Wes Streeting has pledged to stop the NHS from relying on foreign nurses as part of the Government’s efforts to cut net migration.
Speaking to GB News’ Chopper’s Political Podcast, the Health Secretary said that he would instruct healthcare bosses to find British nurses to care for patients rather than “nicking” them from other countries.
It comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told the Labour party conference that his Government would cut net migration.
Starmer also told GB News that he did not see concerns about migration as a “far right” issue.
NHS bosses to stop ‘nicking’ nurses from other countries, vows Wes StreetingGB NewsStreeting told the podcast: “I think it’s part of my responsibility as the Health and Social Care Secretary to help the Home Secretary reduce net migration in this country, because we do have an overreliance.
“And two things can be true at the same time. Firstly, we’re really lucky that we’ve got some amazing people from around the world who come to our country to provide great care in our NHS and social care system, and I’m grateful to those people, but we’re also overreliant.
“And I think, frankly, for a long time now, we’ve had a culture that says we won’t bother to train our own homegrown talent.
“We’ll just nick people from elsewhere, which is, um, I think unfair on those countries, but also unfair on people in our own country who might love the chance to work.”