Figures published by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) earlier this month show a sharp decline in internationally educated nurses and midwives signing up to its register allowing them to work in the UK.
This decline in international nurses coming to the UK is a clear warning sign that something is clearly wrong with our current immigration system. Our health and care sector has relied on recruitment from around the world for decades and current plans to tighten visa rules is leading to a cut in immigration which is exacerbating workforce shortages across the NHS and private health sectors – a deeply worrying trend. We have all read the headlines about tackling “the boats” and illegal migration into the UK, but this must not be conflated with legal international recruitment.
At a time when the care sector is already struggling with a widespread shortage of nurses with tens of thousands of nursing jobs remaining unfilled, the Government must act fast to attract foreign workers to the UK.
It is all well and good jumping on the “British Jobs for British People” bandwagon if homegrown talent can fulfil the demand. However, it is quite clear that in today’s market, the number of domestically trained nurses is nowhere near enough to make up for the fall in internationally trained nurses coming to the UK.
According to the latest figures, from April 1st to September 30th this year, a total of 6,321 international workers joined the register for the first time. This marks a sharp fall from 12,534 joining the register in the same period last year – a staggering 49.6% drop! Meaning that only 31.1% of new enrollers were from outside the UK – a figure which is usually, according to the NMC, around 50%.
Recent proposals to cut immigration, tighten visa rules, and the threat of deportation for those already working in the UK legally are significantly deepening the workforce shortages. As a country, we are creating fear amongst a hugely talented pool of people who are feeling unwelcome in a country where they work tirelessly for long hours caring for some of our most vulnerable citizens.
We cannot ignore the highly toxic rhetoric in the news every day about immigration. Why would a well-educated, talented and dedicated pool of medically trained immigrants come to a country where they feel unwelcome and uneasy? The Government must make a clear distinction between illegal migration and much needed legal migration. Without a proper and open discussion soon, we will be at crisis point – if we are not there already.
To tar all foreign nationals, whether they are caring for our most vulnerable or here illegally and up to no good, with the same brush is not only highly divisive but also extremely dangerous. If we do not fix our NHS soon, there will be no NHS. We must make legal immigration routes far more accessible and efficient.
Our health and social care sectors rely heavily on skilled professionals from abroad, and we risk deepening workforce shortages if we make it too difficult for them to come here and make them feel unwelcome when they arrive.
Streamlining visa processes and creating fair, predictable pathways for legal migration, will see the UK attract the talent it so urgently needs. Sensible immigration policy isn’t just about numbers; it’s about keeping essential services running and supporting the people who rely on them.
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