Half of new midwives and nurses come from abroad

Nearly half of the new midwives and nurses registered to work in the UK in the last twelve months have come from abroad.

 

The total, over 23,000, is a record high and comes as the UK has struggled to increase the number of UK nurses joining the register.

 

The 2021-22 Nursing and Midwifery Council data also showed the numbers leaving the profession had increased, with over 27,000 leaving the register last year, an increase of 13 per cent on the year before and reversing a downward trend in leavers over recent years.

 

Nearly all of the international recruits arriving in the last year were trained in countries from outside Europe.  The Philippines and India are the countries which are supplying the most.

 

Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive of the Nursing and Midwifery Council said it was “good news” that the register was at its highest ever level, given the pressures of the last two years, but she added that there were some “warning signs”, saying the numbers leaving due to work pressure was troubling.

 

She also said that the extent to which the UK had become reliant on internationally trained staff was another “note of caution”, adding “These professionals make a welcome and vital contribution, but we can’t take them for granted.”

 

Pat Cullen, general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing questioned the ethics and sustainability of such a level of recruitment from abroad, and called for increased investment in domestic training and better staff pay.

 

Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events.  Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.

 

If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.

 

Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

 

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