Commenting on the announcement today (Thursday) that nurses will be temporarily added to the government’s Shortage Occupation list, UNISON General Secretary Dave Prentis said:
“At long last, the government has realised just how much the NHS relies on its migrant nurses.
“By cutting the number of student nurse places ministers created a serious recruitment crisis in the heath service. And that is why NHS trusts have been forced to recruit from outside the European Union for the last two years.
“Current staffing levels are too low in too many areas. Sending back thousands of qualified dedicated nurses overseas would have left our health service in a dire situation.
“While this is good news, it is essential to the service that nurses remain on the shortage list for the foreseeable future.
“But concerns remain over the future of social care should migrant home care workers be forced to leave the UK.”
UNISON media contacts:
Fatima Ayad T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen T: 0207 121 5463 M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk