In the midst of a shortage of staff in the care sector across the United Kingdom, the British government opted for a temporary relaxation of immigration rules for care workers, care assistants and home care workers.
The government has announced that thousands of additional care workers are to be recruited from abroad in order to fill the gaps in the workforce. As a matter of fact, recent official figures reveal that over 40.000 social care staff have left the sector since July 2021.
Different reasons can explain this sudden shortage. Some point out the overall Brexit context. However, there is another reason which has definitely influenced this trend, namely the upcoming implementation of mandatory vaccination for hospital staff.
Entire hospital units could be forced to shut because of staff quitting in protest at the government’s decision. Indeed, many midwives, nurses, assistants and other professionals refuse to get the jab which will be mandatory from the 1st of April 2022.
The update of the migration regulation follows a recommendation from the Migration Advisory Committee, which recently warned about “severe and increasing difficulties faced by the care sector”. The Department of Health and Social Care also emphasised that the pandemic had brought “unprecedented challenges.”
The research organisation Skills for Care estimated that in November 2021, as many as 11 per cent of workplaces were vacant in the care sector. Nursing homes and hospices are another sector of the British economy that is struggling with staffing problems resulting among others from the epidemiological situation.
„Temporary measures are likely to enter into force early next year,” the UK Department of Health and Welfare announced on the 25th of December. The ministry added that care workers will be able to relocate to the UK with their dependents, including partners and children.
The Ministry of Health also announced that the application processing will be accelerated and visa fees will be reduced. The standard health and care professional visa application fee amounts to 232 GBP per person staying in the UK for up to three years and to 464 GBP for someone staying longer than three years.
Author: Sébastien Meuwissen
Photo: Unsplash
