BRITAIN NOW HAS A "SURPLUS" OF NURSES (AS WELL AS DOCTORS)

Because the overspent NHS has now sacked so many of them and cannot afford to hire as many as are needed

Nurses from outside the EU will require work permits to take up jobs in the NHS, in a move designed to give homegrown nursing graduates a better chance of getting a job. Nearly 11,500 foreign nurses came to Britain from outside the EU in 2004-05, the last year for which complete records are available. India supplied the most, followed by the Philippines and Australia. Now it will be difficult for others to come, because a work permit will be granted only if a job cannot be filled by British or EU applicants. The rule removes nurses from the Home Office shortage occupation list and applies to nurses in bands 5 and 6 — those who have between a few months and 18 months’ experience.

The move is a reaction to a growing surplus of nurses, which has made it harder for many British graduates to find a job; but the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) was critical. Dr Beverly Malone, general secretary of the RCN, said: “International nurses have always been there for the UK in times of need and it beggars belief that they are now being made scapegoats for the current deficits crisis. “Removing nursing from the list of recognised shortage professions is short-termism in the worst possible sense. We know that the vast majority of international nurses are employed in bands 5 and 6, the very bands which are going to be affected. “If this goes ahead, I guarantee that the effects will be far-reaching and immediate. Over 150,000 nurses are due to retire in the next five to ten years and we will not replace them with homegrown nurses alone.”

Lord Warner, the Health Minister, said that large-scale recruitment of international nurses was only ever intended to be a short-term measure. Extra investment in training meant that there was no longer a need to hire junior nurses from abroad, he said. The change does not affect nurses already working in Britain and there would still be specialist nursing vacancies.

Last week a survey of 20 universities by the Council of Deans showed that more than 80 per cent of nurses qualifying this summer have yet to find a job, compared with 30 per cent at this time last year. The council, which represents the universities who train nurses, said that the situation was very serious. It showed, for example, that only a quarter of students who have already graduated from one London university have found work, while just 5 per cent from a midwifery faculty in the North East have secured a post. Andrew Murrison, the Shadow Health Minister, said: “This move is presumably designed to save the Government’s blushes as hospitals cut jobs and freeze nursing posts in a desperate attempt to resolve deficits.”

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PAIN IN GERMANY

With the country distracted by the prospect of tomorrow's World Cup semi-final against Italy, Angela Merkel's Government quietly announced the most painful reform yet of the national health system. The overhaul - immediately denounced as suspect, inadequate and antisocial by the opposition - came after all-night negotiations between the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats, the two governing parties.

The health reforms provide for compulsory health insurance for all children - at an extra cost next year of 1.5 billion Euros - which has been a long-standing aim of the Social Democrats. However, Frau Merkel, the Chancellor, insisted that this could not be financed through yet another tax increase. So health insurance contributions for the whole nation will go up by 0.5 per cent from next year.

The reforms were vehemently criticised by the state insurers, patients' associations and by employers. Big business argues that it will become even more expensive to hire new employees.

The fundamental aim of the change is to give more choice to patients and to meet the huge costs of prescribed medicines.

Economists predict that from January next year domestic demand in Germany is likely to dribble away as consumers are squeezed by higher taxes. Political analysts predict that the Government will run into trouble in the second half of the year. "I don't see how this current line-up can hope to last the course," Herr Westerwelle said.

More here

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL hospitals and health insurance schemes should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the very poor and minimal regulation. Both Australia and Sweden have large private sector health systems with government reimbursement for privately-provided services so can a purely private system with some level of government reimbursement or insurance for the poor be so hard to do?

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