The NHS, particularly in the North West, suffers from a chronic shortage of doctors.
Demands on staff have increased greatly, and Britain’s medical schools haven’t been able to keep up with the demand.
For a long time, we have relied on attracting doctors from overseas to come and join the NHS.
However, it can be difficult to attract doctors to work in the towns and cities of Lancashire, and some doctors find it hard to settle in to life in the UK.
Many find integration into life in the UK challenging and all can become too much too quickly for them
Working together with the University of Manchester and Health Education England, doctors and managers at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals have set up a groundbreaking programme to attract the brightest and best of medical talent.
Mansoura University in University is one of the largest and best universities in North Africa. It has, for several years, run a Medical undergraduate course in close partnership with the University of Manchester.
Our new Medical Intern Programme gives these newly qualified doctors the opportunity to put their new skills to use in the North West.
Doctors from Egypt are welcomed into the family of the NHS.
They are supported during their relocation, and carefully supervised during their transitional period.
They participate in a carefully designed educational programme which covers both aspects of medical practice and an introduction to the history and traditions of the National Health Service.
For those who complete all parts of the programme, this leads to a prestigious Postgraduate Diploma from the University of Manchester.
So far, this programme has been a great success. None of the doctors recruited in 2020 has dropped out, and all are keen to pursue a long career in the NHS.
We have been delighted with their contribution to the medical work of the Trust
