Kemi Badenoch has issued a warning over NHS recruitment (Image: Getty)
Health chiefs must start training more British doctors and nurses and end their reliance on foreign medics, Kemi Badenoch has declared. The leader of the Conservatives said it is “very strange” that the UK “cannot staff” a national institution like the NHS with “homegrown people”.
And she hinted the Tories could scrap the requirement for nurses to have a degree, comparing it to the requirement for police constables to have attended university or study a course while on the job. Union barons told Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood that a crackdown on migrant settlement rights would lead to an exodus of staff, hitting patient care.
But Mrs Badenoch told LBC: “It’s not normal. I think it’s very strange.
“How can it be that we have an NHS that this country is supposedly proud of, and yet we cannot staff it with homegrown people?
“Of course, we will need people from other countries from time to time, but if you’re telling me that the NHS will collapse without immigration, it means it’s not structured properly.
“What we want to see is an economy where people earn high wages and we have low immigration. Immigration that we need, not just that we can’t survive in our economy unless we have immigration. You can’t sustain an economy like that.”
And Mrs Badenoch suggested nurses should be paid more, to encourage more British people into the profession.
She said: “If the NHS can’t survive without immigration, then the model needs to change.
“I want us to start focusing on getting more homegrown nurses, paying them better. In an ideal world, nurses wouldn’t have to go to university, racking up all this debt and so on.
“We’re looking at what we can do around that. We have some ideas on student loans, for example, especially on plan two. But we need to start thinking about what the future looks like.”
Foreign nationals from 216 countries work in the NHS, according to research compiled by the House of Commons Library.
Around 30% of nurses are not British, according to the study. NHS figures show 247,850 of the 370,957 full-time and health visitors are British.
Some 42,169 Indians, 25,000 Filipinos and 12,646 Nigerians hold these roles.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper given urgent warning (Image: Getty)
For doctors, this increases to around 36%. Some 98,130 doctors are British, compared to 57,980 from abroad.
Some 12,680 doctors are from India, 6,315 from Pakistan and 4,397 from Egypt.
The number of African and Asian foreign nationals in the NHS has doubled since 2010.
Nursing and Midwifery Council statistics show around 21,000 UK-trained students started training courses last year.
But the Nuffield Trust warned of “significant retention issues”.
The organisation added in a research paper: “We estimated that fewer than three in five doctors (56%) in ‘core training’ remained (even in a different role) in NHS hospital and community services in England eight years later, with 24% of this attrition seen in the first two years.”
Health groups warned Labour’s crackdown could lead to an exodus of tens of thousands of foreign doctors and nurses.
And they told the Home Secretary this could have a dramatic impact on patient care.
The Royal College of GPs told an inquiry by the Home Affairs Select Committee: ““It is integral to acknowledge that the NHS workforce is currently heavily dependent on overseas recruitment to fill workforce gaps, without which the service would struggle to operate.”
The Royal College of Nursing even suggested foreign nurses should be given a faster route to settlement.
But Mrs Badenoch said she is focusing on removing barriers to nursing for domestic workers.
She pointed to the requirement for them to have a degree, adding: “We are actively looking at it.
“We had a similar issue in the police. That’s changed.
“I do wonder why we are putting so much debt on young people, and then they can’t get jobs afterwards; when they get the jobs, they’re not earning very much.
“And this is one of the things that Conservatives are very worried about.
“We’re worried about a lost generation of people, and then you have new issues: jobs are disappearing, unemployment is increasing, AI is turning up, taking jobs, and we need to start thinking about what our economy is going to look like.”
Kemi Badenoch Criticises NHS Leaders Over Hospitals Dominated by Migrant Staff – “Not Normal!”
The National Health Service (NHS) has long been regarded as one of Britain’s most important public institutions. Established to provide healthcare to everyone, regardless of income or social background, it represents a fundamental part of the country’s welfare system. However, growing dependence on overseas recruitment has raised questions about workforce planning, immigration policy and the future sustainability of the health service. These issues have recently returned to the centre of political debate after Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticised NHS management for relying heavily on foreign doctors and nurses, declaring that it was “not normal” for such an important national institution to struggle to recruit enough homegrown workers.
Speaking during an interview with LBC on 4 November 2026, Badenoch questioned why the NHS could not recruit sufficient numbers of British-trained healthcare professionals. She argued that although overseas workers would continue to play an important role, the health service should not become structurally dependent on immigration to maintain its basic operations. In her view, if the NHS could not function without a continuous supply of foreign medical staff, the recruitment and training system needed fundamental reform.
Her comments have attracted considerable attention because they touch on two politically sensitive subjects: immigration and the future of Britain’s public services. For years, successive governments have relied on international recruitment to address shortages of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. While this approach has helped hospitals maintain staffing levels, it has also raised concerns about whether Britain is doing enough to develop its own domestic workforce.
