An investigation by the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has accused several NHS trusts in England of paying some foreign doctors taking part in a training scheme less and offering them fewer benefits than other employees.
The publication claims some taking part in the programme, which offers foreign doctors two years’ experience in British hospitals, were paid “substantially less” than those employed by NHS trusts.
Almost 7,000 trainees from countries including Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia have taken part in the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges’ Medical Training Initiative (MTI) since it began in 2009.
A number of the doctors taking part are sponsored, while a proportion are directly employed by a trust.
The BMJ found an agreement between the College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) and three English NHS trusts led to trainees being paid less than those it employed directly.
It claims senior fellows from Pakistan who worked at the University Hospitals Birmingham trust as grade-three specialty trainee registrars, or at a higher level, were paid a stipend of between £2,700 and £3,600 ($3,275 and $4,368) a month by CPSP, which is the equivalent of £32,400 to £43,200 tax-free a year.
They are not guaranteed overtime pay or pay for on-call work, according to the BMJ.
According to NHS pay scales, ST3-grade doctors employed by the trust were paid £51,017 in 2022/23 and £55,328 a year in 2023/24 as a basic gross salary, excluding any overtime or enhanced-hours payments.
A spokeswoman for BMJ told The National some hospital trusts have a “specific agreement” with the CPSP under which the doctors from Pakistan are not employees of the trust.
"As part of this agreement they are paid a stipend by the College, which means they can be paid substantially less than their trust-employed counterparts and have fewer rights, like paid maternity leave.
“One doctor in Birmingham told the BMJ that her fellowship was terminated after she became pregnant in 2017. She described this incident as "traumatic’."
Michael Newman, an employment lawyer at legal firm Leigh Day, told the BMJ every worker is entitled by law to maternity leave after they begin employment, and to statutory maternity pay after 26 weeks of employment.
He described the conditions of the scheme as “exploitative”.
It is not known for which trust the doctor worked.
One of the trusts involved in the complaint, Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, told The National it was proud of its relationship with the Medical Trainee scheme, which it developed with the CPSP.
“In accordance with our agreement, our trainees benefit from a bursary provided by the college, supplemented by a comprehensive package that includes accommodation, equal opportunities in training, on-call support and avenues for career advancement,” a spokeswoman for the trust said.
“As we do not directly employ staff who are a part of the Medical Trainee scheme, we are therefore not responsible for their remuneration.
“Our trust has not received any concerns from our MTI colleagues, however, should they have any that they would like to raise with us directly, we would be more than happy to look into them.”
However, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges called the issues raised by the BMJ investigation “very concerning”.
It added: “All doctors should be paid the correct rate for their work, regardless of whether they are on the MTI scheme or not.
“But this is a matter between the doctor and the NHS organisation that employs them.”
In light of the investigation, CPSP is set to review and overhaul some guidelines but said the scheme had improved health care in Pakistan.
A representative for University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust said the programme “undoubtedly benefits the NHS system but in return it benefits the overseas healthcare structure”.
They added: “Programmes which encourage the upskilling of medical practitioners from countries with less-developed healthcare systems have been described by the WHO [World Health Organisation] as a ‘brain gain and not a brain drain’.”
Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust said it has recruited three MTI fellows under the CPSP scheme, who are due to start in November, but does not have any in post at present.
A spokesman said: “The job description, person specification and rota patterns have been reviewed and approved by the dean.”
An NHS representative said: “While the salary of these positions is agreed between the individual trust and their international partner, fellows play an important role in treating NHS patients at the same time as learning new advanced clinical skills in a high-quality and fair learning environment, before returning to their home country.”
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if you go
The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.
The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.
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Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
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PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
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Raneem El Welily (EGY)
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"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
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6pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $40,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
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Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
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Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
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New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Employment lawyer Meriel Schindler of Withers Worldwide shares her tips on achieving equal pay
Do your homework
Make sure that you are being offered a fair salary. There is lots of industry data available, and you can always talk to people who have come out of the organisation. Where I see people coming a cropper is where they haven’t done their homework.
Don’t be afraid to negotiate
It’s quite standard to negotiate if you think an offer is on the low side. The job is unlikely to be withdrawn if you ask for money, and if that did happen I’d question whether you want to work for an employer who is so hypersensitive.
Know your worth
Women tend to be a bit more reticent to talk about their achievements. In my experience they need to have more confidence in their own abilities – men will big up what they’ve done to get a pay rise, and to compete women need to turn up the volume.
Work together
If you suspect men in your organisation are being paid more, look your boss in the eye and say, “I want you to assure me that I’m paid equivalent to my peers”. If you’re not getting a straight answer, talk to your peer group and consider taking direct action to fix inequality.
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Plastic tipping points
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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