Health worker 'poaching' threat to Africa

Friday, 17 June 2005 12:00 AM

Two leading medical institutions have called on the Government to work towards an international agreement on staff poaching.

The British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing have sent letters to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor warning that the developing world is losing key staff to rich nations.

They want the issue discussed at the G8 summit in July.

The letter to the Prime Minister states: "The prevention and treatment of ill health are essential prerequisites to enable poor people to escape poverty. The lack of healthcare workers in developing countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, is an emergency that demands urgent action."

This plea follows an article featured in the Lancet last month claiming that the healthcare system in sub-Saharan Africa was being ruined by a mass exodus of health staff to Britain.

The UK already has regulation in place to prevent active recruitment of healthcare workers from developing countries, although individuals are free to apply for jobs in Britain if they choose.

The letter calls for Britain to lead the way towards global recognition of this problem, citing the G8 summit as a unique opportunity to make a stand.

The World Health Organisation estimates that one million more healthcare workers are needed in sub-Saharan African countries if they are to meet basic health goals, such as reducing childhood and maternal mortality.

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Steve Webb that it was "totally unethical for rich nations like the UK to be draining third world countries of the doctors and nurses that they depend on.

"Overseas staff are a valuable asset for the NHS, but they simply must not be exploited to cover up the failure to recruit and retain British doctors and nurses. While staff from other countries can learn much from training for some time in the UK, this long-term dependency on overseas clinicians must be tackled for the sustainability of our own NHS and for the sake of poorer countries."

Mr Webb added: "This a global problem which needs a global solution. Britain should lead the G8 countries in working towards an international agreement to limit the number of nurses and doctors being recruited from vulnerable countries."

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