UK IMMIGRATION NEWS

Stricter Tier 1 (General) criteria may cause doctor shortage in the UK

Thursday, 21 May 2009

The British Medical Association Council have expressed concerns over the impact that tough new immigration rules, which came into effect in March 2009, have had on UK health services.

Following the introduction of the tougher immigration rules on 31 March 2009, the chairman of the British Medical Association Council, Dr Hamish Meldrum, has expressed his concern to Alan Johnson, the Health Secretary in relation to potential effects on the UK health services.

The new rules introduced to the Tier 1 (General) Highly Skilled Worker category require that applicants must have a Master's degree as a minimum qualification. Without a Master's degree, it is impossible for anyone to make an initial application under the Tier 1 (General) category.

It is predicted that the requirement for a Masters degree may prevent highly talented foreign doctors from being able to come and work in the UK, as a Medical degree is classed only as a Bachelor’s degree in many countries around the world.

These changes will also affect medical students and student doctors who have been studying in the UK from continuing their studies past the two-year post graduate training programme. Therefore, student doctors who have been studying in the UK for up to 7 years may not be allowed to work in the NHS or privately, after their studies.

The Department of Health has already admitted that current shortages in certain skills areas in the medical profession were caused, in part, by previous immigration policy changes. Meldrum is now calling for intervention from Johnson to prevent the problem from worsening.

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