spanish doctors looking for work abroad.
Spain has a massive pool of graduate doctors leaving university each year; one of the largest amongst OECD countries. In the last 15 years the number of medical students has increased by 48% with the number of university places reaching 5,660 in 2017. Spain has over 44 medical faculties both public and private, ranking 2nd in the world in terms of the number of medical faculties per million inhabitants, with more expected to open in the short term.
Access to postgraduate specialist training remains very restricted; this year only ~6,500 places were made available across all 49 specialties. Over 14,400 doctors took the entry examination but only 65% of those that passed were awarded a place. Therefore, despite obtaining a passing grade, over 2,800 doctors have been left without a place on the program.
Doctors are required to complete the MIR specialist training to work for the national health system (SNS). The thousands of experienced and qualified doctors left off the training each year now have two to options – private practice or look for work abroad.
Last year 215 doctors chose to leave Spain to work in Ireland. Budget cuts, hiring freezes, short term precarious contracts and salary are the principal push factors for Spanish doctors working in Ireland but why are they so desperately needed in the first place?
According to the HSE, Ireland is facing a shortage of up to 1,380 GPs by 2025 unless urgent steps are taken to address the shortfall 1. Similarly, research highlighted by the ICGP in 2017 predicts shortages of over 1,000 doctors in general practice in the next 10 years 2.
• HSE Recruitment Embargo
In 2009 the HSE introduced a recruitment embargo that meant a lack of employment options for the 700+ doctors graduating each year.
• Overseas Recruitment Campaigns
Countries such as the UK and Australia have been all too happy to recruit Irish doctors left without jobs in Ireland. Between 2009 and 2013 more than 1,000 Irish GPs have relocated to the UK, a staggering figure, given that Ireland only trains 157 GPs a year 3.
• GP Retirement
The lack of influx of early career GPs into the Irish Healthcare System has resulted in around one in five GPs being aged 60 or over, with almost one in three aged over 55 according the IGCP 4.
• Emigration Legacy
Although the HSE recruitment embargo has been lifted Ireland is finding it difficult to reverse the trends of the last few years. According to the IMO 60% of the 2016 newly qualified interns have already stated their intention to leave at the end of their first year 5.
Ireland is already below the OECD average for the number of doctors per head of population (64 GPs per 100,000 population) and given the predicted change in population they will not have enough doctors in the future 6. This year the IGCP reported 66% of recently qualified GP trainees are planning to emigrate and 16% of GP graduates emigrate immediately on completion of training 7.
According the IGCP, “Healthcare reform will depend on solving the problems in both recruitment and retention in Irish general practice”. The NDTP Unit indicates that 100 more GPs need to be trained every year. The ICGP delivered a 43% increase in training places between 2010 and 2016 and now train 172 GPs a year 8.
The role of external recruitment is not quantified in official reports but with the current shortfalls (shortage of up to 1,380 GPs by 2025) bringing in highly qualified GPs from Spain and other countries must play a vital role in reaching target GP numbers in the Irish Healthcare System.
Article 50 has now been triggered and with negotiations soon to begin many EU workers in the NHS are contemplating what, if any, future awaits them in the UK. Theresa May has refused to confirm the rights of EU nationals to stay in the UK after Brexit, leaving many feeling dispensable and disposable if May’s ‘no deal’ Brexit scenario comes to fruition.
• 10% of NHS doctors(around 10,000 total), and more than 20,000 NHS nurses, are trained in the EU.12.
• An estimated 5000 Spanish doctors have emigrated to the UK in the last 5 years. 3
• An estimated 6000 Spanish nurses currently working in the NHS. 4
• UK is the current preferred destination by Spanish healthcare workers. 3
The NHS relies heavily on overseas doctors and nurses at a time when the NHS is struggling to cope with mounting pressures and significant staff shortages.
• 4 in 10 European doctors may leave UK after Brexit vote, BMA survey finds.5
• GMC survey suggests up to 60% of EU doctors plan to leave UK post Brexit. 6
• Since the referendum, the number of European Nursing professionals applying to work in the country has fallen by 90%. 7
• Almost double the number of nurses are choosing to stop working UK compared to figures published before the referendum. 7
As part of their survey, the GMC list the demoralisation of doctors together with the uncertainty about their residence status as the two common themes recorded in their survey feedback. 8
It is no wonder EU doctors are feeling unwanted, last October the Conservative party laid out their plans for a ´self-sufficient” NHS, suggesting foreign doctors will only be working in the NHS for an interim period until more UK trained physicians are trained and available. 9 Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has pledged to train 1,500 more doctors to make the NHS self-sufficient by 2025, suggesting foreign doctors will not be welcome after that time. 10
The final impact of Brexit on Spanish doctors and nurses will likely not be known until the UK complete Brexit in March 2019 as predicted. However, the BMA and GMC surveys suggest most doctors and nurses do not plan to wait and put their fate in EU negotiations.
Where will Spanish doctors go?
Although unemployment amongst GPs in Spain is relatively low at the moment (1.6%), only 8% of the total contracts signed were long term. This year, for the first time Ireland became the third preferred location for Spanish doctors moving abroad, according to the OMC 11Language, location and cultural similarities make Ireland an attractive alternative for Spanish doctors compared to the UK.
Sagesa Healthcare and the Illustrious Medical College of Malaga have come together to form a collaboration agreement to help doctors in the Malaga area find stable employment in Ireland. We are honoured to have been chosen for this collaboration and look forward to continuing to work closly with the College and their highly qualified doctors.