Why is the UK Recruiting Nurses from Overseas?

Since the mid-1990s the UK has relied on overseas recruitment to fill shortages of nurses, practicing active overseas recruitment (Bach, 2007). Buchan (2005) suggests that ‘planned and funded expansion of the NHS meant there was an urgent need to scale up the number of nurses working for the service’. (Buchan et al, 2005:1). Although, the NHS was increasing numbers by attracting returners and training employees, there was also an ‘explicit policy emphasising on overseas recruitment as a method of ‘growing’ the NHS’. (Buchan et al, 2005:1)

High levels of international recruitment raised concerns. Unison highlighted their concerns at an annual conference in 2004, which emphasised poor pay, allegations of racism and misuse of trust by agencies. (Goodman, 2005:36). Furthermore, complaints were made by developing countries that were hard hit by shortages of nurses in their home countries. Such complaints were merged through the likes of Nelson Mandela from countries such as South Africa and the Caribbean (Willetts and Martineau, 2004:8).

For these reasons and more, the Department of Health developed UK guidelines on ethical international recruitment in 1999, followed by a refined code of practice in 2001. (Xu and Zhang, 2005: 575). The refined code was developed according to ‘lessons learnt’, and also includes the ‘independent sector and recruitment of temporary staff’. (Kuptsch, 2006:230).

This code restricts the UK recruiting from ‘over 150 developing countries, including South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Malawi and some Asian counties’, (Kuptsch, 2006: 230). However, international recruitment can take place in countries such as India, Philippines and Spain, if the UK has bilateral agreements with the countries governments. ...

... middle of paper ...

... as a better career advancement, or simply a change in environment. (Withers and Snowball, 2003) Pull factors constitutes nurses being drawn into another country. Reasons include professional development, financial aspirations, exciting learning opportunities’ (Alexis et al, 2007), or for the experience of travel/ adventure and/ or leisure. (Withers and Snowball, 2003:282) An opinion poll carried out by the RCN in 2002, identified two key aspects nurses found best by working in the UK; professional development and pay. (Buchan, 2002)

Buchan, (2002) outlined a typology for different groups of overseas nurses in the UK, however he stated that it was difficult to ‘identify how many conform to each type’ (Buchan, 2002:21). His typology was split into two categories; permanent and temporary move, which helped to classify reasons, as can be seen in the table below: