A recent survey* by the British Medical Association (BMA) in Wales reveals that 40% of resident doctors are concerned that they will be unemployed from August this year. 

The data which looked at the employment of resident doctors who have now completed two or more years of their foundation training also showed that 53% of doctors currently facing unemployment were unsuccessful in securing a specialty training post this year, leaving them at risk of being out of work or forced into unstable locum roles. 

In total, 82% of respondents said they either currently have concerns around unemployment from Aug 2025 or have had concerns but have now secured employment.  
 
The findings paint a stark picture of a medical workforce under pressure, with 63% of those without training posts now planning to take up locum work, which  is described by BMA Cymru Wales as ‘costly, unsustainable, and becoming rarer with employers particularly in general practice unable to pay for locums due to underinvestment.’ 

The specialty training which begins in August each year, enables doctors to develop their skills in a particular area of medicine after two or more years of general training following graduation so that they are able to progress their careers and provide specialist care to patients. 

The survey also found that 46% of doctors facing unemployment are considering leaving medicine altogether and 30% are now also applying for jobs abroad. 

Some doctors described applying for up to 30 posts without securing a single offer. 

The results reflect concerns raised by BMA Cymru Wales, who at the start of the year learnt that the Welsh Government had not taken on board the recommendation by HEIW to expand specialty training places, despite the growing number of medical students and foundation doctors in Wales, including those who have graduated from the new North Wales medical school. 

The BMA’s Save Our Surgeries campaign has also been calling for additional investment for general practice to train and recruit newly qualified GPs in Wales to help ease the significant pressures on the service. 

Dr Oba Babs-Osibodu chair of the BMA’s Welsh Resident Doctor Committee said: 

“At a time when Wales needs more doctors, there are limited opportunities for resident doctors to develop their careers in the country where they trained.
 
“Earlier this year, we wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care warning him of the potential impact of not expanding training places, including medical unemployment. 

“Doctors are now forced to seek ad hoc locum work, leave Wales, or leave the profession altogether. Poor workforce planning and chronic underfunding of the NHS has led to a national shortage of doctors in Wales. 

“This is unsafe for patients, and we need to see urgent intervention from the Welsh Government, including legislation to provide safer staffing levels and an expansion in specialty training places. 

“By alleviating bottlenecks in the training pipeline, we can enable doctors to progress their careers and provide the specialist care that patients desperately need” 
Ends  

Notes to editors

*The survey which ran from 4-18 July 2025 was aimed at doctors in Wales who are currently in foundation training or core medical training to identify the challenges facing doctors who are looking to progress their careers in Wales. 
UK data from the BMA on speciality training and information on BMA policy  

Anecdotes from doctors describing their circumstances from the survey: 

“I was unemployed for several months and despite travelling nationally for any locum shifts available, I was unable to get enough to pay all bills. Locum shifts are scarce. ” 

“Despite my ongoing commitment and experience, the uncertainty around job security and training opportunities is a major source of stress. It’s disheartening not knowing if I’ll be able to continue contributing to the health service I’ve grown to care deeply about” 

“It’s been terrible. I have had to apply for over 200 jobs to secure a slot that’s below my level and doesn’t advance my career” 

“I’ve acquired tens of thousands of pounds of student and personal debt funding medical school and now struggle to find a job. I’ve applied for emergency medicine training two years in a row, a specialty desperate for extra trainees, but the number of jobs Haven’t increased. Last year seven applicants tried for every one training post, this year it doubled to 14:1. I’ll likely never get a training post and it’s harder and harder to secure non training jobs” 

“Why would anyone consider a career in medicine right now in the UK? I love practicing medicine but literally hate everything else that comes with it at the moment in the UK” 

“Huge amount of distress caused by the uncertainty of job opportunities and employment. Both in terms of financial implications but also mental strain of uncertainty and contributing to burn out trying to secure employment after submitting over 40 job applications”