GMC chief executive, Charlie Massey, said the report showed ‘a system moving at two speeds' with ‘unmistakable momentum' in employer referrals but ‘limited' progress in education.

‘If doctors face disadvantage early in their careers, or before they begin them, they are already on an unequal footing,' Massey said.

The GMC said it was on track to eliminating disproportionate employer fitness to practise referrals of doctors from an ethnic minority, or who qualified outside the UK, and who are more likely to be referred to the regulator, by the end of 2026.

Latest figures in the report show the proportion of employers where data suggests excess referrals in relation to a doctor's ethnicity or place of qualification has now reduced by 48% – from 5.6% down to 2.9% – since the initial benchmark of 2016–2020.

This has been achieved, in part, by initiatives including improved processes for employers referring doctors and promoting mentoring programmes to support doctors who might otherwise miss out on such opportunities.

However, progress has been slower on the ambition to eradicate discrimination, disadvantage and unfairness in medical education and training by 2031.

Massey added: ‘Inequalities in education and training can be difficult to overcome and interventions take longer to translate into measurable outcomes. There are some positive signs, but where we can see something works then it needs to be scaled up.'

The GMC makes several calls to action for system leaders, employers and educators, including: prioritising equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) activity through proactive organisational change and workforce plans; mandating the GMC's free Welcome to UK practice workshops as part of an induction programme for doctors new to the UK; monitoring and measuring the overall impact of ED&I activity and interventions; and the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales, and Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland,  developing and delivering anti-racism resources. 

Chief executive of NHS Providers, Daniel Elkeles, said: ‘The lack of progress in medical education and training is a real concern for doctors, patients and for the NHS.

‘Trusts are committed to tackling these inequalities. While we strongly support the Government's moves to prioritise UK-trained doctors for training posts, it is very important that the contribution made by internationally educated staff in the NHS is respected and valued.'