UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Wes Streeting condemned the NHS’s reliance on foreign recruits, calling it morally unacceptable, and pledged to focus on training British doctors.
As reported by The Telegraph, Wes Streeting has urged the NHS to stop taking advantage of abroad doctors.
What did Wes Streeting say about the NHS’s reliance on overseas medical staff?
The Health Secretary committed to increasing efforts to train British “homegrown talent,” expressing that it was “morally unacceptable” that this hadn’t been prioritized before.
During an event, Mr Streeting was asked if the UK plans to cease “poaching” medical staff from other countries. He responded,
“I think your framing of the question of when we are going to stop poaching people from other countries is absolutely the right question on international recruitment.”
Mr Streeting stated,
“I’m really proud of the fact the fact the NHS is an international employer, always has been, always will be, and we’re very lucky that we have people from around the world to come and work in our health and care services.”
He said,
“But the continued plundering of countries that need their own doctors and nurses to plug our short-term gaps because we couldn’t be bothered to train our own people, it is morally unacceptable,”
Adding,
“We are taking the steps needed to train our own homegrown talent and stop recruiting from red list countries on mental health.”
Which Countries Does the WHO Advise Western Nations Against Recruiting From?
The World Health Organization has raised concerns about Western countries recruiting from certain nations, describing it as unethical.
Some of the countries include:
- Ghana
- Zimbabwe
- Nigeria
Since Brexit, the recruitment from these nations has seen a significant increase.
Clinicians from red-list countries working for the NHS
The NHS currently employs 65,610 clinicians and support staff from 53 red-listed nations as part of its 1.5 million-strong workforce.
As per Nuffield Trust figures, the NHS has added 32,935 clinicians and support staff from red-list countries since 2021. This includes 20,665 who joined between March 2023 and November 2024.
How many medical professionals in England are from red-listed countries?
The number of red-listed staff in the NHS has seen such a dramatic rise that 9% of all medical professionals in England are from these nations. Furthermore, two-thirds of nurses who started working in Britain between January 2021 and September 2024 received training abroad.
From 2018 onward, 46% of Britain’s additional nurses recruited from red-list countries have come from Nigeria, with 21% from Ghana and 16% from Zimbabwe.
Wes Streeting’s remarks about Israel’s attacks on Gaza
The Health Secretary described Israeli attacks on Gaza as “unjustifiable” and “intolerable.” He expressed his distress over the ongoing destruction of a region that has faced Israeli threats for many years.
Mr Streeting condemned Israel’s actions in breaking the Gaza ceasefire, calling it “soul-destroying.” He stated that the strikes cannot be justified as self-defense, adding, “It has to stop.”
Referring to the ceasefire, Mr Streeting said,
“I find it soul-destroying seeing the breakdown of the ceasefire and the impact we are seeing on innocent human lives … I was looking back at some photos just this morning of a place called Susya in the West Bank, which has been under threat of demolition by the Israelis for many years and now is on the frontline of settler violence.”
He added,
“It’s very frustrating, let me tell you, being a member of the cabinet of the United Kingdom and still feeling powerless in the face of this appalling conflict which does nothing for Israelis or Palestinians.”