§ Lord Chanasked Her Majesty's Government:
What efforts have been made to identify refugees with medical and nursing qualifications; and whether they will take steps to incorporate them in the National Health Service. [HL1922]
§ Lord Hunt of Kings HeathThe NHS Plan holds a commitment to provide extra staff to the National Health Service, and the Government believe that it makes moral and economic sense to use the skills of doctors and nurses in the refugee community to the best advantage of the NHS.
The Government have funded the Refugee Council to set up and run a database for refugee doctors. Registration is voluntary but doctors on it will receive targeted counselling and career advice. There are plans to run similar initiatives for other health professions.
The Government have been instrumental in removing some of the bureaucratic and financial barriers so that refugees can access the training opportunities they need to succeed in the NHS. Further funding has been made available to various projects designed to help refugee health professionals requalify and start work in the NHS, and a steering group has been set up to allocate this funding and coordinate such initiatives. Around £500,000 is available for a range of projects throughout the country, some of which have received funding already and others will receive decisions on bids shortly.