Foreign doctors and nurses are increasingly shunning the NHS due to a hostile environment created by anti-migrant rhetoric and rising racism.
According to the leader of Britain’s medical profession. Dr. Jeanette Dickson, chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, warned that the health service is being put at significant risk because overseas professionals now view the UK as an unwelcoming country.
This shift comes at a time when the NHS is more dependent on international talent than ever before, with General Medical Council figures showing that 42% of all UK doctors qualified abroad.
Despite this reliance, record numbers of foreign-born doctors are leaving the service, and the influx of new nurses and midwives has fallen sharply over the past year.
Dr. Dickson highlighted that the foreigner bad narrative in media and politics is making the UK lose out to competitors like Australia and Canada.
She noted that international staff are facing physical and verbal abuse, with reports of nurses being spat at and ethnic minority staff being intimidated during home visits. She warned that without these workers, the NHS could easily lose the critical mass of staff needed to run services safely.
The government has also faced criticism for prioritizing UK medical graduates over overseas applicants for specialist training positions. While Health Secretary Wes Streeting has condemned “1970s-style racism,” Dr. Dickson argues that current policies and political messaging suggest to foreign medics that they are no longer wanted, despite the global shortage of healthcare workers.
In response, the Department of Health and Social Care stated that the NHS has zero tolerance for racism and continues to value its international workforce.
However, a spokesperson defended the decision to prioritize local graduates, arguing that taxpayers should see a return on the investment made in training homegrown talent as part of the government’s long-term health plan.
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