MP John Spellar calls for more NHS career opportunities for British youngsters
Britain must rapidly expand training opportunities for medics in order to stop the NHS being reliant on foreign workers, Warley MP John Spellar has said.
Mr Spellar said the Covid-19 pandemic had revealed how "shockingly dependent" the UK had become on other countries for its medical workforce.
The Labour MP also said the crisis had exposed a "previous neglect of training".
Speaking in Education Questions, he urged ministers to take immediate action to boost the number of training places available and "prioritise a rapid and substantial increase in training places in our universities and colleges".
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Mr Spellar asked: "Will the minister now prioritise a rapid and substantial increase in training places in our universities and colleges – and capital funding for virtual reality training for doctors, nurses and other medical personnel.
"Not only to staff our NHS, but also to provide career opportunities for our youngsters."
In response, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said the Government would be working to increase the number of UK-trained doctors and nurses.
"It is really important that we look at different ways in which we can expand the capacity to train doctors and nurses and all those who are working in the caring professions," the South Staffordshire MP added.
Analysis by the Nuffield Trust think tank – based on ONS data on the number of health and social care workers actually born overseas – shows that around 818,000 people born abroad made up 19 per cent of all workers across health and social care in the UK in 2018-19 – almost one fifth of all workers in the sector.
The trust says around a quarter of hospital workers were born abroad.
