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Reprieve for Nigerian Nurses Seeking UK Jobs
Nigerian Nurses seeking entry into the United Kingdom's health sector may have an easier access to jobs following a decision by Her majesty's Government to temporarily lift restrictions on recruitment of nurses from non-European countries to beef up shortages and needs in the country's medical facilities.
A UK Department of Health memorandum earlier this October stated that “nurses will be added to the government's shortage occupation list on an interim basis.”
The official memorandum also stated that “Nurses from outside the European Economic Area that apply to work in the UK will have their applications for nursing posts prioritized,” noting that “the independent Migration Advisory Committee will review the change and present further evidence to the government by February 2016.
The home Office had on October 15 asked the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to examine whether there is a shortage of nurses in the country and make it's recommendations to government. In it's letter to the Committee, the Home Secretary acknowledged the fact that the Committee had earlier in February recommended that there is no shortage of nurses. The Secretary, however, said in the letter that:
“I understand that your recommendation in February was based on the evidence available at the time, including detailed submissions from the Centre for Workforce Intelligence on behalf of the Department for Health and from the Royal College of Nursing and other health sector organisations. However, since then increasing numbers of NHS Trusts and other interested organisations have raised concerns about nurse staffing levels, highlighting recent changes to recommended safe staffing levels within the NHS. In addition, developments since February include the Government's manifesto pledge to deliver a seven-day NHS and new rules to clamp down on the use of agency staff. I am advised that nursing vacancy rates may be as high as 10% across the health and social care sector, which if so would be twice the maximum level recommended by NICE. It is not for the Home Office to judge these representations and I should therefore be grateful if the MAC could consider the latest evidence.”
British Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt also said that “safe staffing across all our hospitals and care homes is a crucial priority,” pointing out that the new measure will ensure the NHS which manages UK's healthcare system, will have enough nurses to deliver the “highest standard of care without having to rely on rip-off staffing agencies that cost the taxpayer billions of pounds a year.”
The Secretary also noted that the system is also recruiting more home trained nurses noting the addition of about 8,000 more nurses to the workforce since 2010.
The UK health education system has increased nursing training capacity by over 14 percent in the last two years and hopes to add close to 23,000 more nurses to the workforce by 2019. The government is also taking measures to lure back retired nurses while working on ways to improve retention of nurses in the system.