Should UK-trained nurses get priority over overseas nurses for NHS jobs?
There is no legal rule giving UK-trained nurses priority for NHS jobs: trusts hire individually, and overseas nurses need a Health and Care Worker visa and NMC registration. Overseas joiners to the nursing register fell 47% to 10,961 in the year to March 2026, and the 2025 10 Year Health Plan aims to cut international recruitment to under 10% of hires by 2035. Meanwhile, the Royal College of Nursing reported in August 2026 that a third of entry-level England vacancies in July blocked new graduates, and 383 graduates in Wales went unmatched to jobs.
8 Opinions
Duh! Of course!
Yes. Message ends. :-)
Prioritise British citizens, then introduce incentives when there are gaps
The only reason they don’t is because it’s costly to train our own staff. We are essentially importing staff because we don’t want to pay to train people here. Standards are slipping in hospitals because of differences in standards of training globally, not to mention cultural and linguistic barriers, which cause mistakes and delays that all add up. Overseas healthcare workers are fleeing poorer countries that really need high-quality nurses. It is an exploitative practice. Edited
There aren't enough nursing staff. What we need are the best qualified and experienced. We start prioritising where they come from you might miss having the most capable and devoted staff.
UK citizens, where qualified, should always get priority for jobs in state run or funded organisations. Handing job’s to non UK citizens should need proof it cannot be filled otherwise.
As in any job, you want the best person for the job. As a patient, I'd want the most competent and skilled professional looking after me. Being UK trained alone does not make someone best qualified for a job. Being UK trained also doesn't necessarily guarantee they are a UK national. Our training standards may be higher than some, but standards in many other countries are similar. All things being equal, then the priority should be given to British citizen.