The introduction of an immigration cap for skilled workers entering the UK has made it extremely difficult for NHS Trusts to fill gaps in hospital rotas. Now, medical leaders at the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) have expressed concern that another route for experienced international doctors looks set to be blocked.
Whilst the RCP supports a fully home-grown healthcare system, there is currently a need for trusts to recruit from overseas and it is vital for patient care that hospitals can employ experienced non-EU doctors.
Following the recent cap on Tier 1 and Tier 2 visas*, NHS Trusts are increasingly looking to use the Tier 5* Medical Training initiative (MTI) to employ highly skilled overseas doctors. The MTI allows non-EU doctors to practise in the UK for a maximum of 24 months before returning home.
But now the MTI is under threat. Later this year the Home Office intends to cut net migration and reduce the maximum length of stay for doctors on the MTI to 12 months. Such a short stay would remove any training incentives for non-EU doctors and make it even more difficult for NHS trusts to recruit experienced overseas medical graduates.
Sir Richard Thompson, president of the RCP said:
Through the MTI, NHS trusts not only contribute to the training of doctors in developing countries, but also experienced medical graduates on the scheme help to ensure hospitals in England are adequately staffed.”
Many organisations, including the Department of Health, have emphasised the importance of expanding the number of doctors coming through the MTI route, realising the maximum 24 month stay ensures that there is no long term impact on UK medical manpower planning. These doctors have a positive influence on the NHS during their stay and strengthen links with other countries, as well as developing international loyalties to the UK.
Matthew Foster, head of international affairs at the RCP said:
Reducing the time limit of the tier 5 MTI will result in an inflexible system and international doctors and health leaders overseas will lose interest. They will go elsewhere and it will be the UK’s loss.
The current arrangements ensure that the UK continues to maintain clinical links around the world, and support the World Health Organization’s code of practice on international recruitment of health personnel.
The UK has an international network of doctors who have trained here in the past. The long term future of that network is under threat.
Professor Rezvi Sheriff, director of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, Colombo, Sri Lanka said:
Training time in the UK is of great importance to Sri Lankan doctors and the continuing development of our health system. After so many changes to UK immigration regulations in recent years, restricting the Tier 5 medical training initiative to 12 months will force our doctors to shift their focus away from the UK.
- * Tier 1 allows highly skilled migrants to apply for permission to work or train in the UK without a job offer. Tier 2 allows UK employers to recruit workers from outside the UK and European Economic Area (EEA) to fill vacancies which have undergone the resident labour market test. Tier 5 allows overseas nationals to participate in government authorised exchanges. The Medical Training Initiative (MTI) is the scheme used by the NHS and falls under the Tier 5 category.
- Further information on the Medical Training Initiative (MTI) is available on the international pages of the RCP website.
- The World Health Organization’s code of practice on international recruitment of health personnel available on the World Health Organization website.
- Department of Health code of practice for the international recruitment of healthcare professionals available on the Department of Health website.