More
action is needed to harness the skills of hundreds of refugee doctors,
according to the British Medical Association (BMA).
Nearly
a thousand (955) refugee and asylum-seeking doctors have registered on the
BMA’s database of refugee doctors, but only 57 report that they are working.
Although
the BMA estimates that the actual number who have found work is higher than
this, it is unlikely to be more than 150 (16 per cent of the total number on
the database).
Dr
Edwin Borman, chairman of the BMA’s International Committee, said that the NHS
would benefit hugely if more support and training were made available to
refugee doctors.
“The
skills of medically qualified refugees are badly needed and it’s ironic that so
many are unable to work,” he said. “It costs £250,000 to train a British
medical student to become a doctor, but as little as £10,000 to prepare a
refugee doctor.”
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