Foreign doctors and nurses working in the NHS have their visas extended for a year so they can stay to help save the lives of coronavirus suffers
- Visa due to end on or before October 31 will automatically be extended for a year
- Medics are currently working their socks off helping save lives in pandemic
- Priti Patel: ‘We owe them a great deal of gratitude for all that they do’
- Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
Foreign NHS doctors, nurses and paramedics whose work visas are due to expire this year are to have them automatically extended for free so they can stay and help coronavirus sufferers, it was announced today.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said those with permits due to expire before October 1 will have them automatically extended for a year.
The change will be automatic so medical staff are not burdened with paperwork at a time when the NHS is facing massive fight against the pandemic.
In a statement today, Ms Patel said: ‘Doctors, nurses and paramedics from all over the world are playing a leading role in the NHS’s efforts to tackle coronavirus and save lives.
‘We owe them a great deal of gratitude for all that they do.
‘I don’t want them distracted by the visa process. That is why I have automatically extended their visas – free of charge – for a further year.’
In a statement today, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: ‘Doctors, nurses and paramedics from all over the world are playing a leading role in the NHS’s efforts to tackle coronavirus and save lives’
The Home Office also announced that trainee doctors and nurses will also not be limited by the number of hours they can work in the NHS during term time.
It came as millions of items of personal protective equipment were delivered to NHS trusts on Monday, with the army helping to ensure supplies reach frontline workers.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing on Tuesday: ‘Yesterday’s deliveries of PPE included more than 2.5 million aprons, 870,000 eye protectors, 218,000 respiratory masks – they are FFP2 and FFP3 masks – one million surgical masks and 11 million gloves.
‘The full weight of Government is behind the PPE efforts, with PPE being sent out 24 hours a day and the army helping with deliveries.
‘There have been occasional issues with deliveries being received out of hours by NHS trusts but this is what we are working on to address and resolve.’