Foreign-educated nurses would not be content with poor working conditions and unfair pay.
Nurses across the UK are voting on strike action in what could be the first country-wide nurses’ strike, and the way the government is responding is disgraceful and unacceptable.
The government is refusing to recognise the responsibility of nurses in the UK, and they are pushing people out of the profession by suggesting nurses can leave “if they want to”, even adding that the government would look to overseas nurses to fill the workforce gap.
Dr Coffey, I would like to express that; although I am a nurse who had her training abroad and has decided to relocate to the UK for a better life – we are not slaves! It’s astonishing what the government is stating. In my opinion, this is a racial discrimination statement and it is not fair and unjust.
As an overseas nurse, my colleagues and I stand alongside every UK-trained nurse, after all; “what is good for the goose is good for the gander!”
It is incomprehensible to imagine that foreign-educated nurses would be content to put up with poor working conditions and unfair pay simply because they are coming from another country. Because of a lack of training and support, an alarming percentage of foreign-trained nurses find themselves in difficult situations in the NHS or are subject to sanctions during their first few months of employment in the UK.
The government is chasing all the home nurses away; but what kind of help or integration within the NHS does the government believe foreign nurses would receive? Have the government given patient safety any thought? To guarantee nurses’ smooth integration and foster a positive work environment, it is critical to understand why nurses migrate in the first place and whether their expectations are realised.
The government may wish to ignore the implications of recruiting from red counties all they can, but that does not mean the nurses coming from red countries deserves less! This is unacceptable – ignoring the demands of nursing staff is risking patient safety.
Nursing and Midwifery Council data shows a total of 27,133 professionals left the NMC register in 2021-2022, which is 13% more than the year before.
I do not think the government plan helps support long-term workforce plans for health care services.
It is not just about a pay rise; It is about patient safety and about saving our NHS.
