The global nurses’ federation says Britain’s recruitment of nurses from poorer countries as a quick fix for its own underinvestment in the profession is a serious cause of concern.
The International Council of Nurses says wealthy countries recruiting nursing staff from some of the world’s most fragile health systems was extremely hard to justify and perhaps should be stopped entirely.
The ICN says seven or eight wealthy countries notably Britain, the United States, and Canada were driving around 80 percent of international nurse migration, to try to address their domestic shortages.
ICN chief executive Howard Catton cited talks between Britain and Ghana whereby London will pay Accra £1,000 per nurse recruited.
The ICN says international recruitment focused largely on experienced, specialised nurses, rather than the myth that only newly-qualified nurses were being targeted.