Apart from shared history, food and architecture, a strong link between India and Britain is that of health professionals. But the country that was once considered a thoughtful destination to set up home away from home is no longer the same for Indians, especially medical professionals grappling with the impact of recent policy changes in the UK.
Senior Indian-origin doctors working in Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) told PTI that many Indian health professionals are choosing to leave Britain and they are doing so not because of dissatisfaction with medical work, but because financial and immigration pressures have made Britain a less viable option in the long term.
Doctors interviewed for this report spoke in their individual capacity and do not represent the views of the National Health Service or their employer.
Indian government data presented during the winter session of Parliament showed that health and care worker visas issued to Indian nationals declined by nearly 67 percent while among nursing professionals the decline was nearly 79 percent.
Rajai Narayan, a senior NHS cardiologist with nearly 20 years of experience, told PTI that many Indian health professionals are choosing to leave the UK because Australia, Canada and some other countries in West Asia offer much higher salaries and clear long-term opportunities.
As a professional working with the NHS for two decades, Dr Narayan said Britain was once considered one of the leading health systems globally “but over time it has faced many challenges.” He said many people no longer see long-term career prospects in Britain and many British-Indian professionals are also returning to India in search of better opportunities.
Sanjay Gandhi, a radiologist with the National Health Service in south-west Britain, said one of the main reasons behind Indian-origin health professionals leaving Britain is that all governments, regardless of political affiliation, have committed to reducing net immigration.
“While illegal immigration has proven difficult to control, legal immigrants, including those working in the National Health Service, often bear the brunt of these policies,” he said. Another reason is the increasing competition from locally trained doctors.
According to UK Government figures for 2024, Asian or Asian British workers make up 13 per cent of the National Health Service workforce and make up 16 per cent of the full-time workforce and eight per cent of the part-time workforce.
Gandhi said that in the last three years alone at least half a dozen doctors known to him have gone to Australia or New Zealand.
When asked if low wages and cost of living were the main problems, he said both were a matter of concern and high taxation makes the situation worse. NHS pulmonologist Manish Gautam told PTI, “The routes for foreign health professionals have been significantly reduced.”
