22 March 2007

British nurses make Australia first choice

Staff shortages and cutbacks in the NHS are being cited as key factors behind an increasing numbers of British nurses turning to hospitals in Australia for work.

The BBC reports that Australia has become the number one destination for despondent nurses leaving the NHS with 3,200 nurses of the 8,000 registering to work abroad want to work Down Under.

BBC One's Real Story programme will highlight the cases of two British nurses who are leaving the NHS to work in Australia. They cite working conditions, a lack of staff and a lack of funding for making them leave the NHS in the first place.

The programme will also hear from British nurses already working in Australia who reveal the better working conditions and greater emphasis on patient care to be found in Australian hospitals.

An estimated 71% of newly qualified nurses in the UK are unable to find work, which on top of Royal College of Nursing claims that nearly 20,000 posts have been lost or frozen in the past year, has prompted Australian hospitals to step up their recruitment drive in the UK.

Doctors, surgeons, nurses, midwives and other medical professionals are included on the Australian Government's Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL). Professionals on this list receive bonus points and applications for emigration to Australia are fast-tracked.

Medical professionals interested in working in Australia have a number of options available to them, more information is available on our skilled migration pages.