Following a serious accident I have just spent two weeks in our local hospital, 4 days in HDU and the rest on an extremely busy surgical ward. Nearly all of the staff were from overseas or the children of migrants. Lying awake I heard a male nurse from India talking to another from the Philippines. The Philipino nurse has lived in the UK for several years and has her children with her, the Indian nurse's wife is a well qualified theatre nurse, she loves working here, he is working at a lower level than his qualifications and studying to pass the necessary UK qualification, their two children are with grand parents in Kerala. He was talking about his worries about being able to bring his children to the UK, his experience of racism and his anger at the way he is often treated. I felt ashamed to be British. This ridiculous focus on reducing immigration completely ignores the benefits that UK citizens get from immigration. The NHS would grind to a halt without migrant labour which is cheap because we get trained adults. We need them and should treat them properly accepting that they are entitled to having their family with them. I, for one, am so grateful for the kind and professional care I received from people who have chosen to work here. What are your thoughts?
