What are the precise reasons for the disparity in referrals to fitness to practise between international and UK medical graduates?

Purpose of the study: To discover the precise reasons for referring a doctor to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service, and whether there are any disparities between referrals of international medical graduates and UK graduates. Further to consider whether understanding the precise reasons would provide insight into the nature of referrals.

Study design: We collected and analysed the data from the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service website over a period of 12 months.

Results: There were 228 cases of which 142 (62%) were international medical graduates and 86 (38%) were UK graduates. More international medical graduates were referred for professional misconduct, poor performance and lack of adequate English language. The common reasons for professional misconduct were providing sub-optimal care, sexual misconduct and dishonest behaviour. More UK graduates were referred following convictions due to offences related to alcohol intake and financial dishonesty. There is paucity of good quality information to identify the exact reasons for the disparity.

Conclusion: More international medical graduates were referred to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service than UK graduates. There was disparity in the nature of the referrals and we hope our findings will inform employers and the regulatory bodies to understand that comprehensive induction, inclusion, mentoring and adjustments are needed to support international medical graduates to mitigate the risks of failure and help them to meet the required professional standards.