Labour Will Not Relax Visa Rules For Health Workers Despite NHS Staffing Shortages

Labour has "no plans" to change rules that bar health and care workers from bringing families on their visas, despite a plummeting number of NHS staff since rule changes this year.

- Jessica Elgot, Rajeev Syal

Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said the health service had become too reliant on overseas staff and the party would aim to recruit and train workers from UK residents.

Numbers applying for the visa dropped by 76% this year after the change, which the government hailed a success in its effort to cut legal migration but which experts warned would have a significant impact on the health service.

The development comes as the government yesterday confirmed in writing for the first time that no asylum seekers will be flown to Rwanda before the general election.

At an election campaign stop in Worcester, Streeting told reporters the NHS workforce was under huge pressure but said there were no plans to change the rules. He said it was also "immoral and unethical" to recruit from countries with severe shortages of health workers - which come under the World Health Organization red list - and that Labour would not continue that practice.