The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has backed calls for more clarity on UK immigration rules following the publishing of a new Home Affairs Committee report, which has recommended a review into UK Tier 2 work permits.
The report has openly criticised a lack of clear information for EEA nationals regarding their rights to apply for UK visas following the UK’s decision to leave the bloc.
Concerned about the number of EU nationals struggling to meet UK visa rules when applying for medical jobs in Britain, RCP president Professor Jane Dacre stated that she encourages the review to specifically look into Brexit’s impact on NHS recruitment.
“It’s vital that the NHS is able to continue to recruit talented professionals into an overstretched and understaffed system,” she said. “The government must continue to provide reassurances that EU doctors will remain welcome and have their contribution to the NHS valued without having to jump through numerous hoops.”
These calls have been mirrored by Cavendish Coalition co-convenor Nadra Ahmed who has suggested that the report highlights the significant hurdles faced by the medical industry’s employers as the UK moves closer to Brexit.
Dr Andrew Dearden, treasurer for the British Medical Association, has also supported these calls for clarity, adding that “too many questions” still remain unanswered for the medical industry.
“This report throws serious doubt on the government’s ability to plan and deliver the proposed Brexit changes to immigration services,” he said.