This paper is an evaluation of the impact of the threat of Brexit on employment, recruitment, and retention of EU migrant workers within the NHS. According to a survey by the Shelford Group (2018), over 40% of the NHS employers and service providers have mentioned that they will be negatively impacted by the restricted migration from the EU and only 35% of the employers mentioned that they have an active plan of recruiting staff locally or from out of the EU.
In fact, a large number of respondents were anxious about the rights of the current EU workforce in the near future and if these people suddenly leave the job due to Brexit, there is a serious shortage of skilled workers in the health and social care sector and NHS is going to feel the burden. Therefore, it is very important to assess the impact on the NHS’s ability to employ, recruit and retain staff from the EU. Within the scope of this study, the level of EU migrant workers in the NHS will be assessed along with their impact in running the services. However, the issues related to the NHS and Brexit are multifaceted and not all of them will be assessed through this study due to certain limitations.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background Study
1.2 Research Question
1.3 Research Aims and Objectives
1.4 Rationale
1.5 Research Limitations
1.6 Research Roadmap
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 The Status Negotiations on Future Mobility of EU Citizens
2.2 Prospect of International Migration Post-2020
2.3 Implications of uncertainty over future immigration system
2.4 The Current Scenario of EU Workforce in the Health and Social Care Sector
Chapter 3: Research Methods
3.1 Research Purpose
3.2 Research Approach
3.3 Research Strategy
3.4 Generalisability
3.5 Data Collection
3.6 Time Horizons
3.7 Limitations
Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis
4.1 Composition of Health Care Workforce in the UK
4.2 Analysis of the Findings for Doctors and Dentists
4.3 Analysis of the Findings for Nurses
4.4 Impact of EU Referendum on NHS
4.5 Summary of Findings
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendation
5.1 Conclusion
5.2 Recommendations
5.3 Future Research Opportunity
Research Objectives and Themes
This research aims to evaluate the impact of the threat of Brexit on the NHS's ability to recruit, employ, and retain EU migrant workers, while analyzing the broader consequences for the UK healthcare workforce.
- Impact of Brexit-related uncertainty on current EU staff retention in the NHS.
- Analysis of the current composition of the UK healthcare workforce regarding EU nationals.
- Evaluation of recruitment challenges for doctors, nurses, and dentists post-referendum.
- Strategic recommendations for the NHS to manage potential staffing shortages.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1 Background Study
It is a widely known fact that the NHS is an ailing organisation and despite ongoing efforts from the government, it has serious lack of facilities, skills and resources to meet the increasing demand of the aging population of the UK. The 2016 referendum in the UK has added another layer of uncertainty and complexity to the health and social care workforce which is already a key struggling area for the NHS. According to Nuffield Trust (2017), there will be long term impact on the people receiving care and treatment at NHS of any deal that is being concluded between the UK and the EU.
The number of people aged over 65 has increased to 18% of the total population in 2016 which was about 14% in 1976 and during the same time, the number of total population in the UK increased by about 10 million. Therefore, it is natural to estimate that the pressure on the NHS gradually increased where the number of finished consultations was about 21 million in 2012 which was only about 6 million in 1970 (Hawe and Cockcroft, 2013). This increased level of service was possible to provide due to the increase in the number of health and social care staff. The importance of the staffs become even more significant when it is known that the number of available hospital beds decreased to about 2.9 in 2012 which was about 9 in 1975 (Hawe and Cockcroft, 2013).
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Introduction: Outlines the staffing challenges facing the NHS due to an aging population and the added complexities introduced by the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Chapter 2: Literature Review: Examines current negotiations regarding EU citizen mobility and the prospective impact of Brexit on the UK immigration system and healthcare workforce.
Chapter 3: Research Methods: Details the explanatory, inductive research approach and case study strategy utilized to analyze secondary data concerning the NHS workforce.
Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis: Presents empirical data on the composition of the UK healthcare workforce and analyzes trends in the recruitment and retention of EU doctors, dentists, and nurses.
Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendation: Summarizes the threat of staffing shortages and proposes strategic measures, such as enhanced support for EU staff and flexible recruitment pathways, to ensure NHS operational continuity.
Keywords
NHS, Brexit, EU migrant workers, Healthcare workforce, Recruitment, Retention, Staffing shortages, Immigration policy, Nursing, Doctors, Dentists, Healthcare management, UK employment, Skilled labor, Referendum.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
This research evaluates the impact of the Brexit threat on the employment, recruitment, and retention of EU migrant workers within the National Health Service (NHS).
What are the central themes of the study?
Key themes include the uncertainty surrounding post-Brexit immigration policies, the reliance of the NHS on EU staff, and the resulting challenges in maintaining a stable healthcare workforce.
What is the core research objective?
The primary objective is to assess the NHS's capacity to retain its existing EU staff and its ability to continue recruiting international talent amidst the uncertainty of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
Which research methodology is applied?
The study adopts an explanatory, inductive approach, utilizing a case study strategy and secondary data analysis from sources such as the GMC and NMC to draw conclusions.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main sections cover the background of NHS staffing issues, a literature review on migration, the research methodology, a detailed analysis of findings concerning specific medical professions, and strategic recommendations.
How would you characterize the keywords for this work?
The work is characterized by terms related to healthcare administration, labor economics in the medical sector, and the socio-political impacts of Brexit on migrant workers.
How has the Brexit referendum specifically affected the retention of nurses?
The analysis indicates a decline in nurses joining the NHS and an increase in those leaving, suggesting that uncertainty regarding rights and future status has negatively impacted retention rates.
What recommendations does the author propose for the NHS?
The author recommends providing legal counseling for EU staff, reviewing language and certification requirements, offering permanent roles, and creating flexible career pathways to improve recruitment and retention.
- Citar trabajo
- Salamun Adnan (Autor), 2019, An evaluation of the impact of the threat of Brexit on employment, recruitment and retention of EU migrant workers within the NHS, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/595815
