Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Migrant workers
The National Health Service (NHS) is the single largest employer of nurses, carers and ancillary staff in the health care sector. In addition there is a significant private care sector comprising a large number of small private nursing and residential care homes.
Recruitment from overseas has been a key strategy in the NHS because of significant staff shortages. Nursing in particular has been a shortage occupation in Britain for some years and the issue of work permits for workers in the sector has been fast tracked.
In recent years, overseas workers have contributed about 45 per cent of the new entrants registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
The main causes of reported injury in the industry include: manual handling/musculoskeletal injury; slips and trips; assault/violence and being struck by sharp objects.
Nurses also reported high rates of work-related stress, depression or anxiety and, in the private sector, bullying.
Other issues include difficulties of communication and language, social exclusion and racism from both staff and patients.