Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make an assessment of the effect of the recruitment of doctors to the NHS from developing countries on the health services in those countries.

There are no UK-specific estimates of the impact of international recruitment of health workers.

The UK has signed the World Health Organisation Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel. Among its underlying principles is that developing nations who are experiencing shortages of healthcare staff should not be targeted for active recruitment. Adherence to the principles of the code is managed by the NHS Employers organisation.