Foreign nurses hold the NHS together – ignore the Daily Mail

The Daily Mail has a lot in common with genital herpes. It’s seemingly permanent, an unacceptable topic in polite conversation, can go several months without causing annoyance but occasionally flares up in repulsive and virulent fashion. And so it did today. Following the (entirely justified) conviction of Victorino Chua, who poisoned at least 22 patients, the Mail saw fit to effectively brand all Filipinos as potential murderers:

Why not just ‘Did The Nurse Murder 11 More?’

In the article itself, the linking of which to my blog makes me physically nauseous, the Mail gives details of their undercover investigation into the hiring practices of NHS organisations in the Philippines. It was possible to cheat on some entrance exams, they say. Forged copies of qualifications can be obtained in Manila, they say (though they found no proof this had happened – but their reporter did get some certificates made and stood outside the shop looking shifty for effect). The insinuations are clear – that the nurses aren’t any good but are gaming the system to steal UK taxpayer’s money and also have sinister intentions.

What a load of crap.

If some entrance exams are too easy, allowing a slim minority of underqualified nurses to gain employment in the UK then fine, look into that. Do make sure you don’t forget about the series of other rigorous process that nurses have to undergo to start and remain in work in the UK when you cast judgement.

But don’t anyone dare conflate this with foreign staff being of generally poor quality with criminal intent. I have worked in the NHS for many years, and met many foreign nurses. I’ve met so many because there are so many. One in seven trained abroad. The vast majority have been hardworking, well trained, caring and kind people who came to the UK not in pursuit of a fortune or an easy ride – who the hell would call £25,000 a year for the ridiculous hours our nurses work that – but because they felt the NHS offered them a chance to be able to care for people without having to live in poverty. Victorino Chua would not have been caught by a more demanding entrance exam or tougher document checks, just like Harold Shipman wouldn’t have been caught by compassion testing. And his crime has nothing to do with his nationality. One bad apple is no excuse to tarnish a whole culture.

Far from taking advantage of our system, foreign nurses actually make the UK money. We didn’t pay for their school or university education, and because they’re able to work they won’t be needing to claim benefits. They help return sick people to work, where they can resume paying tax. Morevoer, they pay income tax themselves.

Without foreign staff the NHS would collapse – almost literally – in a matter of minutes. Stupidly we’ve neglected our own nurse training schemes for years, leaving vast numbers of posts empty and relying on overseas staff to cover for our mistakes, leaving their own countries worse off for it. And trust me, whatever the Daily Mail says, when the inevitable day comes when you feel that twinge of chest pain, your left side going weak, or a loved one collapses, and you reach for the phone to call 999, you’ll be bloody glad they’re still here.