Commenting on new Home Office figures showing applications for care worker visas have fallen by a quarter in six months, UNISON head of care Gavin Edwards said today (Tuesday):
“The staffing crisis in care was already bad, but the government has just made things a whole lot worse.
“Ministers have made it clear migrant care workers aren’t welcome. This is the stark result. No one could blame overseas staff for taking their skills to countries where they’ll be more welcome.
“The figures were plummeting even before new rules kicked in to make it tougher to get a visa. The situation is now likely to become even more dire for a sector wholly reliant on its overseas workforce to fill the vacancy chasm.
“Unless the government gets a grip soon, reforms care and boosts wages for its highly skilled workforce, the situation will soon become catastrophic.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
The article Government’s hostile policies are worsening already dire staffing shortages in care, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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