Visa cap is driving up salaries of overseas doctors

NHS trusts are being forced to pay overseas doctors 50% more than their UK counterparts so that they are eligible for visas, a recruitment agent has said.

The news comes after The BMJ launched its Scrap the Cap campaign to review current restrictions on overseas doctors working in the NHS (bmj.com/scrap-the-cap).1

For the past six months demand for tier 2 visas for doctors from countries outside the European Economic Area who have offers of jobs in the UK has exceeded the number available, and more than 1500 applications have been refused.2 When the monthly cap on visas is close to being reached, the Home Office takes salaries into account and will grant visas to …