UK Healthcare May Suffer From New Immigration Laws

15/05/2008 by Tamar Blieden

New UK immigration laws make it now almost impossible for foreign doctors to come and train in the UK. Could this cause shortages in the long run?

A recent decision by the House of Lords allows those doctors already in the United Kingdom under a HSMP (Highly Skilled Migrant Programme) to remain in the UK. This comes as a massive relief for foreign doctors. However new medical graduates thinking of taking up UK opportunities should be cautious before packing their bags.

These new rules, coming into being from October this year, have shifted focus on UK and EU nationals taking preference in the jobs race. In the healthcare sector the new tier 1 points based system (that replaces the HSMP scheme) is not even an option for young doctors looking for training positions in the UK. In principle graduates can come to the UK seeking non-training based jobs but in reality they do not have sufficient skills to take up such positions.

However even before these laws are cast in stone shortages are found in the healthcare sector, particularly in Wales. The scarcity of junior or trainee doctors has even caused some hospital services to close. At the moment half of Britain's registered doctors are foreign nationals from countries like India, Pakistan and Australia.

Ultimately the number of foreign doctors in the UK is bound to shrink drastically, causing places like Wales that need trainees all the time to suffer. At the moment there are more than 70 posts available in Wales, with little to no applicants. This is due to UK citizens regarding Wales as an unattractive option.

"Foreign doctors coming to the UK can fill these positions," says Gabrielle Angear of www.tier12345.co.uk, "however these new laws will not allow this to happen."

These new laws make one forget how immigrant doctors have sustained the healthcare system in the UK in the past. Now the numbers of UK-born graduates has almost doubled, with enough citizens to fill the positions. But the question is, when shortages occur these foreign doctors will once again be in demand within the NHS.

Despite this the Immigration Minister stands by the decisions. "Only the skilled migrants we actually need will be able to come," says Liam Byrne in defence of these new laws.

The high levels of immigration have often been critised by UK citizens who believe that immigrants are to blame for causing overcrowding, rising crime levels and problems within public services. These laws give UK's own people "the first crack of the whip".

The new law states that If non-UK or EU citizens are sought after for employment in any sector, from medical or business, they have to prove that their skills are in fact in short supply in the UK.

The new tier 2 scheme, which is linked to company sponsorship, the sponsor requires satisfactory proof of all documentation, which must be checked every 12 months, and will be threatened with large fines if employees are found to be illegal. These new rules therefore have made more work for employers, therefore even affecting the want of organisations to sponsor foreigners in the first place.

The new 5 tier scheme replaces the 80 ways of legal UK entry that was previously in place.

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