{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T17:57:17Z","timestamp":1790791037829,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":10,"publisher":"BMJ","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["leader"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Competition for UK medical training posts has increased substantially over the past decade, but little is known about competition for non-training resident doctor roles.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted a Freedom of Information request-based study of National Health Service (NHS) trusts in the Midlands to examine competition ratios for non-training resident doctor (senior house officer and middle-grade) posts between 2024 and 2025. Of the 42 trusts contacted, 14 (33%) responded and 9 (21%) provided data complete enough for analysis.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Aggregate mean competition ratios rose from 84 to 195 applicants per vacancy for senior house officer posts, and from 28 to 59 for middle-grade posts, between 2024 and 2025, across nine trusts. At individual-trust level, ratios reached as high as 714 (senior house officer) and 152 (middle-grade) applicants per vacancy in 2025. These levels exceed competition ratios reported for specialty training programmes.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study provides the first empirical evidence of substantial and rising competition for non-training resident doctor posts. These findings have significant implications for workforce planning, leadership decision-making and the sustainability of non-training resident doctor roles within the NHS.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/leader-2026-001601","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T17:20:24Z","timestamp":1790788824000},"page":"leader-2026-001601","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Rising competition for non-training resident doctor posts in the NHS: an FOI-based analysis from the Midlands"],"prefix":"10.1136","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7197-9872","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Allan","family":"Cameron","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Central England Rehabilitation Unit, Royal Leamington Spa Rehabilitation Hospital, Warwick, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lauren","family":"Taylor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust, Nuneaton, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Miller","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust, Coventry, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026093010201563000_leader-2026-001601v1.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.q2366","article-title":"Medical leaders call for more training posts as competition for places increases","volume":"Available from","author":"Iacobucci","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"2026093010201563000_leader-2026-001601v1.2","unstructured":"General Medical Council . The state of medical education and practice in the UK workforce report 2025. 2025. Available: https:\/\/www.gmc-uk.org\/cdn\/documents\/wfr25-report-251117_pdf-112967442.pdf"},{"key":"2026093010201563000_leader-2026-001601v1.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.q1151","article-title":"SAS and locally employed doctors deserve more support and respect","volume":"Available from","author":"Kar","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"2026093010201563000_leader-2026-001601v1.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"384","DOI":"10.1177\/01410768251389450","article-title":"Non-training grades in the NHS workforce: the lost tribe?","volume":"118","author":"Jamera","year":"2025","journal-title":"J R Soc Med"},{"key":"2026093010201563000_leader-2026-001601v1.5","article-title":"The postgraduate medical education pathway: an international comparison","volume":"34","author":"Weggemans","year":"2017","journal-title":"GMS J Med Educ"},{"key":"2026093010201563000_leader-2026-001601v1.6","unstructured":"BMJ . Emma toman: don\u2019t underestimate the value of \u201cnon-training\u201d junior doctor posts. The BMJ; 2019. Available: https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2019\/08\/30\/emma-toman-dont-underestimate-the-value-of-non-training-junior-doctor-posts\/"},{"key":"2026093010201563000_leader-2026-001601v1.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"BMJ . Sean gill: critical problems with training and retention of doctors. BMJ; 2025. Available: https:\/\/www.bmj.com\/content\/388\/bmj.r93","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.r93"},{"key":"2026093010201563000_leader-2026-001601v1.8","unstructured":"British Medical Association . Major survey shows scale of doctor unemployment crisis. London: BMA; 2025. Available: https:\/\/www.bma.org.uk\/news-and-opinion\/major-survey-shows-scale-of-doctor-unemployment-crisis"},{"key":"2026093010201563000_leader-2026-001601v1.9","unstructured":"2025 competition ratios . NHS england | workforce, training and education | medical hub. 2026. Available: https:\/\/medical.hee.nhs.uk\/medical-training-recruitment\/medical-specialty-training\/competition-ratios\/2025-competition-ratios"},{"key":"2026093010201563000_leader-2026-001601v1.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.q856","article-title":"Almost a third of UK doctors are considering moving abroad soon, survey suggests","volume":"Available from","author":"Mahase","year":"2024","journal-title":"BMJ"}],"container-title":["BMJ Leader"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/leader-2026-001601","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T17:20:26Z","timestamp":1790788826000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/bmjleader.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/leader-2026-001601"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]]},"references-count":10,"alternative-id":["10.1136\/leader-2026-001601"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/leader-2026-001601","relation":{},"ISSN":["2398-631X"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2398-631X","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]]}}}