The vital role played by overseas doctors in the NHS should not be forgotten in light of recent headlines, says an Editorial in this week’s edition of The Lancet.
Referring to the recent arrest of NHS doctors originally from overseas in connection with recent terror attacks, the Editorial warns: “The danger now is that the actions of a few will be used as an excuse to discriminate against the many overseas doctors who currently work, or want to work, in the NHS, since those involved in the attempted attack originally came to the UK from India and the Middle East.”
The new stringent checks for migrants wishing to work in the NHS, announced on July 4 by the UK government, will add further to the difficulties for overseas doctors, who already face unjust treatment. For example, ethnic minority groups have long been less likely to get senior positions in the NHS.
The Editorial says: “Such a situation is shameful since the NHS has long relied on overseas doctors to fill workforce gaps....this role, along with the enormous contribution overseas doctors have made to the NHS, should not be forgotten as the UK considers existing and future recruitment policies. Although criminal checks may be a necessary counterterrorism measure, discriminating against doctors on the basis of race, religion, or country of birth is not.”
Journal
The Lancet