NEWS
Rejected immigration requests causing ‘desperate’ staff shortages By Christian Duffin Nursing shortages are reaching ‘desperate’ levels because of the high volume of rejected immigration requests and restrictive legislation, warns the head of an organisation that overseas 1.3 million NHS staff. NHS Employers chief executive Danny Mortimer argues that about 1,000 nurses are unable to take up posts in the UK before Christmas because the Home Office is turning down large numbers of requests from trusts for sponsorship certificates – formerly known as work permits – for workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Nursing Standard has learned that University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is being blocked from bringing in about 100 nursing staff from overseas – many from the Philippines – for this reason. Mr Mortimer argues that applications from nurses are being shunted down the priority list because the process is skewed in favour of higher-earning immigrants.
other countries, mostly the Philippines, but about 150 cannot start because the trust does not have certificates of sponsorship for them.’ A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘As the prime minister has made clear, the government wants to reduce the demand for migrant labour in the UK.’ He added that the Home Office’s independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is reviewing the ‘points-based immigration system’ and how it uses salaries to calculate applications for certificates of sponsorship. A report is due in December. Elizabeth Anionwu, emeritus professor at the University of West London, said of the £35,000 salary
cap issue: ‘If we want to encourage nurses to come to this country, we need to let them stay on. I was at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge recently and the Filippino nurses there were anxious about the rules. The trust was put in special measures last week because of staff shortages, so that should tell us how important this is.’ Some occupations are exempt from the £35,000 salary cap restriction, but the list does not include nursing. The Home Office spokesperson added: ‘Decisions on whether occupations are included on the list are based on advice from the MAC. The latest recommendations were made in February and nursing was not included.’
£35,000 threshold
As part of a double whammy affecting staffing levels, ‘general’ workers from outside the EEA will have to leave the UK from 2016 if they are earning less than £35,000 after five years. This is backdated to 2011. Speaking at a NHS Employers conference in London on the importance of diversity, Mr Mortimer said: ‘The NHS has always relied on staff from other countries. I’m the son of an Irish midwife. Right now we desperately need staff from outside the European Union.’ Nurse and RCN staff side representative Faith Thornhill said that her own trust, UCLH, is affected. ‘We have recently recruited 168 staff from 10 september 30 :: vol 30 no 5 :: 2015
A helping hand for Hollywood A breast cancer nurse has taken on a role as adviser for a Hollywood film that has just been released in the UK. Vickki Harmer (inset), clinical nurse specialist at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust, London, helped actor Toni Collette portray a woman with breast cancer in the movie Miss You Already. The film follows the lives of best friends Milly,
played by Collette (pictured right), and Jess, played by Drew Barrymore (left), when Milly is diagnosed. Ms Harmer, who runs a nipple tattoo clinic for women who have their breasts reconstructed following surgery, has also advised on breast cancer storylines for television programmes including EastEnders and Coronation Street.
NURSING STANDARD
Rejected immigration requests causing ‘desperate’ staff shortages By Christian Duffin Nursing shortages are reaching ‘desperate’ levels because of the high volume of rejected immigration requests and restrictive legislation, warns the head of an organisation that overseas 1.3 million NHS staff. NHS Employers chief executive Danny Mortimer argues that about 1,000 nurses are unable to take up posts in the UK before Christmas because the Home Office is turning down large numbers of requests from trusts for sponsorship certificates – formerly known as work permits – for workers from outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Nursing Standard has learned that University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is being blocked from bringing in about 100 nursing staff from overseas – many from the Philippines – for this reason. Mr Mortimer argues that applications from nurses are being shunted down the priority list because the process is skewed in favour of higher-earning immigrants.
other countries, mostly the Philippines, but about 150 cannot start because the trust does not have certificates of sponsorship for them.’ A Home Office spokesperson said: ‘As the prime minister has made clear, the government wants to reduce the demand for migrant labour in the UK.’ He added that the Home Office’s independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) is reviewing the ‘points-based immigration system’ and how it uses salaries to calculate applications for certificates of sponsorship. A report is due in December. Elizabeth Anionwu, emeritus professor at the University of West London, said of the £35,000 salary
cap issue: ‘If we want to encourage nurses to come to this country, we need to let them stay on. I was at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge recently and the Filippino nurses there were anxious about the rules. The trust was put in special measures last week because of staff shortages, so that should tell us how important this is.’ Some occupations are exempt from the £35,000 salary cap restriction, but the list does not include nursing. The Home Office spokesperson added: ‘Decisions on whether occupations are included on the list are based on advice from the MAC. The latest recommendations were made in February and nursing was not included.’
£35,000 threshold
As part of a double whammy affecting staffing levels, ‘general’ workers from outside the EEA will have to leave the UK from 2016 if they are earning less than £35,000 after five years. This is backdated to 2011. Speaking at a NHS Employers conference in London on the importance of diversity, Mr Mortimer said: ‘The NHS has always relied on staff from other countries. I’m the son of an Irish midwife. Right now we desperately need staff from outside the European Union.’ Nurse and RCN staff side representative Faith Thornhill said that her own trust, UCLH, is affected. ‘We have recently recruited 168 staff from 10 september 30 :: vol 30 no 5 :: 2015
A helping hand for Hollywood A breast cancer nurse has taken on a role as adviser for a Hollywood film that has just been released in the UK. Vickki Harmer (inset), clinical nurse specialist at Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust, London, helped actor Toni Collette portray a woman with breast cancer in the movie Miss You Already. The film follows the lives of best friends Milly,
played by Collette (pictured right), and Jess, played by Drew Barrymore (left), when Milly is diagnosed. Ms Harmer, who runs a nipple tattoo clinic for women who have their breasts reconstructed following surgery, has also advised on breast cancer storylines for television programmes including EastEnders and Coronation Street.
NURSING STANDARD
