Friday, September 01, 2017

Welcoming immigrants

The NHS plans to spend £100m bringing in up to 3,000 GPs  with their families from abroad to help alleviate serious shortages that have left surgeries struggling to run properly. The scheme will have to persuade significant numbers of doctors working overseas to relocate to England if the government is to fulfil its pledge to boost the number of GPs by 5,000 by 2020.
Recruitment agencies will earn about £20,000 for each GP they succeed in placing in a family doctor practice in England.
“We are calling for GPs to be added to the migration advisory committee’s shortage occupation list, to make it easier for family doctors from overseas who want to live here and work in UK general practice to do so,” said Dr Steve Mowle, the honorary treasurer of the Royal College of General Practitioners.
“Overseas doctors have for many years provided outstanding levels of care to patients across the NHS and with the current problems facing the GP workforce could provide valuable help in maintaining struggling services,” said Dr Krishna Kasaraneni, the BMA’s GP workforce lead.

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