The government of the United Kingdom has placed Nigeria on the red list of countries that should not be actively targeted for recruitment by health and social care employers. The only exception to this situation is when there is a government-to-government agreement between the two countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) draws the red list, where Nigeria has been placed, from its health workforce support and safeguards list. This list, which was released about a month ago, comprises 55 countries that face the most pressing health workforce challenges related to universal health coverage.
Specifically, these countries have a density of doctors, nurses and midwives below the global median as well as a universal health coverage service index below a certain threshold. For instance, while the WHO recommends one doctor to every 600 people, Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio is one doctor to 8,000 people. The disclosure of the restriction is contained in the updated information titled, “Code of Practice for the international recruitment of Health and Social Care Personnel in England,” which is available on the website of the UK government.
The listed countries are to be prioritized for health personnel development.
According to the Expert Advisory Group on the Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (the Code), countries with the most pressing health workforce needs related to universal health coverage should be identified, and support and safeguards targeted at them. The advisory group further urged leading destination countries and development partners, including other entities interested in providing health workforce related support and safeguards, to commit multi-year flexible funds towards implementation of the Code as a global public good.
This fourth progress report noted that the negative health, economic and social impact of COVID-19, alongside the increasing demand for health and care workers in high-income countries, might be increasing vulnerabilities within countries already suffering from low health workforce densities. The UK government in the updated information said that country identification follows the methodology contained in the 10-year review of the relevance and effectiveness of the WHO global code of practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.
Ethical recruitments are still permitted and Nigeria can make amber list.
It is also stated in the official document that if an agreement is put in place between a partner country (and the UK), which restricts recruiting organizations to the terms of the agreement, the country is added to the amber list. Meanwhile, the code of practice also states that ethical recruitment is determined by the country from which the individual is resident in, rather than the nationality of the individual or their original country of training. In other words, if a health worker is a national of a red-list country but does not reside there or in another red-list country, the restrictions do not apply.
Countries that are not on either the red or amber lists are to be considered “green” countries and active recruitment is permitted where there is a government-to-government agreement with the UK in place. The amber countries where international recruitment is only permitted in compliance with the terms of the governments agreement are Kenya and Nepal. If the Federal Government of Nigeria can have an agreement with the UK, the country will be bumped to the amber list.
Governments agreement also comes with certain restrictions.
Active recruitment is permitted from green-graded countries where there is a government-to-government agreement with the UK in place for international health and care workforce recruitment. However, this agreement may set parameters, implemented by the country of origin, for how UK employers, contracting bodies, recruitment organizations, agencies, and collaborations recruit. These organizations are encouraged to recruit on the terms of the agreement between governments. Green-graded countries with a government-to-government agreement for managing international health and care workforce recruitment are India, Malaysia, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
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UK restricts health workers recruitment. – WHO health workforce support and safeguards list puts Nigeria on the red list. – Express your point of view.
The decision to restrict health workers recruitment in the UK should be carefully considered, taking into account the current and future healthcare needs of the population, as well as the potential impact on healthcare professionals themselves. While managing finances and immigration are important considerations, it is crucial that the healthcare needs of patients and the wider population are not overlooked.
This is so funny because UK was looking for many health workers a whille ago and now they are restricting them due to the large influx of Nigerians that bombarded the country.
So now the UK has realized that they no longer need more people but I find that alarming because a lot of people in UK still complain that they wait on long queues before they get attended to at an hospital.
Damn this move would hinder a whole lot of health workers that still plan on living Nigeria for the UK, this is good for Nigeria because we would have more leath workers but bad for the health workers.
UK has the prerogative to restrict health workers recruitment. But they should allow us for sometime, maybe not now because a lot of people are still trying to move abroad and become health workers.
I won’t blame WHO or UK for their decision to restricts health workers recruitment placing Nigeria on the forefront of the red alert. Our government is to be blamed for mass exodus of Nigerian doctors to foreign countries in search of greener pasture because less attention is given by our government to them. The doctors entitlement were not given, salaries withheld etc. WHO need to reconsider Nigerian healthcare givers because our government have nothing to offer them here at home.
It’s sad that nigeria has been put on red list because migrating to UK as an health care worker is the big dream of some Nigerians
UK restricts health workers recruitment. This is what bad name is causing, almost every country is afraid and restricting Nigeria from so many things. Everything is not just working Normal in Nigeria due to the failure of government bodies
Because of country did not sever the health workers well that why they are leaving the country and going to other country to work now UK have restrict in recuirting health workers
This restriction could end up being a perfect move that will benefit Nigeria workforce system. The increasing brain drain syndrome ongoing in the country will surely reduced Ada consequences of the UK restriction.
All this banning and not banning of relocation or migration of health workers by the UK government or WHO placing placing red alert on accepting health workers from the country is not the main problem.The major problem is that the government didn’t do the right thing to keep their healthcare provider in the country and if UK government didn’t accept them other countries will.
I am no so surprise that the UK government restricts health workers recruitment in UK for 55 countries in which Nigeria is inclusive because the number of migrating Nigerian health workers to UK is too high. It is just pathetic that WHO health workforce support and safeguards list puts Nigeria on the red list. If our goverment have done the needful, we won’t find ourselve in this mess.