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Hospital doctor
Hours
48 + per week
Starting salary
£33,000 + per year
If you're interested in science and want a career in medicine, this job could be ideal for you. Hospital doctors treat illness, disease and infection in patients admitted to hospital.
To become a hospital doctor you will need a degree in medicine. And you’ll also need to complete a two-year foundation programme of general training.
A good hospital doctor is able to put people at ease. You will also need to gain their trust and confidence. Good doctors have great communication skills too.
WorkDesc
The work
As a hospital doctor, you would examine and treat patients referred to you by GPs and other health professionals. You could work in one of about 60 specialist fields within four main categories: medicine, surgery, pathology and psychiatry.
Medicine – general medical conditions, emergencies, and specialisms like paediatrics, cardiology, dermatology, ophthalmology, geriatrics and neurology.
Surgery – caring for patients before, during and after an operation. You could work within one of nine areas including cardiothoracic, neurosurgery or plastic surgery.
Pathology – investigating the cause of disease and the effect on patients. You could specialise in subjects such as histopathology (diagnosing disease from changes in tissue structure), chemical pathology (examining biochemical changes relating to medical conditions) or molecular genetics (identifying abnormalities in DNA and chromosomes).
Psychiatry – working with patients experiencing mental health problems, ranging from depression and anxiety to personality disorders and addictions. Your work could include psychotherapy, counselling, psychiatric tests and prescribing medication.
You could also work in areas such as anaesthetics, obstetrics, gynaecology, radiology and oncology.
Please see the anaesthetist job profile for more information.
Your duties may include leading a team or managing a department, and teaching and supervising trainee doctors. You would keep accurate and up to date patient records, write reports, go to meetings or conferences, and keep GPs informed about the diagnosis and care of their patients.
HoursDesc
Hours
You would work relatively long hours, including evening, weekend and night shifts, especially as a trainee doctor. You could work around 48 hours a week.
You could spend time in a variety of settings such as consulting rooms, wards, operating theatres and special units like accident and emergency.
IncomeDesc
Income
Junior hospital doctors can earn between £33,300 and £41,300 a year.
Hospital doctors in specialist training can earn up to £69,400 a year, and consultants can earn between £74,500 and £176,300 a year.
The salaries given for hospital doctors in training include an additional amount based on the average overtime worked, cover during unsocial hours and workload.
Consultants working in private hospitals may negotiate higher fees.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
To become a hospital doctor you need to complete:
- a degree in medicine, recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC)
- a two-year foundation programme of general training (see training and development section below)
- specialist training in your chosen area of medicine (see section below).
To do a five-year degree in medicine you will usually need at least five GCSEs (A-C) including English, maths and science, plus three A levels at grades AAB in subjects such as chemistry, biology and either physics or maths. Check the GMC website for a list of degree courses.
If you do not have qualifications in science, you may be able to join a six-year degree course in medicine. This includes a one-year pre-medical or foundation year.
If you already have a degree in a science subject (minimum 2:1) you could take a four-year graduate entry programme into medicine. Some universities will also accept non-science graduates. See the British Medical Association (BMA) website for details.
When you apply for a course, you may be asked to take the UK Clinical Aptitude Test to check your suitability for a career in medicine. This tests your mental abilities and behaviour characteristics, rather than your academic achievements.
If you trained as a doctor overseas, contact the GMC for details about registering and practising in the UK.
It could be an advantage to have some relevant paid or voluntary experience, for example as a care assistant in a hospital, nursing or residential home. For paid opportunities, you could approach care homes directly or check the NHS jobs website. For voluntary work, or to arrange time watching a doctor at work, contact the voluntary services coordinator or manager at your local NHS Trust.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
Once you have a degree in medicine, you will need to complete two further stages of vocational training to qualify as a senior doctor or consultant in your chosen field. This comprises a two-year foundation programme and specialist training.
