A recent report from the UK Nurses and Midwifery Council (NMC) has revealed a surge in the number of registered Nigerian-trained nurses joining the UK workforce, News About Nigeria reports.
According to the report, there was a 625% increase in Nigerian-educated nurses joining the UK workforce in the six months leading up to September last year.
The data shows that 12,099 Nigerian-educated nurses registered in the UK during the specified period, compared to just 1,670 registered nurses recorded during the same period in 2022.
“We’ve seen the number of professionals joining the register for the first time between April and September more than double in the last five years,” the NMC stated.
The rate of foreign hiring has also increased; in the past six months, 15,036 new professionals with foreign educations have joined the register, matching the number of professionals with UK educations. Nigerians made up 9.69 percent of them.
This increase is part of a larger trend that has seen a rise in registrations from red-list countries, where active recruitment isn’t permitted.
Despite efforts outlined by the Department of Health and Social Care to limit active recruitment from red-list countries, including Nigeria, the UK’s healthcare system faces staffing challenges.
The National Health Service (NHS) continually seeks to address staff shortages, particularly in the wake of increased healthcare demands, such as those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to staffing challenges, the UK government pledged to increase nurse numbers by 50,000 by 2025 and introduced initiatives like the Health and Care Skilled Worker Visa to encourage international applications.
Recent figures show an increase in the number of visas granted under this scheme.
However, the departure of Nigerian-trained nurses to the UK exacerbates the staffing shortage in Nigeria.
The country faces a critical shortage of health workers, with a nurse-to-patient ratio far below the World Health Organization’s recommended standards.
To address this shortage, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) has implemented guidelines requiring nurses seeking to work abroad to have at least two years of work experience after receiving their permanent practicing licence.
Additionally, nurses must have an active practicing licence with at least six months remaining before expiration to be eligible for relocation.
