Drop in people coming to UK to work in NHS and social care

Official statistics reveal fewer people are seeking to come from abroad to work in the NHS or in social care.

The statistics reveal that the outgoing Conservative government granted some 286,382 work visas overall in the year to June 2024 - 11% down on the previous year.

Detailed Home Office data shows that it approved 89,085 visas for the health and care sector in the year to June 2024 - more than 80% down on April to June of the year before.

The decline in workers wanting to come to the UK comes after the former Conservative government introduced restrictions on foreign workers and their families in an effort to slash overall immigration.

Former Home Secretary James Cleverly announced the new rules in December last year to restrict foreign workers, as figures showed net migration was running at near record levels.

Those restrictions included new minimum salary tests for both workers and members of their family.

The latest figures also show that some 432,000 visas were granted to foreign students to come to the UK in the year ending June 2024 - a total that was 13% down on the previous year.

In the first six months of 2024, the number of related visas granted to members of a student’s family fell by 81%.