Overview
- NMC data show 6,321 overseas nurses and midwives joined the UK register from April to September 2025, down from 12,534 a year earlier.
- The steepest declines came from key source countries, including India (down 58%) and the Philippines (down 68%), with drops also from Nigeria (28%) and Ghana (9%).
- Unions and experts point to tougher immigration rules and rising hostility toward migrants as deterrents, with reporting highlighting a longer wait for indefinite leave to remain.
- The overall register reached a record 860,801 professionals, though the regulator reports a sharp slowdown in workforce growth.
- Health bodies caution that domestic recruitment is not expanding fast enough to offset the shortfall, warning of increased pressure on services and longer waits for patients.