NHS England's Workforce Now Comprises 20.4% Non-UK Nationals

A record one in five NHS staff in England are non-UK nationals, highlighting the health service's increasing reliance on international recruitment.

One in five NHS staff in England are now non-UK nationals, with the proportion of roles filled by non-UK nationals rising to a record high of 20.4%.
Healthcare workers from 214 countries, including India, Portugal, and Ghana, are employed in the NHS, with Indians being the most common non-UK nationality among nurses and doctors.
The NHS has become increasingly reliant on its international workforce to fill staffing gaps, with three in 10 nurses and more than a third of doctors being non-UK nationals.
The Department of Health and Social Care acknowledges the valuable role of international staff but emphasizes the importance of reducing reliance on overseas workers.
The NHS long-term workforce plan aims to double the number of medical school places and almost double the number of adult nurse training places by 2031.