Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Health and Social Care Recruitment: EU Exit

Tuesday 17 October 2023 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Since Brexit, more than 13,000 additional doctors and 48,000 additional nurses are working in the NHS in England.
  • The Nuffield Trust previously stated that Brexit has led to greater costs and uncertainty over visas, which have become barriers to recruiting and retaining EU doctors.
  • The health and social care visa supports the recruitment of doctors, nurses, and other professionals to address future recruitment and retention needs in Scotland's health service.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Gavin Newlands SNP
NHS Brexit
Context

Since the UK's departure from the EU, concerns have been raised about the impact on healthcare staff recruitment. The Nuffield Trust previously noted increased costs and difficulties due to Brexit.

Question

What recent assessment has been made of the impact of the UK's departure from the EU on trends in the level of recruitment in the health and social care sector?

Answer from Helen Whately

Since Brexit, we have more than 13,000 more doctors and 48,000 more nurses working in the NHS in England, and 40,000 more full-time equivalent staff in adult social care. Our points-based immigration system means that we can recruit the talent we need from all over the world for our health and social care system, including from the European Union.

Answered
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Q2 Patrick Grady SNP
NHS Scotland Brexit
Context

The Nuffield Trust stated that greater costs and uncertainties over visas have been major barriers to recruiting EU doctors, suggesting a negative impact of Brexit.

Question

If everything is as rosy as the Minister says, why did the Nuffield Trust state last year that greater costs and uncertainty over visas because of Brexit have been among the biggest barriers to recruiting and keeping EU doctors? Why are we having to pay the price in Scotland?

Answer from Helen Whately

I suggest it is really time that the hon. Gentleman stops blaming Brexit and ensures that his SNP colleagues make Scotland's NHS a better place to work. Since Brexit we have recruited more than 13,000 doctors to the NHS in England.

Not addressed: The questioner's concerns about Brexit impacting recruitment in Scotland were not directly addressed; instead, the answerer blamed SNP colleagues and referred only to England.

How: Blame Shifting

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Q3 Gavin Newlands SNP
NHS Scotland
Context

BMA Scotland's Chair Dr Iain Kennedy stated that recruiting and retaining senior medical staff remains a challenge, with immigration surcharge cost increases potentially deterring foreign workers.

Question

Given the recently announced NHS long-term workforce plan, what steps is the Minister taking to ensure that Scotland has the immigration we need for future recruitment and retention for our health service?

Answer from Helen Whately

We have the health and social care visa, which supports recruitment of doctors, nurses, and other professionals. The NHS workforce long-term plan will increase home-grown staff with 60,000 more doctors, 170,000 more nurses, and 70,000 allied health professionals over the next 15 years.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific steps for international recruitment in Scotland were not detailed; instead, the answer focused on home-grown staff.

How: General Principles

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Q4 Amy Callaghan
Care & Healthcare Workers
Context

Reports suggest the Home Secretary plans to tighten rules for those arriving on a health and care worker visa, potentially blocking most from bringing dependents.

Question

What recent assessments has the Secretary of State made of how tightening the health and care worker visa rules will impact international recruitment and capacity in our already struggling health and care services?

Answer from Helen Whately

I work closely with colleagues in the Home Office to ensure that the health and care visa achieves its objectives. We are seeing real success in social care; we have 20,000 more care workers in England. We are doing well on recruitment to social care.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific impact of tightening visa rules was not addressed; instead, the answerer highlighted current successes in recruitment.

How: General Principles

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