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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Chris Osuh Community affairs correspondent

Drop in overseas workers is ‘car crash’ for UK hospitals and care homes, say experts

A nurse writing something down at a workstation on a hospital ward as other medics walk by
‘No hospital is likely to welcome a 93% drop in overseas nurses,’ said the chief executive of Work Rights Centre, which carried out the research. Photograph: Tommy London/Alamy

Hospitals and care homes in the UK face “an impending car crash”, experts have warned, as research shows the number of overseas nurses and carers has collapsed.

Analysis of Home Office quarterly data reveals the number of overseas nurses granted entry to the UK has fallen by 93% over three years. Just 1,777 overseas nurses were granted entry in 2025, compared with 26,100 in 2022.

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