Reduction of the Tier 2 visa caps a reassuring sign for care sector
The Government’s recent announcement that it will relax the cap on Tier 2 visas has been met with a welcome reaction from the NHS and social care organisations, who have been increasingly concerned about staffing issues facing the sector.
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In our 2017 Adult Social Care report, Christie & Co highlighted that funding and staffing were the most critical issues for policy makers, with concerns compounded by uncertainty around immigration policies after the Brexit vote. However, these new plans to remove the cap for medical staff will now enable more doctors and nurses from outside the EU into the UK.
Since 2011, the Tier 2 visa route, which only applies to non-EU workers, has had an annual cap of 20,700 for all skilled workers, meaning a limit to the number of doctors and nurses that could be approved over other professionals.
While the new Tier 2 visa policy is definitely a positive, it remains to be seen how this will translate in practice and whether it will be enough to subsidise the current staffing crisis facing the sector. We will be analysing the current state of care in our upcoming 2018 Adult Social Care report, looking at immigration as well as reporting our findings on the impact of funding, training and regulatory issues.
The Christie & Co 2018 Adult Social Care report is due to be published in September 2018.