Black doctors in England four times less likely to get training places than white counterparts

Black doctors in England are four times less likely to be offered a training place than their white counterparts, according to analysis.

As part of their medical training, doctors across the NHS are able to apply to placements within specific branches of practice such as psychiatry, obstetrics and gynaecology, and emergency medicine.

Analysis of NHS England data by researchers at the BMJ found black doctors were four times less likely to be offered a training place in any of these specialities than their white counterparts.

For some specialities, the disparity was even wider. For doctors applying for a core training 1 placement in anaesthetics, black applicants had a less than 1 in 100 chance of being offered a place in 2024 – 30 times less likely than their white counterparts. Only 10 of 1,158 black applicants received an offer, compared with 7% of Asian applicants and a third of white applicants.

In obstetrics and gynaecology at the first year of speciality training, black applicants were almost 11 times less likely to be offered a place compared with their white counterparts.

Sheila Cunliffe, the report’s author, said that within the application process the disparity becomes evident when candidates are selected rather than when they are shortlisted.

“This raises questions about the robustness of the process, the training of panels, and whether issues such as available finance and personal connections enabling internships or training opportunities can influence final decisions in highly competitive fields,” said Cunliffe, a senior HR professional and independent researcher into racism in the NHS.

She added: “In these circumstances it is difficult to understand how NHS England are complying with the statutory requirements of the Public Service Equality Duty to monitor and take action on any ethnicity-based disparities in selection.”

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Source: The Guardian, 15 July 2026