The Doctors’ Association UK is supporting Dr Iqra Akhtar, an NHS doctor, who may not be able to take up a GP training post due to visa caps. Dr Akhtar has been in the UK working in the NHS for year, and has successfully applied for GP training. To take up her post Dr Akhtar resigned her post as a non-training staff grade to move to Preston and was required to switch to unrestricted Tier 2 visa. This has now been refused.
Dr Akhtar is now residing in the UK on a spousal visa, and is waiting to hear from the Home Office after her Trust re-applied for a tier 2 visa. If her visa continues to be refused Dr Akhtar will be unable to take up her post to start training as a GP. Speaking to DAUK she expressed frustration that visa caps were designed to reduce immigration, yet she is already resident.
Dr Akhtar told DAUK “the visa caps are affecting my career. I planned to start my GP training; having worked in the NHS and being a resident in the UK I did not anticipate this was going to affect me. This is very discouraging for doctors, especially those aspiring to work in the NHS.”
Dr Akhtar also added that visa caps will adversely impact rota gaps.
The Doctors’ Association UK has written to Dr Akhtar’s MP Sir Mark Kendrick and asked him to take up Dr Akhtar’s case with the Home Office.
This week, DAUK wrote to Sajid Javid warning of the impact of visa caps on general practice. The letter was published in The Independent. Speaking to Sky News, DAUK Chair Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden said:
“What we’ve been hearing about at The Doctor’s Association UK are cases of doctors currently working in the UK, who have been training the UK, in specialities such as General Practice which is short across the frontlines…and because of visa issues they are being asked to leave.
Which is terrible for the NHS when we are so short of doctors but there is a real human cost for these doctors who have invested so much in training, in service to the NHS, who have made their homes here and are now being asked to leave”
