NHS crisis looms as international staff say they feel ‘unwelcome’

WorldHealth & Fitness
14 Apr 2026 • 5:20 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

NHS crisis looms as international staff say they feel ‘unwelcome’

  • A Unison survey indicates that 43% of international health workers in the UK are considering leaving, largely due to feelings of being unwelcome amid anti-immigrant rhetoric.
  • The survey of nearly 1,900 professionals found that a quarter feel unwelcome and a fifth report feeling unsafe in the country.
  • Unison warns that proposed government changes to settlement rules for migrant workers, alongside increasing visa fees, risk worsening the existing NHS staffing crisis.
  • Helga Pile, Unison’s head of health, emphasised that the UK's health and care services depend on these skilled workers and urged ministers to reconsider policies that might drive them away.
  • Previously, Jeanette Dickson of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges highlighted that the government's immigration approach fosters a 'hostile environment', deterring international doctors and nurses from the NHS.

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