Responding to the government announcement imposing limits on care workers bringing their spouses and children with them to the UK, Royal College of Nursing Chief Nurse, Professor Nicola Ranger, said:
“Ministers appear comfortable with tearing apart families to score political points. This cruel sanction will deter care workers from coming to the UK, adding to dire workforce shortages in social care and ultimately piling even more pressure on an overburdened NHS. The Home Secretary admitted in his own announcement in the Commons that health workers with families will be put off joining our short-staffed health and care services.
“Anything that limits or deters nursing staff from coming to the UK – including any changes to the shortage occupations list – will only add to the dire workforce crisis in the health and care sector. The new salary threshold is higher than an average nurse's wage. If they change nursing's place on the exemption list, this will hit hard on the NHS.
“Faced with such significant staff shortages, we must be open to ethical international recruitment while significantly increasing investment in domestic nursing education.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
In response to Damian Green MP asking whether stopping people from bringing dependents with them to the UK will lead to fewer people coming altogether, damaging the care sector, Cleverly said: "Whilst perhaps an individual with a family might be dissuaded because of the restrictions we have on family members, it is almost certainly the case that someone else that does not have those family commitments will be willing to put themselves forward."
