Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Healthcare Visa scheme prioritises (a) ethical recruitment practices and (b) safeguards against the exploitation of migrant healthcare professionals.

The Code of Practice for International Recruitment of Health and Social Care Personnel prioritises stringent ethical standards for employers and recruiters to follow when recruiting health and social care staff from overseas on the Health and Care Worker visa. A guiding principle of the code is that international health and social care personnel will have the same legal rights and responsibilities as domestically trained staff in all terms of employment and conditions of work.

The Department has also published guidance on applying for a health or care job in the United Kingdom from abroad to address the risks facing international candidates with regards to scams and workplace exploitation. The guidance aims to ensure that candidates are well informed about living and working in the UK, warned about the risks, and know who to contact if they have concerns.

NHS England’s NHS Equality, Improvement and Diversity Plan sets out, and encourages organisations to implement, a comprehensive induction, onboarding, and development programme for internationally recruited staff, ensuring they feel welcomed and valued right from the start of their career. This includes the need to ensure there is clear communication, support, and guidance on the conditions of their employment.

Pay uplifts for nurses and other healthcare staff employed directly on national contracts are determined through the Government responding to recommendations from the Pay Review Bodies (PRB). The PRBs base their recommendations on a range of factors including the economic context, cost of living, recruitment and retention, morale, and the motivation of National Health Service staff.