Knock, knock. Who’s there? It’s the senior house officers trying to come back . . .

Wilkinson investigates deficiencies in workforce planning in the NHS.1Often commented on is the number of doctors leaving the UK, with many finding an improved quality of life in the sunnier climes and healthcare systems of Australia and New Zealand. After completing my foundation years I was among those who exchanged burnout for sunburn, alongside most of my friends and colleagues. Like many, I planned to return to the NHS mothership in the end. Despite more lucrative salaries, improved staffing ratios, and better workload, the pull to return home remains. In keeping with the General Medical Council survey2 it is those “non-work related factors” that pull returners back. For me these are family, friends, and the pub.Returning to the UK to enter specialty training has proved more challenging than anticipated. This year saw an increase in the number of internal medicine training applications of more than 40% compared with 2023—and more…



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