Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to ensure that as many staff vacancies in the NHS as possible are filled by citizens of the UK.

In filling their vacancies, employers across the National Health Service in England are required to comply with employment law and ensure all applicants including citizens of, and others who demonstrate they are eligible to work in, the United Kingdom, are treated fairly and consistently.

Health Education England^[1] has been tasked with reducing the number of health roles on the Home Office Shortage Occupation List by March 2015. Where roles remain on the list an action plan should be produced to ensure that work is done to ensure that they can be removed.

[1] ”Delivering high quality effective, compassionate care: Developing the right people with the right skills and right values”- A Mandate to Health Education England: April 2014 to March 2015