Care providers express anger over delays for overseas care staff

Care providers are angry over bureaucracy that is fuelling delays in recruiting overseas staff to help tackle shortages in the sector.

Both the NHS and social care face shortages of staff as autumn and winter approach, when demand for healthcare typically surges.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said hiring more nurses from overseas would help relieve pressure on the NHS and has asked civil servants to increase overseas recruitment.

But while it welcomed his words, the social care provider organisation the Independent Care Group (ICG) said the real issue was Home Office bureaucracy.

ICG Chair Mike Padgham said: ‘We agree with the health secretary that we need more overseas staff to ease the shortage but the truth is Home Office bureaucracy is strangling the process.

‘Care providers are waiting months to get their application for a licence to recruit overseas workers approved and in the meantime, care is suffering.

‘So whilst we applaud the health secretary for highlighting the issue, he needs to get on to the Home Office and sort out the bottleneck, otherwise a situation that is already dire, will be critical this winter.’

Last month, Skills for Care revealed the number of vacant posts in social care had shot up by 55,000 in the past year – an increase of 52%.

Social care currently looks after 400,000 people in care and nursing homes – that is three times the number in NHS hospital beds. Social care looks after a further 640,000 people in their own homes.

In related news, six hundred people a day are joining growing waiting lists to be assessed for care and support in England, as adult social care faces unprecedented pressures.

Almost 300,000 people are now waiting for an assessment of their needs by social workers, an increase of 90,000 (44%) in five months. 

At this rate of increase, the number waiting will hit 400,000 by November – double the total 12 months previously.

Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography