The RCOG has put together information for doctors exploring their career options within the UK.
The guidance collated here by the RCOG is split into three sections. Click on the links below to jump to the chapter that is most relevant to you:
- Working as an O&G doctor in the UK
Find information on the institutions which provide O&G care and training. - Appointment to hospital posts in UK
Here we look at the training and consultancy posts which doctors can apply for. - Clinical attachments
This is a brief overview of clinical attachments and observerships for visiting doctors.
Working as an O&G doctor in the UK
The National Health Service (NHS)
The NHS is there to provide medical, health and wellbeing services to everyone living in the UK. As a publicly funded healthcare system, its services are largely paid for with taxes rather than through individual treatment bills being sent to patients.
Healthcare through the NHS is provided in two ways: primary and secondary care.
Primary care is delivered by general practitioners (GPs) in the community. It’s not possible to get secondary care without initial referral from a GP, except for emergency treatment.
Secondary care is provided in a hospital setting. All referrals are made by a GP and each patient is allocated to a particular consultant (specialist) who will retain overall responsibility for that patient’s care, whether as an inpatient or an outpatient, until the patient is discharged.
Within hospitals, doctors work in multidisciplinary teams to provide secondary care. These teams might include consultants, doctors in training, doctors in non-training posts (e.g. SAS and LEDs), nurses, midwives, therapists and allied healthcare professionals, alongside a range of scientific and technical staff.
Find out more about the structure of the NHS
Private practice
The majority of obstetrics is delivered by midwives and obstetricians under the NHS. Where private obstetrics is offered, the service tends to be provided by consultant obstetricians with midwife support. For the most part, these services are confined to major cities, primarily London and the surrounding area.
Private gynaecology is also offered by consultants, usually through private hospitals or clinics.
Medical advisory committees are responsible for awarding operating rights to doctors who want to work in a private hospital. These committees are likely to only give these rights to individuals who have current/previously held consultant posts within in the NHS.
The RCOG
The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology is a professional body that oversees the medical education, training and examination of postgraduate doctors specialising in O&G. While we do not provide training directly, we are responsible for advising on the nature and content of educational programmes for doctors in training.
The College runs exams, scientific courses, lectures, meetings and committees for postgraduates. By setting clinical standards and promoting information on research and treatments to the public, we aim to advance women’s health care across the world.
The General Medical Council (GMC)
The GMC is responsible for registering doctors to practise medicine in the UK, regulating doctors and ensuring good medical practice. GMC registration is mandatory for those who wish to provide direct patient care.
Find out more about specialist registration in the UK
Deaneries
The UK is divided into deaneries, each of which is responsible for assessing postgraduate training standards within a given region and medical discipline. All deaneries have a Specialty Training Committee for O&G which conducts an Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) for each trainee every year, to check on their progress.
Appointment to hospital posts in the UK
Training posts
Medical training in the UK is a highly competitive field and there will always be more doctors seeking to undertake training than places available. You need to be very clear about what you want to do, and plan accordingly. Remember that you will need to be registered with the GMC before coming to work in the UK.
Speciality training
All UK medical undergraduates have to complete the 2-year foundation programme before applying to specialty training. They then receive a national training number (NTN). All doctors entering postgraduate specialty training must have completed 24 months of experience since gaining their primary medical qualification, whether in the UK or in another country, and must provide evidence of completion of foundation programme competencies.
Specialty training in O&G takes a minimum of 7 years (ST1–ST7), although trainees may take longer if they wish to train part-time or take time out of programme, e.g. for research, or to undertake subspecialty training.
- Visit the UK’s specialty training and recruitment website for more details
- Find out more about specialty training in O&G
Applying for training posts
Entry into training posts is through online application and subsequent competitive interview. Posts are advertised in the BMJ, usually in early November for posts starting the following August. The RCOG oversees the process, but the deaneries are responsible for awarding posts.
Find out more about recruitment to training posts in O&G
Completing training
On completion of training, trainees receive a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or equivalent and are entered on to the GMC’s Specialist Register, which allows them to work as a consultant in the NHS.
Types of training
If you’re a non-EEA national, you’ll need a work permit from the Home Office.
Fixed-term specialist training appointments (FTSTAs)
FTSTAs are locum appointments for the equivalent of ST1 and ST2 jobs. They provide the equivalent training but don’t carry an NTN. These jobs general last for 6 months or a maximum of 1 year. If you’re subsequently successful in getting an NTN, the training acquired in the FTSTA can be accredited towards the total time for training, after agreement with your deanery.
Locally Employed Doctor (LED) posts
Locally employed doctors (LEDs) have a variety of titles including but not limited to: Trust doctors, clinical fellows, research fellows, Trust grade doctor. They are employed on local contracts rather than national terms and conditions.
They are usually fixed term contracts. It is important to be fully aware of the local terms and conditions before taking up one of these LED posts, including what support you will get for career development.
SAS Doctors
SAS stands for Specialty and Specialist Doctor. These posts exist in all specialties and offer an alternative career pathway to the traditional training/consultant pathway. SAS doctors have contracts with national terms and conditions. SAS Doctor posts do not require you to be on the Specialist register, although some SAS doctors are.
To be eligible for a Specialty Doctor post you must be at least 4 years post primary medical qualification (PMQ), at least 2 years of which must be in the relevant specialty. Many Specialty doctors have many more years' experience than this.
Specialist Doctors (introduced in 2021) must have at least 12 years post PMQ experience, at least 6 years of which must be in the relevant specialty.
Locum appointment for training (LAT) posts
LAT posts are usually at ST3 level or above and normally require candidates to have passed the MRCOG Part 1 exam. These jobs generally last for 6–12 months, don’t carry an NTN but do provide training that can be accredited towards your CCT if you gain an NTN at a later date.
Consultant positions
Consultants are appointed through open competition. The RCOG usually approves posts before they’re advertised and has a representative at the interview. To apply for a consultant post, you need to:
- Have obtained a CCT or equivalent
- Be fully registered with the GMC
- Be on the Specialist Register
Clinical attachments
It’s still possible to come to the UK as a visitor without GMC registration if you can get a clinical attachment. These usually last 2–6 weeks and are usually unpaid. You will probably have to pay for your accommodation and for any checks of health status etc. if accepted, you would be there as an observer only and wouldn’t be allowed to treat any patients.
The RCOG doesn’t arrange clinical attachments; you need to make arrangements directly with the hospital where you will be doing the attachment. For a list of hospitals, please see the NHS hospital directory. We suggest that you write to the Clinical Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology asking if you can do an attachment.
Many hospitals don’t provide clinical attachments or observerships, so be prepared to try many hospitals before getting a positive response. A personal connection can only help.
Useful sources of information
- General Medical Council (GMC): Deals with all issues relating to medical registration and can provide advice about PLAB and IELTS
- British Medical Association (BMA): The main professional association and trade union for doctors in the UK
- BMA guides for international doctors and students hoping to work or study in the UK
- Home Office: UK government department dealing with all aspects of immigration; however, individuals are advised to resolve immigration issues in their own country wherever possible.
- NHS Induction Programme for International Medical Graduates: Designed to ensure that all International Medical Graduates (IMGs) are welcomed, valued, and supported as they transition to UK clinical practice in the NHS.
For general information about working and training in Britain please see the GMC's page on Working as a doctor in the UK.