NHS playing a 'get out of jail free card' by recruiting foreign nurses to fill jobs
NHS playing a 'get out of jail free card' by recruiting foreign nurses to fill jobs
Overseas nurses are being used as a "get out of jail free card" to fill staff shortages in the NHS, the government's immigration advisers have warned. They are covering a shortfall which was largely down to factors which "could, and should, have been anticipated", they said. Instead of recruiting from abroad, the Department of Health could easily fill vacancies with staff from Britain, the Migration Advisory Committee said. However, the shortages mean nursing will have to remain on a list of occupations exempt from immigration controls, the committee has agreed.
There seems to be an automatic presumption that non-EEA skilled migration provides the health and care sector with a 'get out of jail free' card.
MAC chairman Prof Sir David Metcalf
The committee said it found evidence suggesting employers were using nurses from outside the EU to save money as they were paid £6,000 less than equivalent British workers. However, it recommended "with considerable reluctance" that nurses remained on the shortage occupation list. Chairman Prof Sir David Metcalf said: "There is no good reason why the supply of nurses cannot be sourced domestically. The long-erm solution to addressing this shortage is recruiting and retaining staff by providing sufficient incentive and opportunity."
We are pleased the MAC has recommended that nurses remain on the occupation shortage list, but at the same time, we are already delivering our plan to train more home-grown nurses.
Department of Health spokesman
