Hundreds of British Healthcare Workers on the Move

Hundreds of British Healthcare Workers on the Move to New Zealand

Countries all over the globe continue to struggle with severe shortages in the healthcare sector causing what has been deemed, a ‘global tug-of-war’ for skilled healthcare professionals. A recent Ministry of Health Report forecasted a deficit of 23,000 healthcare workers in New Zealand by 2021.

The migration of healthcare workers around the world in the coming years will affect every country differently, attraction and retention is becoming more important than ever.

“Now, more than ever, we must strengthen the healthcare sector in New Zealand to be able to provide the care we will need in the future. With an ageing population, we will need to consider the increasing demand for more aged care nurses and doctors,” says Hayley Roberts of Working In Ltd.

In response to this demand, and to attract healthcare workers to New Zealand, Working In Ltd, a New Zealand-run immigration and employment company, hold the Health Jobs Around the World Expos in the United Kingdom several times a year.

Visitor numbers at the Health Jobs Around the World Expo in London and Manchester this October proved that New Zealand is still a destination of choice for Brits eager to move abroad.

Over 2,000 health professionals attended the expos, and of them, 30% highlighted New Zealand as their desired future home. A staggering 37% of visitors were nurses.

Gay Barton, General Manager of Drake Medox, said that she was likely to place 10-15 healthcare professionals as a result of the expo.

“We’ve had some very strong candidates that are committed to moving as soon as they get a job,” she said.

Prudence Thompson, director of ACCENT Healthcare, who have exhibited at the expo for the past 10 years, was pleasantly surprised with the Manchester event saying,“ of the 60 CVs that we collected, we will be able to work with at least 20 of the candidates. We recommend the expos to organisations who are serious about recruiting good quality healthcare candidates that are serious about moving to New Zealand.”

Immigration New Zealand target nearly 45,000 immigrants annually. In the 2009/10 financial year, 36,804 residency applications were approved. Working In Ltd expects this number to increase in 2011 with the boost in advertising of New Zealand surrounding the Rugby World Cup, including their own Come Watch Stay programme.

The next Health Jobs Around the World Expo will be held in the UK in March 2011.

ENDS

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