Hancock promises to lift immigration limits

During a speech on the future of NHS staffing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock will pledge that the  UK should allow complete freedom of movement for medics from around the world.

Expected to use the speech to outline his credentials to become the next Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, Hancock will promise to lift all immigration restrictions for qualified doctors and nurses of any nationality who have secured a job in the NHS.

The Guardian, who has seen a draft of the speech, reports Hancock as saying that ‘we need to see the free movement of medics – doctors and nurses – from all around the world’ after Brexit, suggesting that the only limitations should be the right qualification, a job offer and an ability to speak English.

The government revealed last Summer that it would exclude foreign medics from its cap on skilled migration after an outcry from NHS bosses about the numbers being turned away at a time of critical short staffing. 2,360 visa applications by doctors from outside the European Economic Area were reportedly refused over a five month period.

Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, said: “Labour welcomes any proposals that genuinely improve staff well-being but overall this report is thin gruel ducking the big challenges of how to solve an escalating staffing crisis because Tory ministers have refused to back up the plan with the cash that is so desperately needed.

“As Dido Harding’s report hints at, scrapping the bursary, cuts to career development budgets, pay restraint and ongoing austerity means the NHS is left struggling with 100,000 staff shortages including 40,000 nurses and 10,000 doctors. The consequence is patient safety at risk and poorer standards of care.

“Expected recommendations to recruit 5,000 nurses a year internationally have mysteriously vanished from the final draft. Without immediate determined action, backed up by investment, the NHS workforce crisis will only get worse.

“Ministers should have today announced they were restoring the bursary, reversing cuts to training budgets, and legislating for safe staffing on wards. Instead, we have a government in meltdown and a Health Secretary jockeying for a prominent role in the next Tory Cabinet. Only Labour will properly deal with the workforce problems our NHS face.”