Journal of Health Services Research & Policy > Volume 9, Supplement 1 > Pp. 10-16

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International rescue? The dynamics and policy implications of the international recruitment of nurses to the UK

James Buchan

Faculty of Social Sciences and Health Care, Queen Margaret University College, Corstorphine Campus, Clerwood Terrace, Edinburgh EH12 8TS, UK

This paper focuses on one global aspect of the current health sector workforce policy agenda – the international recruitment and migration of health workers. It does so primarily by using a case study of the recruitment of nurses to the UK, as a means of exploring the policy challenges and associated research questions.

The paper highlights the limitations in comparing national data on the nursing workforce, illustrating the extent to which currently collated national data can present a misleading picture of staff:population ratios in different countries.

It then reports on the significant growth in the numbers of nurses entering the UK from other countries, using registration data. In 2001/02, more than 16 000 nurses entered the UK nursing register from non-UK sources. In this year, for the first time, the number exceeded the number of home-trained nurses. An analysis of postcode data highlights that these non-UK nurses have a younger age profile than home-based registered nurses and are more likely to report a postcode in London and south-east England. The paper also examines the push and pull factors that contribute to the international mobility of health workers.

The paper concludes by examining the policy implications of this growing reliance on international recruitment, including the effect of the ethical guidelines on international recruitment introduced by the Department of Health in England.

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