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The post-Brexit landscape has intensified the NHS’s reliance on healthcare professionals from countries categorized as “red list” by the World Health Organization (WHO), which advises against recruiting from these nations due to their significant healthcare staffing shortages.
Since the UK exited the EU single market in late 2020, a considerable influx of health workers from nations such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe has occurred, with tens of thousands added to the NHS workforce.
This rising trend has come under fire, with critics labeling the recruitment practices as “unethical” and “immoral.” They argue that such actions could potentially undermine the healthcare infrastructures in those countries struggling to meet the needs of their populations.
Graph showing the number of staff recruited from red list countries over time
According to recent data, the NHS employs approximately 65,610 professionals from the 53 red list countries, comprising a substantial portion of its 1.5 million workforce. Out of these, over 32,000 have been recruited since 2021, with a notable spike of over 20,000 hired between March 2023 and November 2024, data sourced from the Nuffield Trust health think tank reveals.
This dramatic rise means that about one in eleven medical professionals currently working in England are from these red-list countries. Alarmingly, around two-thirds of the nurses who have taken up positions in the UK since early 2021 were trained outside the UK or Economic Area.
In the past five years, approximately 46% of the newly recruited nurses to the UK from red-list countries came from Nigeria, while Ghana and Zimbabwe contributed 21% and 16%, respectively.
Mark Dayan, a policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust, highlighted the ethical implications of such recruitment practices. He emphasized the contradiction of a wealthier country relying heavily on healthcare professionals from nations with critical staffing needs.
Reports indicate that since the abolition of free movement for EU nationals in early 2021, there has been a notably steep increase in healthcare professionals from outside the UK and EU. The Nuffield Trust’s findings reveal a 36% increase in red-list nurses, growing to approximately 21,500, between March 2023 and November 2024, alongside a 24% increase in doctors and a remarkable 74% rise in support staff.
These trends raise questions regarding the NHS’s adherence to the WHO’s guidelines against active recruitment from these nations, a stance formally supported by the UK government’s Department of Health and Social Care. The WHO has warned that recruitment from such countries could critically affect their ability to provide adequate healthcare to their citizens.
Wes Streeting has voiced concerns, accusing the NHS of acting immorally by siphoning off healthcare professionals from nations struggling with their own shortages.
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Streeting criticized the current government, alleging that failure to adequately train homegrown medical professionals has forced the NHS into a position where they must depend on overseas staffing solutions.
He highlighted the paradox where capable students in the UK face barriers to medical education, while the NHS struggles to attract sufficient talent for nursing and caregiving roles. He has committed to reducing the NHS’s reliance on red-list recruitment through reforms aimed at boosting the training of local healthcare professionals.
The demand for healthcare staff is projected to intensify due to global demographic shifts, leading to a competition for trained medical professionals among wealthy nations. As reported, ten affluent countries—including the UK, US, Australia, and Saudi Arabia—are responsible for 70% of global health professional migration.
Sebastian Rees from the IPPR think tank emphasized the ethical concerns surrounding the NHS’s dependability on red-list recruitment. He warned that the practice could jeopardize healthcare systems in less affluent nations.
Conversely, Jim Campbell, director of workforce at the WHO, acknowledged that many professionals from red-list countries actively seek job opportunities in the UK, suggesting that recruitment from these nations is not entirely as unethical as some reports indicate. Discussions between governments regarding the intentions of overseas graduates in pursuing careers in the NHS are ongoing.
Source
www.theguardian.com