Number of nurse recruits from EU falls

Data from the Nursing and Midwifery Council shows that the number of nurses and midwives from the European Economic Area (EEA) on its register has fallen for the last three years in a row.

Casting doubt over Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pledge to recruit 50,000 more NHS nurses, central to his 2019 General Election campaign, the figures show that the total number of nurses and midwives from the EU now stands at 31,385. That is 1,650 (five per cent) fewer than the 33,035 such health professionals who were in Britain in 2018-19 and 6,639 fewer than the 38,024 who were here in 2016-17, the year in which the UK voted to leave the EU.

The data also indicates that just 913 people from the EEA joined the NMC’s permanent register for the first time last year, a figure which is less than 10 per cent of the 9,389 EEA nurses and midwives who did so in 2015-16.

The NHS in England already has more than 40,000 vacancies for nurses.

Overall, however, there is a new record number of people on the register – 716,607.

Andrea Sutcliffe, the NMC’s chief executive, said: “While the increased figures from the UK and overseas are very welcome for everyone working in and using health and care services, there are potential stormy waters ahead. As a result of the pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions, we may no longer be able to rely on the flow of professionals joining our register from overseas in the same way. Going forwards, the significant growth we’ve seen recently may not be sustained.”