NHS reforms are forcing increasing numbers of disillusioned UK health professionals to seek pastures new in Australia and the Middle East, according to Zack Feather, chief executive at healthcare staffing specialist The Pathology Group.

Last week, health secretary Andrew Lansley called for a “pause” for consultation on his NHS reforms, which paves the way for GPs to take control of most of the NHS budget from 2013. Today, the Royal College of Nursing warned that as many as 40,000 NHS jobs could go — half them in front line posts.

Feather told Recruiter: “Patient care is getting affected massively due to the culling of the NHS. Royal Oldham struggles to cope with the patients they see — Fairfield and North Manchester are the same.

“They have closed Rochdale A&E department and turned it into an urgent care centre. There are lots of hospitals down South that have had their A&E departments closed, which has had massive adverse effects on the delivery on patient care.

“We are seeing people who have spent their entire career in the NHS, leading figures in their specialities, saying enough is enough [and] wanting to go over to Australia and the Middle East.

“They feel they are no longer here to progress medicine. The NHS is getting so regulated on costs, with services being affected … so they are washing their hands of the NHS and leaving.”