UK’s ‘unfriendly’ immigration debate will fuel healthcare staffing crisis, says leading recruiter
30 July 2014
The UK’s healthcare sector faces a greater staffing crisis if anti-immigration rhetoric puts off EU healthcare professionals, who are desperately needed to offset shortfalls in global candidates, claimed a leading healthcare recruiter.
Wed, 30 Jul 2014 | By Nicola Sullivan
The UK’s healthcare sector faces a greater staffing crisis if anti-immigration rhetoric puts off EU healthcare professionals, who are desperately needed to offset shortfalls in global candidates, claimed a leading healthcare recruiter.
Tony Moss, managing director of Your World Healthcare, said the NHS and private sector healthcare providers are being hit by reduced numbers medical professionals coming over from a number of non-EU countries like Australia to work. This, he said, has left the UK competing against Germany, Sweden and Norway to recruit talent from countries like Greece, Spain and Portugal.
And Moss believes the UK’s “unfriendly” immigration debate and moves to distance itself from Europe will make this more difficult.
Moss told Recruiter: “It can potentially have a detrimental affect on the number of healthcare professionals that we have access to.”
In a statement he said: “We hear all too often about the shortage of nurses and doctors but the problem is far bigger than we think – and on a global basis.”
A Freedom of Information request, directed at healthcare bodies, made by Your World Healthcare showed there were significant falls in healthcare professionals coming to the UK from countries like Australia, New Zealand, India and the Philippines.
GMC data also showed the number of doctors coming from India fell considerably over the years, with GP entry-year registrations at 199 in 2013, compared to 346 in 2008 and first full-year registrations fell from 680 in 2008 to 349 in 3013.
Data from Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) showed that the number of Australian nationals registering as physiotherapists in the UK fell from 304 in 2004 to 130 in 2013. During the same period occupational therapists over the same time the number dropped from 250 to 97, a drop of over 61%. Speech and language therapists showed a decrease from 108 in 2004 to only 44 registering to work in the UK in 2013.
Meanwhile figures from the General Medical Council (GMC) showed that the number of doctors from Australia with their first full year of registered practice had fallen from 126 in 2012 to 118 in 2013, but was still up on 2008’s 86 registrations. The number of GP entry-year registrations among Australian nationals halved from six to three, compared to 10 in 2008.
Moss put this down to the strength of the Australian dollar, higher wages and the misconception that there are not many interim positions in the UK, as had historically been the case.
Moss told Recruiter: “Australian medical professionals are now earning a lot more than they used to.” He added: “Their economy has flown in Australia.
“Traditionally the UK healthcare market has been supported by a number of Australian and New Zealand professionals coming to work in the UK on working holiday visas,” he explained.
The UK’s healthcare sector faces a greater staffing crisis if anti-immigration rhetoric puts off EU healthcare professionals, who are desperately needed to offset shortfalls in global candidates, claimed a leading healthcare recruiter.
Tony Moss, managing director of Your World Healthcare, said the NHS and private sector healthcare providers are being hit by reduced numbers medical professionals coming over from a number of non-EU countries like Australia to work. This, he said, has left the UK competing against Germany, Sweden and Norway to recruit talent from countries like Greece, Spain and Portugal.
And Moss believes the UK’s “unfriendly” immigration debate and moves to distance itself from Europe will make this more difficult.
Moss told Recruiter: “It can potentially have a detrimental affect on the number of healthcare professionals that we have access to.”
In a statement he said: “We hear all too often about the shortage of nurses and doctors but the problem is far bigger than we think – and on a global basis.”
A Freedom of Information request, directed at healthcare bodies, made by Your World Healthcare showed there were significant falls in healthcare professionals coming to the UK from countries like Australia, New Zealand, India and the Philippines.
GMC data also showed the number of doctors coming from India fell considerably over the years, with GP entry-year registrations at 199 in 2013, compared to 346 in 2008 and first full-year registrations fell from 680 in 2008 to 349 in 3013.
Data from Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) showed that the number of Australian nationals registering as physiotherapists in the UK fell from 304 in 2004 to 130 in 2013. During the same period occupational therapists over the same time the number dropped from 250 to 97, a drop of over 61%. Speech and language therapists showed a decrease from 108 in 2004 to only 44 registering to work in the UK in 2013.
Meanwhile figures from the General Medical Council (GMC) showed that the number of doctors from Australia with their first full year of registered practice had fallen from 126 in 2012 to 118 in 2013, but was still up on 2008’s 86 registrations. The number of GP entry-year registrations among Australian nationals halved from six to three, compared to 10 in 2008.
Moss put this down to the strength of the Australian dollar, higher wages and the misconception that there are not many interim positions in the UK, as had historically been the case.
Moss told Recruiter: “Australian medical professionals are now earning a lot more than they used to.” He added: “Their economy has flown in Australia.
“Traditionally the UK healthcare market has been supported by a number of Australian and New Zealand professionals coming to work in the UK on working holiday visas,” he explained.
