London: UK-based Indian doctors and healthcare professionals are campaigning against what they describe as an ‘unfair’ doubling of a health surcharge imposed on professionals from outside European Union (EU) living and working in Britain.
The ‘Immigration Health Surcharge’ was introduced in April 2015 and from December last year it was hiked from 200 pounds to 400 pounds per year.
It is imposed on anyone in the UK on a work, study or family visa for longer than six months in order to raise additional funds for the country’s state-funded National Health Service (NHS).
The British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO), the UK’s largest representative body for Indian-origin doctors, is lobbying the UK Home Office for a rethink over the charge. It has argued that it would have an adverse impact on their attempt to recruit more healthcare professionals from India to meet staff shortages in the NHS.
“Clinicians wishing to work in the UK are already facing burdensome processes relating to regulation and immigration, and this surcharge is only going to see UK losing out on quality healthcare professionals from non-EU countries,” said a letter from BAPIO president Ramesh Mehta and secretary Parag Singhal which has been sent to UK home secretary Sajid Javid last week.
“The current policy adversely affects the attraction of working in the NHS and will sabotage our own requirements of providing quality health services to our patients. Therefore, in the interest of patient safety and improved morale of the immigrant workforce, we request that this unfair and highly discriminatory health surcharge for NHS-employed professionals should be reversed with immediate effect,” the letter further states.
According to the organisation, one in 11 NHS clinical posts are currently unfilled, rising to one in eight for nursing vacancies, and the severe shortage is likely to grow to around 250,000 by 2030.
Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals from countries like India are often referred to as the ‘backbone’ of the UK’s healthcare system as they take up critical posts across hospitals and clinics in the country, the BAPIO pointed out.
The UK government has said since the surcharge was introduced in 2015, it has raised over 600 million pounds, which has been ploughed back into health budgets.
“We welcome use of the NHS by long-term residents who still need leave to remain, but we believe it is right that they make a fair and proportionate contribution to its long-term sustainability,” a UK Home Office spokesperson said while justifying the increase.
PTI
