Responding to the publication of the Department of Health and Social Care’s Code of Practice for International Recruitment for England, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, Pat Cullen, said:
"The horrendous practice of international nurses being charged excessive fees to change jobs in the UK must end. Measures like requiring employers to produce evidence to support any charges are a step in the right direction.
“Employers must respect and apply these new rules and the UK government must clarify how it will ensure they are enforced, especially in the independent sector where nurses and support workers frequently face harassment from rogue employers.
“Ministers need to do more to tackle recruitment from ‘red list’ countries which are facing the most significant workforce challenges, and active recruitment is not permitted. While the UK government insists this is not being done proactively, recent data shows a ten-fold increase in recruitment from these countries.
“We call on governments across the UK to invest in expanding the domestic workforce, and to introduce bilateral agreements to ensure all international recruitment is mutually beneficial for countries, professionals and populations. Recruitment must be transparent, dignified and ensure that anyone in employment in the UK is free from exploitation.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
- Code of practice for the international recruitment of health and social care personnel - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
- Recent data shows a ten-fold increase in recruitment from 'red-list' countries
