UK policy to reduce skills drain from Africa is ineffective

The UK government's policy of banning healthcare staff who are actively recruited from the world's poorest countries from working in the NHS is unlikely to help achieve the goal of boosting the number of doctors and nurses in the developing world, says a development specialist.

Dr Lola Banjoko, chairwoman of the Africa-wide recruitment and employment agency Africa Recruit, believes that the code of practice, which aims to restrict recruitment of healthcare professionals from 150 developing countries is well meaning. But she says that the policy cannot work in isolation. “Trying to stop people from moving from one country to another for work is not practically workable and is an infringement of people's human rights,” said Dr Banjoko. Africa Recruit aims to boost professional capacity throughout the continent.

Dr …