One of the central arguments behind Badenoch’s criticism is that Britain should train more of its own doctors and nurses rather than depending so heavily on international recruitment. The country has universities, medical schools and established healthcare institutions capable of educating thousands of future professionals. However, training programmes require substantial investment, sufficient teaching capacity and long-term workforce planning. If the government fails to provide these resources, hospitals may continue experiencing shortages even when demand for healthcare services increases.
There is also the question of financial incentives. Nursing and other healthcare professions involve demanding working conditions, considerable responsibility and significant emotional pressure. Long shifts, staff shortages and relatively modest salaries can make these careers less attractive to young people considering their future employment options. Badenoch argued that domestic recruitment should be encouraged through better pay and improvements to professional training. She also questioned whether requiring all nurses to obtain university degrees was necessary, suggesting that alternative training routes could reduce financial barriers and make nursing more accessible.
This proposal deserves serious consideration. University education can provide valuable scientific knowledge and professional preparation, but the cost of higher education may discourage some talented individuals from entering nursing. Apprenticeships and practical training programmes could offer additional routes into the profession, allowing students to develop clinical skills while gaining workplace experience. A more flexible system might attract people who prefer practical learning rather than a traditional university pathway.
Nevertheless, reforming educational requirements must not undermine professional standards. Nursing involves complex medical knowledge, clinical judgment and the ability to respond to emergencies. Any alternative qualification system must ensure that patients receive safe and effective care. The objective should be to remove unnecessary barriers without compromising the quality of healthcare.
Another important issue is the contribution made by migrant healthcare professionals. According to figures cited in the reporting surrounding Badenoch’s comments, approximately 30 per cent of nurses and around 36 per cent of doctors in the NHS are not British. These figures demonstrate how significantly international recruitment contributes to Britain’s healthcare workforce. Doctors and nurses from countries including India, the Philippines, Nigeria and Pakistan have become essential members of hospital teams, providing treatment and supporting patients across the country.
Their contribution should not be overlooked. Many international healthcare professionals have moved thousands of miles to work in Britain, bringing valuable qualifications, experience and dedication. They treat patients, support colleagues and help hospitals operate under difficult circumstances. Without their contribution, some NHS departments would face even greater staffing pressures.
Consequently, the debate should not become an argument against migrant workers themselves. The real question is whether the British government has developed a sustainable workforce strategy. International recruitment can be beneficial, but it should complement domestic training rather than become a permanent substitute for investment in British healthcare education.
There are also ethical considerations. Many countries supplying healthcare workers to Britain face their own shortages of doctors and nurses. Recruiting large numbers of experienced professionals from developing countries can place additional pressure on their healthcare systems. Britain therefore needs to balance its domestic workforce requirements with responsible international recruitment practices. Training more British healthcare professionals could help reduce pressure on overseas health systems while strengthening the UK’s long-term capacity.
However, reducing immigration too quickly could create serious problems. The NHS already faces significant workforce shortages, and replacing experienced international staff would take considerable time. Medical education and specialist training cannot be completed overnight. If immigration restrictions were introduced before sufficient domestic workers became available, hospitals could experience increased workloads, longer waiting lists and reduced access to treatment.
Healthcare organisations have therefore warned that changes to immigration and settlement policies could encourage some overseas professionals to leave Britain. Such an outcome would create additional recruitment difficulties at a time when the NHS needs experienced workers. Policymakers must consequently ensure that immigration reform is carefully coordinated with workforce development.
The government also needs to address the problem of staff retention. Training additional nurses and doctors will achieve little if large numbers subsequently leave the NHS because of poor working conditions, excessive workloads or limited career opportunities. Improving workplace morale, providing adequate staffing levels and offering competitive salaries are essential elements of any successful reform programme.
Furthermore, the NHS needs a long-term strategy that connects education, immigration, healthcare funding and population growth. Britain’s ageing population is increasing demand for medical treatment, while advances in healthcare technology are creating new professional requirements. Workforce planning must therefore look beyond immediate vacancies and anticipate the needs of hospitals over the next decade.
Ultimately, Badenoch’s intervention has highlighted an important question about the future of Britain’s healthcare system: should a country with a well-established education system remain so dependent on recruiting medical professionals from abroad? Her argument that Britain must train more homegrown nurses and doctors deserves examination, particularly in the context of persistent staffing shortages and growing pressure on public services. At the same time, international healthcare workers remain indispensable to the NHS and should be recognised for their contribution.
In conclusion, the debate is not simply about immigration numbers or the nationality of hospital employees. It is about whether Britain has the ambition and ability to build a sustainable healthcare workforce. A successful NHS requires effective domestic training, fair salaries, improved working conditions and responsible international recruitment. Kemi Badenoch’s comments have brought these issues into the political spotlight, but meaningful change will depend on practical policies rather than political rhetoric. Britain must develop a healthcare system that can attract talented people, retain experienced professionals and provide high-quality treatment to every patient, regardless of where its medical staff were born.