Australian medical recruitment firm Blugibbon has placed adverts in the BMJ, the journal published by the British Medical Association, targeting NHS doctors with the promise of a six-figure salary and 20 days off each month to “travel, swim and surf in the sun”. The advert, which appears during a week of further nurses’ strikes, seeks to exploit “all-time low” pay satisfaction among NHS staff.
The advert offers A$240,000 (£127,000) annually for A&E registrars, with accommodation provided. It states doctors can work ten shifts per month and enjoy the rest of the time off. A separate advert for a role in Brisbane offers A$2,000 (£1,060) per shift, with a completion bonus of A$10,000–A$20,000 (£5,300–£10,600) after 12 months, placing successful applicants in the “top 5 per cent of Australian earners”.
The campaign comes as the NHS faces ongoing pay disputes. While unions representing over one million staff accepted a 5 per cent pay rise on Wednesday, nurses and junior doctors continue to battle for better wages. Royal College of Nursing chief Pat Cullen warned that “tens of thousands” of nursing vacancies are putting patients’ lives at risk daily.
Author and former medic Adam Kay, whose book This Is Going to Hurt is referenced in the advert, shared a picture on Twitter, writing: “How depressing to see this in the BMJ. It’s hard to say those figures don’t present a compelling argument. It all leads to a big question for the [government]: if you don’t address doctors’ very reasonable pay concerns … guess where they’re going?”
Last year, 4,843 doctors moved abroad to practise medicine, with one in four going to Australia. British Medical Association polling in December found 40 per cent of junior doctors are actively planning to leave the NHS as soon as they can find another job, with Australia as the top destination. NHS doctors starting specialist training in 2022 earned a basic salary of £40,257 to £53,398, while specialty doctors earned up to £78,759 and specialist grade doctors up to £91,584.
