It's still OK in the UK for Philippine Health Workers

Here's the good news from the Philippine Daily Inquirer--

Jobs in UK still await RP health workers

By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:19:00 12/28/2008

MANILA, Philippines--Filipino nurses and other health care professionals seeking overseas employment need not worry about losing job opportunities in the United Kingdom, as there are many vacancies there that have to be filled up in the next few years.

A recruitment industry expert made this assessment on Sunday as he identified the British health care sector as one that has been in need of health care professionals, regardless of the financial slump affecting many European countries.

"The health care industry in UK is mainly funded by taxpayer's money and is managed by the National Health Service (NHS) which is the largest employer in the UK," Emmanuel Geslani, a consultant of several Manila-based recruitment agencies, told reporters.

Geslani, however, said the NHS system has been "failing" in matters of primary care and hospital services due the lack of nurses and senior carers resulting in lack of hospital beds and personnel to attend to the sick.

He cited a recent study of current vacancies in nursing and senior carers that showing nearly 10,000 vacancies, resulting in the poor delivery of services in hospitals and care homes.

With the aging population of the UK calculated to reach 30 percent for the entire country by 2010 some 10 million senior citizens would need better services from care homes, the study said.

"Thousands of Filipino nurses can fill up the gap in the nursing shortage in the UK by entering the country as student nurses and at the same time expand their knowledge and experience in British schools," Geslani suggested.

The projected vacancies are so worrisome that some placement agencies in Britain have been recruiting nursing students even before they graduate or take their licensure exams, according to Geslani.

He added that one British consultancy firm, realizing the need to "capture" much needed health care professionals, pioneered a "study-and-work" placement scheme for nursing students and the so-called "under-board graduates" to boost their academic qualifications and help them meet UK standards.

The International Student Advisors Inc. offers a plan whereby students and graduates of social, health care and international nursing degrees from the Philippines would be temporarily employed, with pay, in care homes and hospitals in the UK while completing their units or taking additional ones in accredited British universities.

"Through the scheme, the students can understand what actually happens in the place of work and undertake projects in preparation for their essays and exams. Under the vocational work placement of at least 30 hours a week, the students can cover their living costs and tuition fees," Geslani explained.

He said the Makati City-based ISA, which recently expanded its recruitment activities in eight provinces, already sent over 600 Filipino health care professionals to enroll in renowned UK schools such the Anglia Ruskin and Hertforshire universities for additional nursing degrees and in preparing for taking up the British overseas nursing program assessment