New NHS Doctors Left in Limbo as “Placeholder” Jobs Spark Anger and Uncertainty
For Jayne Evans, graduating from medical school should have been a moment of pride. Instead, she’s facing frustration and confusion. Despite completing four years of medical training in London, she still doesn’t know where she’ll be working as a newly qualified NHS doctor.
“I’ve been told I don’t have a job set aside for me,” she told the BBC. Like hundreds of others in the same position, Evans has been given only a “placeholder” job—assigned to a broad region, but not to a specific hospital or city. She’s expected to move into the Trent area, which includes Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Lincolnshire, but says she might not know where exactly until just weeks before she starts work.
The lack of clarity is affecting everything from housing to mental well-being, and Ms Evans said the uncertainty had overshadowed her academic success. “I was expecting to feel excited, but I mostly feel angry and disrespected,” she added.
The issue stems from a revised NHS foundation job allocation system, now in its second year. Previously, placements were awarded based on academic ranking, but that system was scrapped to avoid penalizing students from disadvantaged or minority backgrounds. Instead, placements are now assigned randomly, resulting in more students being offered lower-priority roles or placeholder assignments.
Shortage of Foundation Jobs
The British Medical Association (BMA) warns that these issues are the result of poor workforce planning. While medical school places have been expanded, the number of foundation year jobs hasn’t kept up.
“This is a clear planning failure,” said Callum Williams, the BMA’s deputy chair of education. “These jobs should be guaranteed for UK-trained doctors. Otherwise, we risk losing them.”
Last year, more than 1,000 graduates were left in similar limbo. This year, the number stands at around 700, according to BMA figures.
Risk of a Brain Drain
Doctors like Dr Hassan Nassar, who went through the same ordeal in 2024, say the lack of transparency and planning is disheartening. “I spent four weeks in temporary accommodation because I didn’t know where I’d be working,” he said. While he eventually settled in Leicester and found his footing, he admits the experience was far from what he imagined when training to join the NHS.
The BMA warns that such disillusionment could drive young doctors abroad. Almost one-third of current UK medical students say they plan to work overseas, and nearly half of those say they don’t intend to return, the BMA’s research shows.
Evans, who was born in the US but moved to the UK at 12, has always believed in the NHS model of free healthcare. But even she is now reconsidering. “My family in the US told me to come back. They said, ‘You won’t be treated like this here.’”
NHS Response
NHS England acknowledged the frustration and said affected applicants will receive a training post, though timelines remain uncertain. “We appreciate the anxiety this causes,” a spokesperson said. “We are working closely with foundation schools to get more information to applicants as soon as possible.”
Yet for those left waiting—unable to plan where to live or how to begin their careers—the damage may already be done.
