Are you a UK doctor, looking to work in Australia? Perhaps the new NHS contract conditions are forcing your hand, making the move to Australia more tempting. It’s true, Australia has great working conditions for their doctors, and working as a doctor in Australia has never looked more appealing.
The General Medical Council in the UK has announced that in August, Saturday loading will be reduced for medical staff. This has even prompted medical students to leave their courses and opt for non-clinical pathways in order to beat the pay reductions. Those who choose to remain are hinting at a new career location – in Australia or Canada – to guarantee their Saturday loading remains a part of their pay.
Will this create a doctor shortage in the UK? That’s certainly a debate for another day.
Why Australia, though? Doctors working in Australia have a guaranteed overtime loading – any hours over the standard 38 in a week are overtime and paid quite well, usually at double time.
The requirements to work after hours, or be on call, are greatly reduced and again, are rewarded financially. And of course, weekends and public holidays are rewarded by way of overtime, too. There has never been a better time to work towards a career in Australia, if you’re a UK doctor.
There are plenty of other reasons to work in Australia as a doctor, however. Aside from the generous salary, there’s salary packaging benefits (which reduce the amount of tax you pay by allowing you to spend your pre-tax salary on certain items) and opportunities not offered in other fields or in other countries.
Doctors, even junior medical staff, are treated with respect by their colleagues and other health staff. Staff at the top are usually doctors and not board members, meaning decisions in public hospitals, for example, are not weighed down by bureaucracy.
If you’ve decided to move to Australia and work as a doctor, there are certain pathways that can bring you here. You’ll need the correct visa and registration, and then of course there’s all the other things you won’t think of until you actually require them.
It pays to engage a professional company to not only source employment in your chosen field, but help you with the little things, such as opening a bank account and applying for a position in an overseas country. Speak with HealthStaff Recruitment today. In the meantime, please feel free to browser our selection of doctor jobs in Australia.