London Calling?

International recruitment of health workers to the capital

James Buchan, Renu Jobanputra, Pippa Gough
July 2004 | ISBN 978 1 85717 504 2 | 12 pages | £3.00

London is more reliant than other parts of England on the international recruitment of health professionals. This raises several questions. How can employers support and develop such a diverse workforce? How can they retain hard-won international health care staff in the face of increasing international competition? And is it ethical to recruit workers from developing countries experiencing their own shortages? This research summary profiles the capital’s international health care workforce for the first time, with case studies detailing the experiences of three London NHS trusts. It is the first publication of a wider programme of work on the international recruitment of health workers to the capital.