“You only have one life, and I think if you’re miserable where you are now, you have to make a change.” 

This was the mindset that led Dr Chris Grayston to leave the NHS in 2020 and move to Australia to continue his medical career. 

Grayston had worked in the NHS for two-and-a-half years as a resident doctor and was becoming increasingly unhappy. He routinely felt stressed and overwhelmed, and it was affecting his sleep.

“To be honest, I hated pretty much every moment I was there,” he said. “At the time, I wasn’t sure what was causing me to feel this way. I feared I may have a mental health issue such as depression. But looking back now, I think I was experiencing severe burnout. The problem with the NHS system is that it gives you more responsibility than support.”

Burnout Driving Doctors Abroad

The General Medical Council paints a similar picture in its 2025 workforce report. After hearing from thousands of doctors to understand workplace pressures, it found that one of the most common reasons for leaving or changing careers was the toll on well-being. 

The research also found that doctors at high risk of burnout, or dissatisfied with their day-to-day work, were more likely to take the difficult step of leaving the UK medical profession altogether.

At 27, Grayston decided to make that change. He has now lived and worked in Brisbane for 5 years, employed part-time as a rural emergency doctor.

His first job was in a busy emergency department in a city hospital where he was struck by the difference in work culture.

“I was initially scared, as if I’d been asked to do that in the NHS, it would have been the worst year of my life,” he said. “But here, it’s very different. I quickly learned that I would do a couple of late shifts — three to four nights — and then I’d have a full week off to recover.”

With the extra time built into the rota, Grayston could “go on holidays and enjoy new experiences,” without even having to use up his leave. “During my time here, I’ve never felt unsupported at work as there are always consultants around. It’s a much better work culture than the NHS.”

Life Down Under

Grayston found that not only did his quality of life improve, but so did his salary — by almost 30%. He has also found that doctors are more respected in Australia and shares his experiences of working as a doctor abroad through a popular YouTube channel. 

But being so far from home has drawbacks. He said this distance often drives UK doctors working in Australia to return home. Grayston returns to the UK at least once a year, but the 24-hour flight brings days of jetlag.

“Being so far away from my family and friends sucks,” he said. “The ache of that longing to be around the people you love will never go away. Out of all the positives of coming to Australia, that is hardest to face.”

Most UK doctors who relocate to Australia enter emergency or general practice roles due to stiff competition for specialty training as international graduates, Grayston added. “When doctors do leave the UK, Australia is definitely the most popular destination. I think it’s the most straightforward because there’s no extra exams and it’s an English-speaking country.”

Returning Home

Not every doctor stays abroad. Dr Laxsan Karunanithy, who documents his career on Instagram, spent 2 years in Australia before returning to the UK this year.

“After 5 years of medical school and 2 years of foundation training where I was working as a resident doctor on a respiratory ward during the second peak of the pandemic, I felt it was time for a change,” he explained. “Like many of my colleagues, I was approaching burnout.” 

His move to Australia provided both relief and challenge. “No matter the season, there was almost always a warm, sunny day waiting for me, and it’s incredible how much this can lift your mood and make even the toughest shifts feel more manageable. But the biggest challenge I faced after moving was the loneliness that came with relocating alone.”

Leaving behind his family, partner, and friends was hard. “I’d always thought of myself as an extrovert, but I hadn’t realised how hard it would be to meet new people in my mid-twenties. But thankfully, I met some incredible people who are now friends for life.”

Although he enjoyed a better work-life balance, Karunanithy noted that similar pressures persist across healthcare systems. “When things get busy, they’re busy everywhere,” he said. “Long waiting times, high-pressure environments, not enough beds. Those challenges don’t disappear just because the sun’s shining outside.”

Life Lessons Learned

Now back in the NHS and in his first year of GP training, working in an outpatient old age psychiatry unit, Karunanithy said his experience abroad gave him lasting perspective.

“I found that the grass is only greener where you choose to water it,” he said. “If you carry a mindset of frustration or negativity, moving to another country won’t magically fix it. I’m grateful that stepping outside of my comfort zone taught me that perspective.” 

Returning to the UK felt right for now, but he isn’t ruling out another move in the future. “I’m happy to see where life takes me, but what’s most important is feeling content wherever I am.”

Julie Penfold is a freelance journalist specialising in healthcare and medical content. Her work regularly appears in titles such as Medscape, Doctors.net.uk, and Hospital Healthcare Europe.