In 2020, the NHS found itself in a grave predicament it could not have seen coming. Hospitals were crammed, resources were stretched thin, and a pandemic took Britain by storm. Due to their hard work and selflessness the nation would take to the streets and "#ClapForTheNHS". However, it seems only the British workers felt the love and recognition for their contributions to the nation's healthcare system.

During the pandemic, having as many medical workers as possible was extremely essential that the government began to recruit nurses from overseas to help deal with COVID in Britain, with approximately £15 million spent on recruiting 1000 international doctors.

Many took up high-risk positions and worked with limited protective equipment for long hours. Unfortunately in some cases, like that of Pakistani GP Dr. Habib Zaidi, some migrant workers died due to treating their patients with COVID, highlighting the risk and sacrifice these people made for the public.

Given the fact that they are here to help the country, one might think the government wouldn't try to make their jobs any more difficult than they have to be. That is not the case. Government officials, like House of Lords member Dido Harding, believe that the NHS has an overreliance on foreign workers. He also believes that even the aspirations of workers, like Ifeoma, have become that much harder to achieve due to the strict laws around the status of migrants. Ifeoma stated, "Back home in Nigeria, I was a scientist. I have a degree. But because of my status, I've found it hard to train to become an occupational therapist, which was my aim.”

However, it is not solely the government providing the workers difficulty, it is likely the patients too. Matilde, of Angolan and Portuguese heritage, says that racism affects her in her job as some of her patients, and their families "don't like me ­touching them -  they treat me like I have a disease. I find that so ­hurtful." As of last June, about 19%, approximately 1 in 5, of NHS staff in England were foreign-born, with significant representation from Nigeria and the Philippines. However, the relationship between migrants and the NHS isn't a new idea that originated from the Pandemic. Whether it was the Irish or the Caribbean nurses of the 1940s, or the Indian and Pakistani doctors during the 1960s, people from other countries have been the backbone of Britain's health service since its conception and it is time to give them their due.

Written by Jacob

Moderated by Adelene

References

BMJ. (2021). Covid-19: Refugee doctors join NHS through innovative scheme. [online] The BMJ. Available at: https://www.bmj.com/coronavirus/usage

NHS Digital (2023) NHS workforce statistics: June 2023. [online] Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-workforce-statistics/june-2023

House of Commons Library (2023) Research Briefing: NHS staff statistics. [online] Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7783/#:~:text=The%20proportion%20of%20NHS%20staff,was%205.2%25%20in%20June%202023