The National Health Service in the UK is a critical part of the nation, but it becomes even more so during difficult times–such as a pandemic.
In the midst of this global health crisis, the NHS has been relying on a large number of workers who are from overseas to keep the organization running and able to take care of the people who need it. These overseas workers are vital to its mission and running.
That’s why Overseas NHS Workers Day was created, and why these people deserve to be celebrated!
Overseas NHS Workers Day Timeline
NHS founded and early reliance on overseas staff
When the NHS launches on July 5, it faces tens of thousands of nursing vacancies and begins drawing on staff from the colonies and former colonies to keep services running.
Formal recruitment drives in the Caribbean begin
British ministries and nursing bodies coordinate schemes to recruit young Caribbean women as nursing auxiliaries, advertising posts in newspapers such as the Barbados Beacon.
Network of colonial recruitment agencies established
By the mid‑1950s, at least 16 recruitment agencies operate across British colonies, channeling Caribbean and other Commonwealth migrants into British hospitals and care institutions.
Large‑scale recruitment of South Asian doctors
Health minister Enoch Powell publicly encourages overseas doctors to bolster understaffed hospitals, helping trigger mass recruitment from India and Pakistan into junior and unpopular specialties.
Thousands of Jamaican nurses in British hospitals
By the mid‑1960s around 5,000 Jamaican women are working in British hospitals, many in mental health and geriatric wards that struggle to attract homegrown staff.
Caribbean nurses dominate overseas student intake
By the late 1970s, about 66% of all overseas student nurses and midwives training in Britain come from the Caribbean, underscoring their central role in sustaining the NHS workforce.
International staff form a major share of the NHS workforce
Analysis of registration and workforce data shows that overseas‑trained doctors and nurses make up a substantial and growing share of NHS staff, reflecting decades of international recruitment.
History of Overseas NHS Workers Day
Founded by The Doctors’ Association UK, Overseas NHS Workers Day was created to take the opportunity to recognize the extraordinary contribution made in the fight against COVID-19 by those who have migrated to the United Kingdom.
Fulfilling all kinds of different roles within the National Health Service, almost 200 different nationalities are represented within the NHS in England alone. This includes nationalities such as Indian, Filipino, Irish and many others that make up almost 14% of NHS staff.
Even with this extra help from those overseas, the NHS still does not have enough staff to meet the need, which puts an extra strain on those in the trenches.
Plus, living and serving in a foreign country can be difficult, considering the additional stress of visa issues, red tape, and missing out on life with family and friends at home.
With this in mind, The Doctors’ Association UK wanted to put forth an extra effort to recognize and thank those overseas workers serving the healthcare community. Overseas NHS Workers Day is just the day to do it!
How to Celebrate Overseas NHS Workers Day
Taking some time to thank an overseas NHS worker in whatever way possible is the essence of this important day. Consider these ideas for making Overseas NHS Workers Day a special one:
Wear Green and Blue
NHS trusts are encouraging staff (and any others who want to join in!) to dress on this day in green and blue–the colors of the globe.
For NHS workers, this might mean wearing blue scrubs with a green lanyard, mask, bandana or armband. For non-medical workers, you can still show your appreciation by dressing in green and blue and sharing your reason why with a friend!
Show Your Appreciation
Whether a friend, neighbor, or someone who works at the primary care office, take a moment to thank a foreign NHS worker for their service.
Write them a thank you card, send a bouquet of flowers or a box of chocolates, bake them a cake, or simply send a text to let them know that they are thought of with affection and appreciated!
One Minute of Silence
On a more solemn note, organizations and offices are also encouraged to observe one minute of silence during the day, in honor and memory of all of those NHS workers who have lost their lives to COVID-19.
Facts About Overseas NHS Workers Day
Post‑war Recruitment of Commonwealth Nurses Transformed the NHS
From the late 1940s, Britain ran targeted recruitment drives in colonies and former colonies such as the Caribbean, India and Pakistan to staff the new National Health Service.
Thousands of women responded, often training as student nurses and midwives in the UK before taking on permanent posts.
Historians estimate that by the 1960s, in some London hospitals up to one‑third of nursing staff had been recruited directly from the Caribbean, dramatically reshaping both the workforce and the culture of British healthcare.
Overseas Staff Now Account for About One in Seven NHS Workers
Official analysis by the UK’s King’s Fund, drawing on NHS Digital data, shows that around 18 percent of NHS staff in England report a non‑British nationality.
This proportion has risen steadily over the past decade, and in some hospital trusts the share of overseas staff is significantly higher. The data highlight how health services increasingly depend on international recruitment to keep hospitals and community services running.
International Medical Graduates Make Up Nearly Half of NHS Doctors
According to the UK General Medical Council, international medical graduates (doctors who qualified outside the UK and European Economic Area) now make up almost 40–45 percent of licensed doctors on the UK medical register, a figure that has grown rapidly since 2015.
In recent years, more new doctors joining the register have trained overseas than in UK medical schools, underlining how crucial global recruitment is to sustaining medical staffing levels.
The Philippines Has Become a Major Source of NHS Nurses
The World Health Organization and UK workforce reports note that the Philippines is one of the single largest source countries for foreign‑trained nurses working in the NHS, alongside India and Nigeria.
Filipino nurses are actively recruited through government‑to‑government agreements and private agencies, and many UK hospitals run dedicated support programs that recognize their long‑term contribution to specialties such as critical care and elder care.
Migrant Clinicians Often Work in Hard‑to‑Fill Specialties
Research using NHS workforce data shows that migrant doctors and nurses are disproportionately represented in shortage specialties, including geriatric medicine, psychiatry, and anesthetics, and in under‑served geographic areas such as coastal and rural regions.
These patterns reflect how overseas professionals frequently take posts that have proved difficult to fill with domestically trained staff, helping to sustain services that might otherwise face closure or severe cuts.
Overseas NHS Workers Face Higher Risks of Bullying and Discrimination
Staff survey evidence analyzed by the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard program shows that Black and minority ethnic staff, a large proportion of whom are internationally recruited, are more likely than white British colleagues to report bullying, harassment, or discrimination from patients and coworkers.
These findings have led to targeted initiatives on cultural competence, mentoring, and fair recruitment and promotion practices within NHS organizations.
Migration Policies Strongly Shape NHS Staffing Levels
Studies by the Nuffield Trust and other health policy think tanks show that UK immigration rules, such as salary thresholds, health and care visas, and changes to mutual recognition of qualifications after Brexit, directly influence how many overseas professionals can join or remain in the NHS.
Relaxations of rules for shortage occupations have led to rapid growth in international recruitment, while tighter regimes or added costs, such as the Immigration Health Surcharge for dependents, have been linked to recruitment challenges and retention concerns.
