The UK Government made an announcement in February that will change international recruitment practices and see the UK promote ethical, fair and sustainable overseas recruitment within health and social care. This new code of practice is believed to help the UK reach its target of 50,000 additional nurses and an extra 50 million GP appointments by 2024.
So, what does this news mean for future international recruitment?
The Changes
Due to WHO (World Health Organisation) widening the global market from where health and social care employers can ethically recruit from, the UK has altered their code of practice.
The changes are set to provide the UK with an increase in the numbers of international healthcare professionals. With the new code of practice, more overseas healthcare professionals will have the opportunity to join the UK, helping to support our health and social care systems.
This new code mirrors the update to the WHO Safeguard List 2020. Prior to the update, health and social care employers were not permitted to recruit from 152 countries.
The new WHO Safeguard List sees a huge reduction down to 47 countries, broadening the scope for international recruitment and offering a wider range of opportunities to overseas healthcare professionals.
The 47 safeguarded countries are protected from active overseas recruitment, with the UK pledging dedicated support to countries with the most pressing health and social care challenges. The code of practice states that international recruitment is to be “ethical, managed, mutually beneficial and in line with advice from the WHO.”
What this means for the UK
The UK Government pledged 50,000 nurses and an additional 6000 doctors by the year 2024 to assist in the quality of care within the NHS. By aligning the code of practice with the WHO advice on ethical recruitment, the UK are enabling the opportunity to reach the goal set by parliament through overseas recruitment.
This news will see a large increase in the number of overseas and UK-trained healthcare professionals within the UK. With the promise of additional funding into the NHS and commitment to building 40 new hospitals over the next 10 years, the UK is striving to deliver first-class care with an ethical international recruitment approach.
What this means for health and social care professionals
If you are an overseas healthcare professional interested in providing care on behalf of the world-renowned NHS, the new changes to the code of practice make your dream a possibility.
Along with the wider scope for overseas recruitment opportunities, the code of practice outlines that international recruits are to be treated fairly, and be provided with appropriate support throughout the recruitment process. Health and social care staff who have been internationally recruited will have the same legal rights and responsibilities and access to further education, training and continuous professional development as those trained here in the UK.
Opportunities on the horizon
The new code of practice is a set of principles to be adhered to by employers across the UK. This change highlights ethical international recruitment and fair treatment of overseas health and social care professionals.
At Medacs Healthcare we adopt these codes of practice. We pride ourselves on providing fair, transparent and ethical recruitment opportunities for all international health and social care professionals, supporting them to deliver outstanding care, regardless of country of origin.
We have a wide range of exciting vacancies available here in the UK, offering the Medacs VIP Service to support you every step of the way and make your move as easy as possible for you.
If you are interested in learning more about moving to the UK to deliver outstanding care with Medacs Healthcare, contact our friendly team or visit our Moving to the UK section where you can browse an apply to our latest UK jobs.
