British doctors are leaving their homeland in droves with as many as 25% seeking better pay, better conditions and a better lifestyle in sun-kissed Australia.

Many are driven out of the British system by the poor pay and oppressive working conditions.

A recent poll of 4500 junior British doctors discovered one in three intended to work overseas in the next 12 months, reported The Telegraph in the UK.

Australia or New Zealand were their most popular destinations of choice.

Many plan to stay for a year and never return.

Dr Adrian Boyle, president of London’s Royal College of Emergency Medicine, has identified the problem but feels helpless about finding a solution.

“There are high levels of burnout so doctors are reducing their hours or they are leaving,” he told The Telegraph.

“Basically, we have the most amazing medical training program for Australia.”

Junior doctors in the UK start on a salary of £29,384 and would need an overnight pay rise of 26.1% just to bring their real-term wages back up to 2008 levels.

It’s not difficult to see why a sea change down under looks so attractive. 

Why Australia is a great option

British doctors young and old are buying up one-way tickets to Australia.

The return of post-pandemic international travel doesn’t fully explain the continental migration. That’s because applications to practise in Australia up 13% on 2019 numbers.

Their motivations primarily include:

Salary and conditions – Junior doctors tend to earn double in Australia what they can earn in England. First year consultants may earn as much as $300,000 (£170,000). Doctors in Australia tend to work fewer hours than those in the UK – usually 35-38 hours per week.

Lifestyle – Australia has almost 12,000 beaches dotted around nearly 60,000 kilometres of coastline (AHA at Seaford is right on the South Australian coast!). 

London has only 1674 sunshine hours on average each year. Compare that to Adelaide with 2765, while Melbourne has 2381, Sydney 2639, Brisbane 2989 and Perth 3221.

Work-life balance – More than 85% of Australians live within 50 kilometres of the coast. It makes the sun and the water an intrinsic part of the Australian way of life. There is always a reason to enjoy the great outdoors rather than remain indoors, just to stay out of the bitter cold. It’s what motivates many Australians to seek and be rewarded with a better work-life balance.

Career opportunities – There are great opportunities for British doctors to work in Australia. The UK medical training system is recognised by the Medical Board of Australia as being of a similar standard. That means British doctors can usually become registered either through the competent authority pathway, standard pathway or specialist pathway.

Why South Australia is a better option

In 2021, Adelaide was declared Australia’s most liveable city. It was rated the third-most liveable city in the world, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit Global Liveability Index. 

South Australia and in particular Adelaide enjoys a Mediterranean climate of dry summers and mild winters. It is the envy of most of the nation.

You’ll enjoy its vast expanses of beaches to cool off in the summer. And you’ll rarely need more than a couple of layers on the coldest of winter’s days.

Adelaide is the fifth-biggest capital city in Australia with 1.3 million people – that’s just a quarter of the size of Sydney or Melbourne.

People who live in the bigger cities spend good time in their cars, stuck in traffic or on public transport commuting to and from work.

When they visit Adelaide, they joke that you rarely need to drive more than 20 minutes to travel between any two places.

That’s probably a bit of a stretch but it’s not far from the truth.

The CBD has enjoyed enormous investment and infrastructure upgrades over the last 20 years.

The world famous Adelaide Oval is the jewel in the city’s crown and the centrepiece of its passionate sporting vibe.

There is also a vibrant arts culture. The Fringe Festival and the Adelaide Festival of Arts are held every February and March. And Adelaide boasts a buzzing restaurant and bar scene.

The gorgeous and decorated wine regions of the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale are no more than 60 minutes away from most people, while McLaren Value is just 10 minutes drive from AHA’s Seaford clinics.

Why Seaford is the best option

Adelaide offers you the best of Australia in one compact city that has it all. Seaford offers you the best of Adelaide at a relaxed, seaside location.

You can enjoy the very best of everything Adelaide has to offer, just 40 minutes from the CBD.

It has the peace and quiet of the country, with all the convenience of the city. Think beaches, think cafes, think fresh sea air, open spaces and glorious views.

And Seaford has its own commercial hub with shopping centres, supermarkets, restaurants and boutique stores.

Or if it’s a bigger shopping complex you crave, Colonnades in Noarlunga Centre is less than a 15-minute drive.

There are non-government schools nearby like Woodcroft College, Tatachilla Lutheran College and Southern Vales Christian College. They all cost around 40 percent less than private schools in Sydney.

The world-acclaimed Flinders University is only 22 minutes away by car with four other universities located within the CBD.

The famous McLaren Vale region is just a 10-minute drive south, dotted with some of the world’s very best wineries and restaurants.

A further half-hour in the same direction takes you to the seaside holiday towns of Victor Harbor, Port Elliot, Middleton and Goolwa.

Why AHA Clinics at Seaford is the perfect choice

Moving to a new country to work can be exciting but a lot to manage. Here at AHA Clinics, our team specialises in assisting overseas doctors with every step of their big move.

AHA is the perfect place for British doctors to work.

Our two clinics at Seaford and Seaford Meadows pride themselves on a fantastic, inclusive culture that support you both professionally and personally.

We place a high importance on work-life balance here at AHA Clinics.

You can see as many patients as you choose and then relax, soaking up all the perks the coast lifestyle has to offer.

You could even see your last patient for the day at 1pm and be riding the crest of a wave down the road before 2.

Our purpose built, state-of-the-art facilities utilise natural light and make coming to work here an absolute dream.

If this sounds attractive to you, please get in touch.

We’d love to help you anyway we can.

You can learn more about our practice and register your interest here, or email recruit@aharecruitment.com.au.

Our AHA leadership team will contact you soon to arrange a no obligation discussion.