AQW 6879/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 19/02/2024
Answered On Date: 04/03/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health what support is being offered to Health and Social Care Trusts in the recruitment of doctors from overseas, given that the General Medical Council says this recruitment will continue to be essential across the UK.

Answer:

International recruitment is a key avenue in addressing our resource issues in the future and ensuring that the health & social care service can deliver the safe and effective service for patients.

The international recruits who arrive to work here across our HSC system provide an immensely valuable contribution to the delivery of health and social care services, let alone to our communities. Northern Ireland has a proud reputation of providing excellent pastoral care for newly arrived international recruits, underpinned by adherence to ethical international recruitment principles. The Department is committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in international recruitment.

The Department published the new updated Code of Practice for International Recruitment in April 2023 which aims to protect the rights of international recruits across health and social care, including those employed within the independent sector.

Since 2016 1,638 international nurses have been recruited regionally across the five HSC Trusts through the well-established and highly successful International Nurse Recruitment project. In addition, over the last 3 years a total of 207 international doctors have been recruited to HSC Trusts.

Work is now progressing to develop the potential for international recruitment for other healthcare professions including pharmacy, social work and allied health professionals.