Healthcare staffing: Israel launches London drive to hire UK doctors

Israel’s medical workforce has shrunk by more than 1,300 doctors in the last two years, prompting the government to target British physicians for recruitment.

The campaign aims to bring 2,000 new doctors to the country by 2029 through a series of job fairs and streamlined licensing processes.

On Sunday, Israeli government agencies hosted MedEx UK at a Jewish community centre in London.

Nefesh B’Nefesh, the Jewish Agency for Israel, and the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration organized the event.

Participants received materials from health funds and hospitals that operate in the West Bank.

A Terem flyer listed medical centres in Modiin, Beit Shemesh, Ma’ale Adumim, and Beitar Illit.

Representatives from Leumit Health Services and the head of obstetrics and gynaecology in the Israeli military were also present.

Attendees could take YAEL Hebrew proficiency tests on site, a requirement for Israeli medical licenses.

The Israeli Ministry of Health allocated up to 240 million NIS ($76.7m) in 2026 for international medical recruitment.

New regulations issued in 2025 allow doctors with 10 years of experience to skip the licensing exam, lowering the previous threshold of 14 years.

These financial and regulatory changes accompany the 2020 launch of the International Medical Aliyah Program.

Shani Bar Tuvia, director of the health policy department at Physicians for Human Rights Israel, noted a shift in the demographic makeup of medical students in Israel. “The number of Palestinians among medical students in Israel has been decreasing - it's currently around nine percent,” she said. “So nine percent cannot become 45 percent of the doctors.” Bar Tuvia added that the ministry is aware the Yatziv reform means fewer doctors will be licensed, necessitating compensation for disqualified institutions. The Yatziv Reform, adopted in 2019, revoked recognition of medical degrees from non-OECD countries, including many Eastern European nations and Palestinian universities in the West Bank. In 2023, Palestinian and Druze physicians comprised 25 percent of Israel’s doctors, up from 8 percent in 2010. However, the number of new doctors entering the system is expected to drop this year as graduates from unrecognized schools finish their degrees. The ministry has also opened new medical schools at Ariel University and Reichman University to train domestic students. Bar Tuvia stated that these new institutions are largely inaccessible to Palestinian candidates. Nefesh B’Nefesh, the Jewish Agency, the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, and Clalit did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.