Two-year foundation programme - Applications are through the Foundation Programme website. You will be known as a Foundation House Officer and work in clinical settings ranging from acute care to mental health. At the end of year one (known as F1) you can achieve full registration with the General Medical Council (GMC). By the end of year two (F2) you will have chosen the area of medicine you want to practice.
Specialist training - The process for this stage depends on the area of medicine you choose. For example with gynaecology, you apply for 'run-through training' and go from basic to advanced levels of study leading to entry onto the GMC Specialist Register. With other areas like psychiatry, you would apply for 'core training' (three years in this case) followed by open competition to enter higher specialty training (and ultimately specialist registration with GMC).
For information on specialisms and help with choosing see the NHS Medical Careers website.
Recruitment for specialty training is usually handled locally for a region by postgraduate deaneries. Check the deanery website where the post is advertised for exact details. See the British Medical Association (BMA) website for further advice and contacts on recruitment for specialty training.
You will be assessed throughout your training and if your skills meet the required standard, you will be awarded the Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT). This means that you will be eligible to join the GMC Specialist Register and apply for a licence to practise. For more information on licensing and a new system of revalidation, check the GMC website.
For more information on training, you can also check the NHS Modernising Medical Careers website.
As a consultant you are expected to continue learning throughout your career. Many of the Royal Colleges have information on all aspects of training and continuing medical education. See the Royal College of Physicians website for a list of Royal Colleges covering the various specialist areas of medicine.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To become a hospital doctor you need to have:
- a keen interest in science and medicine
- the ability to make sound judgements in your personal and professional life
- a genuine desire to help people
- good communication skills and the ability to explain choices to patients
- the ability to put people at ease and gain their trust and confidence
- the ability to keep your skills and knowledge up to date
- strong analytical skills
- the ability to absorb scientific and technical information
- practical skills for examining patients and performing clinical procedures
- the ability to work under pressure and make quick, clear decisions
- the potential to train, teach and supervise staff.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
NHS Careers 
PO Box 2311
Bristol
BS2 2ZX
Tel: 0345 60 60 655
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
Royal College of Physicians
11 St Andrews Place
Regent's Park
London
NW1 4LE
Tel: 020 7224 1539
www.rcplondon.ac.uk
Royal College of Surgeons of England
35-43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields
London
WC2A 3PE
Tel: 020 7405 3474
www.rcseng.ac.uk
British Medical Association (BMA)
Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9JP
Tel: 020 7387 4499
www.bma.org.uk
General Medical Council (GMC)
Regent's Place
350 Euston Road
London
NW1 3JN
Tel: 0845 357 3456
www.gmc-uk.org
Health Learning and Skills Advice Line
Tel: 08000 150850
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
Competition for promotion through the various stages of training can be strong, as there are only a limited number of places available on specialist training programmes. When you qualify, you may also need to relocate to take up a more senior position.
As a consultant, you will often find work opportunities in the private sector.
With experience, you may go on to lead a team, manage a unit or department.
You may also progress to teaching and training students, trainee doctors and other healthcare professionals.
You may find specialist publications like Hospital Doctor useful for vacancies and general reading. You could also check the following (links open in new window):
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
LMIData
Related industry information
Industry summary
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
- Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)
The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:
- primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
- secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)
NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.
Key facts:
- The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
- It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
- 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
- The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.
There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.
National and regional data
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
- London
- South East
- North West
East Midlands - The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
East of England - The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
London - The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
- London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North East - The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
- The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North West - The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
- The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South East - The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
- The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South West - The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
West Midlands - The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
- The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Yorkshire and the Humber - The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Northern Ireland - The health sector employs 61,300 people.
- Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
- 81% of the workforce is female.
- 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
- 96% of the workforce is white.
- 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Scotland - The health sector employs 201,500 people.
- Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
- 78% of the workforce is female.
- 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 95% of the workforce is white.
- 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Wales - The health sector employs 114,900 people.
- Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
- 74% of the workforce is female.
- 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 94% of the workforce is white.
- 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
Career paths
Further sources
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