Almost a quarter of nurses and midwives working in Britain are now recruited from abroad, figures show

A quarter of nurses and midwives working in Britain are now recruited from abroad, figures show.

According to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the record high 200,000 foreign-trained workers now represent 23.8 percent of the register.

Of the total, 68,000 are from India, 50,000 have been trained in the Philippines and 15,000 are from Nigeria.

Health leaders said the findings show the NHS system for training home-grown nurses is ‘not fit for purpose’ and warned the UK workforce is ‘increasingly inexperienced’ and heavily reliant on candidates from abroad.

Recent figures show that net migration to Britain has reached a record 2.2 million over the past three years – adding to the country being almost twice the size of Birmingham.

Top nurses have warned that planned government health reforms ‘don’t stand a chance’ if recruitment and retention issues are not addressed.

The report shows that while there are now a record number of nurses and midwives on the register – 841,367 in total – the number of people leaving the profession has also risen.

The figures show that 14,780 UK-trained professionals joined the register between April and September, a fall of 1.8 per cent compared to the previous six months.

The record 200,000 overseas-trained members of the UK nursing and midwifery workforce now represent 23.8 percent of the register, with 68,000 from India, 50,000 trained in the Philippines and 15,000 from Nigeria (file image)

Meanwhile, 11,569 UK-trained staff left the register, around 1.6 per cent more than the figure reported in the six months to September 2023.

The NMC also said international recruitment ‘could start to slow’.

Kuljit Dhillon, interim director of strategy and insight at the NMC, said: ‘Nursing and midwifery are among the most trusted professions in Britain, so as we head into another tough winter we hope there is little comfort in the growth of our register to a record number of 841,000.

‘At the same time, there are signs of caution in our data around international recruitment, which has been a mainstay of workforce growth in recent years.

“We have seen a decline in the number of internationally trained entrants and an even greater proportionate increase in the number of exits, although it is important to view exit data through the lens of a growing registry.”

However, Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), called the figures ‘bad news for patients’.

“Nurse recruitment is slowing, the number of new starters is falling and we are witnessing a devastating increase in the number of people leaving within five years of joining,” she said.

‘At a time of widespread vacancy, these trends are incredibly worrying for our NHS and the people who rely on its care.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced plans to ban the NHS from hiring agency workers to fill its nursing shortage

‘In health and care services, international recruitment was used to fill roster gaps, but we are now seeing thousands of overseas staff choosing to go elsewhere.

‘This comes as the number of student nurses in Britain has fallen significantly again this year, signaling that even worse years lie ahead.

‘As demand for care soars, ministers across the UK must recognize this as a perfect storm for patient safety and take action to improve patient recruitment and retention.

‘Working for low pay, in understaffed shifts with inadequate resources, is taking its toll, with burnout pushing highly skilled nursing staff out the door.’

Top nurses have warned that planned government health reforms ‘don’t stand a chance’ if recruitment and retention issues are not addressed

She urged policymakers to consider measures, such as student loan forgiveness schemes, to ensure there is an adequate home-grown workforce. She added that the Government’s NHS reforms ‘have no chance of being delivered without addressing these fundamental issues’.

Dr. Billy Palmer, senior fellow at think tank Nuffield Trust, welcomed the growth in the register but warned that staffing levels are facing shortages.

He also described the figures as “a chronic symptom of a domestic clinical education system that is not fit for purpose.”

“The UK nursing and midwifery workforce is becoming increasingly inexperienced and facing very worrying shortages in key areas, while the numbers of nurses with learning disabilities are still lower than five years ago,” he said.

‘The number of nurses and midwives with more than ten years’ experience is falling worryingly, with 28 per cent of staff having five years or less experience – echoing similar trends seen in the latest registration data for doctors.’

He added: ‘We have warned that the NHS is failing to attract home-grown nurses, with the number of new domestic hires falling by more than 6,000 in two years.

‘Now the heavy reliance on foreign workers continues, with almost half of new nurses and midwives trained outside Britain.’

A Department of Health spokesperson said: ‘Nurses have been overworked for years, leaving them burnt out and demoralised. That is why we have accepted the recommendations of the independent pay review bodies to grant them and other NHS staff an above-inflation pay rise.

‘We will work with staff to rebuild our health services and give the NHS the stability and certainty it needs.’