In the light of recent stories of medics who are being deported or threatened with deportation from the UK for reasons that make very little sense to most people who live here and rely on the NHS, it seems very disturbing that the NHS is now seeking to recruit GPs from Australia as outlined in this posting. The website makes it clear that they are as keen to attract ex-British GPs who have previously emigrated to Australia when the nation worked very hard to attract Britsh medics who were frustrated with our NHS as they are to attract Australian born medics. The criteria set out by our Government that immigrants need to earn a minimum of £50,000 to be allowed to stay in our nation is already very damaging to sectors such as the NHS, Accountants and lawyers, let alone  farming and hospitality industries which pay much lower rates of pay to their workers. However it may be sensible for the parts of the NHS who are planning the Australian appeal to check out this NHS website which states

4. Salary

Starter: £26,350 to £30,500 (foundation training)

Experienced: £36,000 to £45,750 (specialist training)

Highly Experienced: £56,000 to £84,500 (salaried GPs)

This points out that the only Australian GPs that will be welcomed are the highly experienced ones, most of these medic are presumably an important part of their communities. To appeal to such a limited group of people seems very damaging, even though there may well be a few wanting to start a new phase to their lives. Perhaps Dominic Hardy could reconsider this strategy in the light of the rather limited aspects of the situation, or else perhaps he can persuade the Government to change its appalling strategy.