Bibliography

The paper examines trends in inflow of health professionals to the United Kingdom from other countries, using professional registration data and data on applications for work permits. Available data show a considerable reduction in inflow of health professionals, from the peak years up to 2002 (for nurses) and 2004 (for doctors). There are multiple causes for this decline, including declining demand in the United Kingdom. Regulatory and education changes in the United Kingdom in recent years have also made international entry more difficult. Two lessons were learnt: comprehensive data is needed for proper monitoring of the impact of a code, and countries with many independent, private-sector health care employers struggle to implement a code. The authors note therefore the significant challenges in implementing and monitoring a global code on the recruitment of health professionals.