CURRENT CAMPAIGN
Scrap the Surcharge Scrap the Cap Indefinite Leave to Remain
1 in 4 doctors working for the NHS have migrated to the UK or trained abroad as an international medical graduate (IMG).
The NHS is currently 10,000 doctors short, with 100,000 vacancies in total across the frontlines.
We desperately need the skills and expertise of our overseas workforce, however recent political decisions have made IMGs feel unwelcome.
In 2018 DAUK lobbied the Home Office to exempt doctors from arbitrary Tier 2 visa caps that were preventing overseas doctors, who had successfully applied for posts within the NHS from taking up their posts.
Our Scrap the Cap campaign was widely picked up by the media and the BMJ. After many months of lobbying DAUK was successful and Tier 2 visa caps were scrapped.
DAUK has supported a number of doctors with visa issues, many of whom had been threatened with deportation. Through our advocacy everyone of them was able to return or stay in the UK, where their home is.
We have lobbied for nearly 2 years for the Immigration Health Surcharge to be scrapped. In autumn 2019 we Chaired a Cross-Party Roundtable on this issue, as well as a number of other issues faced by IMGs, in the House of Lords.
During the COVID-19 crisis we have continued our advocacy for IMGs. DAUK successfully lobbied for the deeply unfair Immigration Health Surcharge to be scrapped after our letter to the Home Secretary was read at Prime Minister’s Questions and an amendment to the Immigration Bill was tabled by Labour.
DAUK has also been leading the call since March 2020 for indefinite leave to remain for all frontline NHS doctors who have served during this COVID-19 crisis.
Despite our work on Tier 2 visa caps we have been approached by a number of doctors with visas due to expire. We are asking for visa extensions for all doctors without condition. If you are in this position please email DAUK as soon as possible.
NHS Pensions Crisis
DAUK believes that both the Annual Allowance and the Taper must be scrapped on patient safety grounds.
