Financial cost of doctors leaving the NHS expected to double, warns BMA

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By Sarah Lowden

The British Medical Association has warned that the financial cost of doctors leaving the NHS early could rise to £5 billion a year, but the government disputes the projection and says the rate at which doctors are leaving is decreasing.

The BMA report said that although the number of licensed doctors is growing, a rising number are also leaving the UK medical system prematurely, putting an increasing financial burden on the NHS.