Bad perspectives for foreign doctors working in the UK.
New Highly Skilled Migrant Programme might lead to NHS staffing crisis
A High Court ruling recently backed the government´s changes to the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme in the UK. The changes regarding a new points system will make it more difficult for foreign employees to work in the UK. Doctors already working in the UK claiming the changes will force them to leave.
Referring to an article in Personnel Today, hundreds of doctors have launched a campaign against the High Court ruling, for it will trigger a massive staffing crisis across the NHS. The court did not see an unlawful discrimination in the new points system of the government which disregards any previous UK work experience and does not give priority for GPs.
A spokesman for the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin pointed out that on the one hand, everybody is speaking about massive skills shortages in the NHS, on the other hand, the new regulations hinder foreign employees to work in the UK.
Meanwhile, the NHS attracted criticism as it emerged that vast amounts were being spent flying in doctors from other EU countries to cover GP shortages. A spokesman from Voice of Britain´s Skilled Immigrants said, the recent decision would have repercussions for the UK´s overstreched health system as a whole.
The changes in brief:
Successful applicant must now score at least 75 point for:
- Past earnings: dependent on how much, when and where it was earned
- Age: under 27 = 20 points, 28-29 = 10 points, 30-31 = 5 points
- UK experience: 5 extra points for UK earnings or a year´s degree-level study at a UK-based institution
- Qualifications: BA, BSc = 30 points, MA = 35 points, PhD = 50 points, eligible MBA = 75 points
Points are no longer available for :
- Work experience
- Achievements in the applicant´s chosen field
- Partner´s achievements
- Priority points for GPs
Furthermore, the proof of English language ability is now mandatory.
This article was published on 02/22/2007