Up To 50,000 Nurses Could Quit Uk Over Immigration Plans, Survey Suggests

Up to 50,000 nurses could discontinue nan UK complete nan government’s migration proposals, plunging nan NHS into its biggest ever workforce crisis, investigation suggests.

Keir Starmer has vowed to curb nett migration, pinch plans to unit migrants to hold arsenic agelong arsenic 10 years to use to settee successful nan UK alternatively of automatically gaining settled position aft 5 years.

The measures, which besides see plans to raise overseas workers’ skills requirements to grade level and raise nan standards of English connection required for each types of visa, including dependents, are seen arsenic an effort to combat nan emergence of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party. A nationalist consultation connected nan plans is expected imminently, sources said.

Nursing leaders told nan Guardian nan plans were “immoral” and treated highly skilled migrants arsenic “political footballs”. They said a wide exodus of nurses would frighten diligent information and derail authorities efforts to trim waiting times.

Under nan proposals, migrant workers successful each assemblage of nan system would beryllium hit. However, nan astir superior effect would beryllium successful nan wellness service, which is already buckling nether nan strain of soaring request for attraction amid unit shortages.

A study conducted by nan Royal College of Nursing (RCN), seen by nan Guardian, recovered nan plans person sparked profound distress among overseas NHS and societal attraction staff.

There are much than 200,000 internationally knowledgeable nursing staff, astir 25% of nan UK’s full workforce of 794,000. The government’s projected changes to indefinite time off to stay (ILR) person triggered alarm, pinch galore now considering leaving nan UK for good, nan study suggests.

Almost 1 successful 10 of each nursing unit moving successful nan UK could beryllium affected by nan projected changes. According to authorities figures, 76,876 person gained a visa since 2021 and would presently beryllium entitled to settled position aft 5 years. However, nan plans to double that play to a decade person thrown their futures into jeopardy.

In nan RCN study of much than 5,000 migrant nursing staff, 60% of those who do not person ILR said nan shake-up was “very likely” to impact their plans to enactment successful nan UK. The uncovering suggests much than 46,000 could permanently discontinue nan UK.

Prof Nicola Ranger, nan wide caput and main executive of nan RCN, said: “These proposals are not conscionable immoral, they would beryllium vulnerable for our patients. No curate who has immoderate liking successful nan occurrence of our wellness and societal attraction strategy would property up pinch extending nan qualifying play for ILR.”

She called for nan plans to beryllium dropped and said different they risked deepening nan NHS workforce crisis, threatening diligent information and derailing efforts to trim curen waiting times. “At a clip erstwhile nan authorities is failing to turn nan home nursing workforce, it risks pushing tens of thousands of highly skilled nurses retired of nan UK,” she said.

The proposals besides amounted to a “betrayal” of migrant nursing staff, Ranger said, pinch galore of those without ILR having travel to nan UK to support nan consequence to and aft nan Covid-19 situation and now facing uncertainty.

“Many of those who will soon beryllium applying for ILR came to nan UK during nan pandemic, astatine awesome individual sacrifice. This is nary measurement to repay them and amounts to a betrayal. Our world colleagues merit clarity complete their futures, not to beryllium utilized arsenic governmental footballs by politicians and near incapable to entree authorities support contempt moving successful nationalist services and paying taxes.”

Without ILR, migrant nursing unit are incapable to move easy betwixt jobs, pinch their visas tying them to their employers, which Ranger said had led to exploitation successful nan societal attraction system.

The proposals would besides time off them incapable to entree authorities support specified arsenic kid use and disablement support payments for a decade, contempt paying taxes. “If nan authorities continues to show nursing unit they aren’t invited here, they shouldn’t beryllium amazed erstwhile they determine to leave.”

The proposals person provoked superior distress among migrant nurses, according to nan survey. It recovered that 53% were “extremely concerned” astir their financial security, 52% were highly concerned astir nan toll connected their family and 49% were highly concerned astir nan effect connected their career.

The plans could trim nan excavation of overseas workers consenting to travel to nan UK successful future, nan study suggests. Only 11% of respondents said they would still person migrated had nan way to colony been 10 years.

The RCN is besides calling connected nan authorities to trim nan exertion fees for ILR, which stay £3,029 per person, contempt an estimated processing costs of £523. In 2003, nan interest was conscionable £155.

A authorities spokesperson said: “We are grateful to our overseas frontline healthcare workers, who bring compassion, present high-quality attraction and fortify our wellness service, but nett migration must travel down.

“As nan Home Secretary has group out, nether our projected caller colony model, individuals will person nan opportunity to trim nan qualifying play to colony and citizenship based connected contributions to nan UK system and society. We will motorboat nan consultation soon and promote wellness and attraction workers to return portion erstwhile it launches.”