[Correspondence] A medical unemployment crisis in a desperate NHS

Recently published competition ratios for specialty training expose the unfolding unemployment crisis in the medical industry. There were 33 108 applicants for only 9479 training posts in the first round of recruitment for post-foundation training in the UK National Health Service, and competition is at an all-time high in the second round.1 The British Medical Association reported that 52% of foundation year 2 doctors were unemployed in August, 2025, without substantive posts or regular locum work.