Wheels come off UK hiring model
The recent UK-Nepal healthcare professional recruitment agreement smacks of desperation. Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, with purchasing power parity-adjusted GDP per capita roughly the same as the Congo, according to the IMF. Yes, the UK is in a unique position post-Brexit and is known for its unusual and innovative health care labour agreements. But even so it is a strange move!
While the NHS may say they will only take the crème de la crème of Nepalese health care workers, there are concerns about corruption in the system which allowed some to pay for their degrees. A lower quality system means fewer quality workers who can meet quality checks. It also means rich countries risk running afoul of their moral obligations by draining the country of highly-skilled workers.
Why Nepal? Kate Tulenko says that Anglosphere countries are the largest importers of health care workers but that it will be increasingly difficult for the UK to compete with the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Those are the countries after all where British health care workers migrate.
We think the answer is to allow the private sector to offer far more training with the option of self-pay for the very keen and the rich. Training costs are higher in your home country, but in the UK those least served by the medical community also have the highest unemployment rates, so offering them opportunities would kill two birds with one stone by aiding workforce issues and giving them more of a say in the system. Countries should also be willing to fight unions determined to erect barriers or build prestige around their profession. Do all nurses need a three-year university degree? They do today in most West European countries. No wonder we are running short.
We would welcome your thoughts on this story. Email your views to Joe Quiruga or call 0207 183 3779.
