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Some report that they have been told to find work in hospitals while they wait for certificates, which cost up to £1,600, to arrive from the Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board (PMETB).

One young GP, who asked to remain anonymous, told GP she had no idea she had to apply six months before the end of her training.

'There seems to have been a catalogue of errors - from getting my email address wrong to telling me to apply for non-GP hospital jobs when I have a post waiting for me.

'It seems crazy that these live GPs-in-waiting are unable to work. I feel someone at a high level should be looking at this.'

Richard Marks, from pressure group Remedy UK, said he had received complaints from 'loads of people' who faced huge delays after minor errors on their application.

'The problem with PMETB is that they are real sticklers for precision. Six months is a ridiculous amount of time - clearly something needs to change.'

A spokeswoman for PMETB confirmed applicants should contact it four to six months prior to completing training. She said the organisation would not advise GPs on employment options.

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