PRITI: I’LL CONTROL BORDERS
Home Secretary to announce new points-based system in boost for NHS recruits
PLANS for an ‘NHS Visa’ to fast track doctors and nurses from abroad into vacancies in the Health service will be announced today.
Medical staff hoping to work here will have a decision on their applications within two weeks, and the visa fee will be half the normal price.
The proposal is part of Tory plans for an australian- style points system which will prioritise migrants with much-needed skills.
Home secretary priti patel will also warn that labour’s ‘uncontrolled and unlimited’ migration would put greater pressure on schools and hospitals.
‘The choice at this election is clear. Vote Jeremy Corbyn if you want to delay Brexit, get another deadlocked parliament and two more chaotic referendums, with uncontrolled and unlimited immigration placing pressure on our schools and hospitals,’ she will say.
‘Or vote Boris Johnson and the Conservatives to get Brexit done, get immigration under control with a australian-style based points system and get on with investing in our NHS, our schools and our police.’ last week shadow
Chancellor John McDonnell said labour wanted to see ‘as much free movement as possible’ after Brexit.
There are around 100,000 vacancies in the NHS, representing almost one in 11 jobs. The shortages include 10,000 doctors and 43,000 nurses. The lack of Health service staff has been blamed for the rise in cancelled operations and an increase in payments to locum doctors and agency nurses.
a report last month found some hospitals were offering doctors up to £3,500 a shift to plug the crisis.
Mps warned last year that the NHS needs to attract more workers from overseas or the situation will ‘ rapidly reach crisis point’. Miss patel said the new system would allow in ‘vital professions’ while keeping control of numbers.
she said: ‘ These measures are part of our plan for an australianstyle points-based immigration system that allows us to control numbers while remaining open to vital professions like nurses.
‘That means the best of both worlds – attracting talent from around the world so our NHS continues to provide brilliant service while ensuring that it isn’t put under strain by opening Britain’s borders to the entire world.’ Details of the visa were released by Conservative officials last night and will appear in the Tory manifesto.
They show NHS Visa applicants will pay a fee of £464, half the £928 paid by other visa applicants. a decision will be guaranteed within two weeks and, under the new system, extra points will be awarded for coming to work in the NHS.
anyone applying for the NHS Visa will be able to pay back the £400 cost of the ‘Immigration
Health surcharge’ – which is charged to migrants to cover the cost of health treatment, via their salary.
The prime Minister wants to make it easier for the NHS to hire staff from overseas, while keeping ‘control’ of immigration after Brexit.
speaking outside Downing street on Wednesday, he raised immigration for the first time in the campaign.
Mr Johnson said: ‘ Come with us, and put in a points-based system for immigration, or go with labour and a totally uncontrolled and unlimited immigration system that would put huge pressure on the NHS and other services.’
‘The best of both worlds’