Existing evidence shows that immigration makes a positive contribution to the UK health service Health Foundation statement on the impact of immigration on the NHS

Following debate today on immigration and its potential impact on NHS staffing, funding and the performance, Dr Jennifer Dixon, Chief Executive of the Health Foundation, said:
 
‘Migrants are good for the NHS. Existing evidence shows that immigration makes a positive contribution to the UK health service. Migrants contribute through tax, tend to use fewer health services compared to others, and provide vital services through working in the NHS. 
 
‘Both the NHS and social care in England are suffering severe staffing shortages. The NHS currently has 100,000 vacancies, including a shortage of 40,000 nurses. The health service is struggling to train and recruit enough nurses from within the UK. It will continue to have a significant reliance on international recruitment for the near future to prevent further deterioration of services. A non-restrictive migration policy will be crucial in ensuring the numbers of doctors, nurses and social care workers are sufficient to provide high quality care.
 
‘Current declining NHS performance is a result of several factors, including rising demand due to an ageing population, mounting workforce pressures and inadequate investment. There is no evidence that migration has negatively impacted on the quality of NHS care.’

Media contacts

Simon Perry
Simon.Perry@health.org.uk
020 7257 2093

Sam Fletcher
Sam.Fletcher@health.org.uk
07791 044564

The evidence

Existing evidence that immigration makes a positive contribution to the UK health service includes:

• Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report: EEA migration. Published 18 September 2018 
• Steventon, A. and M. Bardsley (2011), Use of secondary care in England by international immigrants, Journal of Health Services Research & Policy 16(2): 90–94. 
• Prederi. Quantitative Assessment of Visitor and Migrant Use of the NHS in England: Exploring the Data. Department of Health: 2013.
• The King's Fund (2015) What do we know about the impact of immigration on the NHS?
• Dustmann, C., and Frattini, T, (2014) The fiscal effects of immigration to the UK, The economic journal,124.580 : F593-F643.