The United Kingdom has suspended the recruitment of healthcare workers from Nigeria and 46 other countries. The announcement was contained in the updated Code of Practice released by the UK Department of Health and Social Care.
According to the UK government, the increasing scale of health and social care worker migration from low and lower-middle-income countries threatens the achievement of their nation’s health and social care goals.
It said countries on a published list must not be targeted for international recruitment unless there is a government-to-government agreement in place.
The statement reads:
“Government-to-government agreements must take steps to ensure that migration to the UK does not exacerbate existing health and social care workforce shortages.
“Agreements will be informed by best evidence, including a health labour market analysis, engagement with health sector stakeholders in countries of origin, and consultation with the WHO.
“Notification to the WHO will be made through the global WHO Code of Practice monitoring processes.
“Further detail on government-to-government agreements and case studies are available in the health workforce development and health systems sustainability section”
Adding, it said the UK recognises the importance of providing health and care systems support to countries facing severe health workforce vulnerabilities.
“Our health systems partnerships increase the capacity of the health and social care workforce and support health and social care systems improvements, examples are provided in the health workforce development and health systems sustainability section.
“Where the UK and a partner country have agreed to special recruitment arrangements, a government-to-government agreement must set out specific support.
Individual health and social care personnel from countries on the list, who apply directly and on their own behalf to a health and social care employer, can be considered for employment.”
Other countries where healthcare workers have been suspended are Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, and Equatorial Guinea.
Others are Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger.
Other affected countries are Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, among others.
The UK government added that the countries where the recruitment of health and care workers have been suspended are graded red.
“The list will be updated alongside scheduled progress reports on WHO Global Code implementation to the World Health Assembly every three years.
“However red countries may become amber countries as government-to-government agreements are signed. It is recommended employers, contracting bodies and recruitment agencies regularly check the list for updates.
“Green countries, which have signed government-to-government agreements in place for international health and social care workforce recruitment, are listed separately in annex B,” it said.
source: Punch
