Royal College of Nursing (RCN) highlights risks to NHS workforce as new report reveals migrant nursing staff are planning to leave the UK

The RCN is warning that new UK immigration measures could accelerate an exodus of internationally educated nurses IENs), with potentially devastating consequences for health and social care services in Wales.

On the third day of annual Congress held in Liverpool this week, the RCN expressed grave concerns that the current UK government policies are creating an increasingly unwelcoming environment, which is contributing to the departure of skilled nursing staff and discouraging others from entering the profession.

A new report, Unreciprocated Care: why internationally educated nursing staff are leaving the UK, draws on responses from over 3,000 internationally educated nursing staff—including those working in NHS Wales and social care settings across the country. The findings reveal that 42% are planning to leave the UK, with two-thirds of them intending to move to a third country like Australia, Canada or New Zealand, rather than return home.

This comes at a time when health and care services in Wales are already under enormous pressure. In the NHS alone, there are 2,000 registered nurse vacancies in Wales. Social care is facing similar challenges, with many local authorities struggling to recruit and retain care workers.

Helen Whyley, Executive Director of RCN Wales, said:

“Internationally educated nurses are a vital part of our workforce in Wales. Many came here to work in good faith, but are now telling us they feel exploited, undervalued, and shut out of the system.”

“These new immigration rules not only make it harder to attract new staff—they threaten to push out the very professionals who are already keeping our health and care services afloat.”

The survey found that the most frequently cited reasons for leaving the UK were low salaries (70%) and immigration policies (40%). Internationally educated staff are currently barred from accessing public funds until they secure indefinite leave to remain—a status which, under new proposals, will take ten years to obtain instead of five.

The report also highlights the emotional toll of widespread discrimination, with 64% of respondents saying they have experienced racism or other forms of bias since moving to the UK.

A Filipino Senior Nurse in Wales said: “I once applied for a job in Wales that I didn’t get, and the feedback identified that I did not explain myself properly because I am Filipino. It is also widely also known in Wales that there are very few IENs in senior posts.”

“We need to be more visible to support our IEN’s to develop their interview skills and knowledge to help them succeed in job interviews. English is a language, not a gauge of a person's ability as a nurse.”

A nurse from India working in Wales, said: ‘I found out that I was pregnant after arriving in Wales and was unable to get maternity benefits. I only took 4 months off following a painful caesarean recovery to support my family’.

Despite these challenges, Wales has been actively seeking to welcome and retain international health professionals. Just last year, the Welsh government signed an agreement with the Government of Kerala in India to bring an initial group of 250 doctors and nurses to Wales. That target has already been exceeded, with over 300 professionals now recruited, and many already working in hospitals and communities across Wales.

Helen Whyley added:

“Wales has taken encouraging steps to build ethical and sustainable partnerships, like the agreement with Kerala. But this progress is being undermined by hostile policies at a UK level.

"If we want to keep the highly skilled people who have chosen to make Wales their home, we must offer them fair pay, decent treatment and a clear, affordable route to settlement.”

Notes to editors:

The report Unreciprocated Care: why internationally educated nursing staff are leaving the UK is available upon request.

The survey included over 3,000 migrant nursing staff, including those currently working in Wales.

The RCN UK Report has recommended that Wales and other UK countries ensure that race equality strategies have clear actions for public sector bodies to tackle bias, racism and discrimination. Race equality strategies should include clear lines of accountability and reporting, and governments must publish outcomes of these strategies.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the including around 30,500 members in Wales. The RCN promotes the interests of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape health care policy.      

For more information, contact the RCN Wales communications and media team on 02920 680 769 or mediawales@rcn.org.uk