Expansion of NHS recruitment

New efforts to recruit doctors, nurses and specialist health staff from across the world will launch later this year.

Following the relaxation of UK visa rules, the Scottish Government will expand its activity to attract overseas medical and nursing staff who can bring their expertise and skills to work in health and care services.

It will build upon recruitment campaigns already being developed for nursing, midwifery, social care and GPs.

Health Secretary Shona Robison made the announcement at the annual NHS Scotland Event in Glasgow today.

Ms Robison said:

“Scotland’s NHS benefits enormously from the contribution made by staff from outside Scotland. 

“We know there are issues with vacancies across Scotland. The current system of free movement allows skilled, experienced health professionals from across the EU to work in our NHS, filling vacancies in hard to recruit specialisms or in parts of the country with staffing challenges.

“Brexit is already impacting on this, so we are taking action now to try and mitigate against the damage from Brexit on our health and care workforce. Our message to our staff from the EU is simple – we value our contribution to our NHS and our nation, and we want you to stay.

“It is welcome that the UK Government has finally listened to our repeated calls to relax the visa regulations for vital, highly skilled international medical and nursing staff.

“We have already committed to recruitment campaigns for nursing, midwifery, social care and GPs this year. So we will now expand international recruitment activity further and focus on specialties and professional groups which have recruitment challenges and are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of EU withdrawal.”