Half of new UK nurses ‘from abroad’: council

LONDON: Nearly half of new UK nurses and midwives are from abroad, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said on Wednesday, prompting concerns of an over-reliance on foreign workers.

The NMC’s annual report showed 48 percent of the 48,436 new nurses and midwives were from other countries, with 66 percent from India or the Philippines. Between 2017 and 2018, 2,719 nurses and midwives from other countries joined, making up 11 percent of the new workforce at the time.

Andrea Sutcliffe, chief executive and registrar at the NMC, said the new figures showed the workforce "has become more reliant on internationally trained professionals joining our register".

"These professionals make a welcome and vital contribution to our nation’s health and wellbeing. But we can’t take them for granted," she said. "Two years ago, we felt the pandemic’s impact on global travel, the number of international joiners to our register fell sharply. "A future pandemic or other global disruption could see history repeat itself, but with an even bigger impact on the overall growth of the register."