The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
WQ.418/2020
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHIEF MINISTER
BY G.P. SOUTHERN OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 2nd NOVEMBER 2020
Question
Given the submission by the Department of Health and Community Services to the Migration Policy Development Board, in which it was indicated that up to 50% of mental health nurses and 75% of adult nurses used by the Department were supplied by agencies, and the reliance by that Department on agency and locum medical professionals to deliver health care in the Island, will the Chief Minister –
- explain how the recently published proposals for migration control will help to address this situation; and
- state what assessment, if any, has been undertaken of how Brexit will affect the situation?
Answer
- The recently published proposals for migration control (P.137/2020) set out the in-principle proposals for changes to existing political, legal and administrative systems to provide the government with more responsive control over the ability of migrants to settle permanently in Jersey. The provision of these controls is designed to provide a framework within which the government can propose a population policy that can be maintained in future years.
One of the key pressures faced by any migration or population policy will be the increasing need for healthcare workers within our resident population due to the ageing demographic. This is clearly identified in both P.137 and in the final report of the Migration Policy Development Board.
Within an overall population policy, the balance between locally trained staff and migrant staff will need to be carefully considered. In respect of healthcare workers, there will be some specialist occupations where local training will always be impractical and the ability to recruit off-island will need to be provided for. Whilst it is premature to discuss the possible contents of a population policy, it is reasonable to confirm that the provision of healthcare workers will always be a high priority within the overall policy.
The introduction of improved migration control systems will ensure that migrant healthcare professionals can continue to be welcomed to the Island without putting undue pressure on other island resources.
- The Customs & Immigration Service have engaged directly with representatives from the Health Care sector on the anticipated impacts of Brexit.
All EU nationals in the Island and anywhere else in the Common Travel Area prior to 2021 will be eligible for settled status. This cohort of people will be able to continue working and living in Jersey as they do now without needing any other immigration permission and employers will not need work permits.
EU nationals that arrive after 2020 and are not eligible to the settlement scheme will require a visa to work in Jersey and their employers will require work permits.
There are existing conditions specific to locum doctors and consultants who hold valid working visas for the UK to come and work in Jersey for up to a month without the need for employers to apply for a work permit. These conditions remain in place in the updated Work Permit Policy, link below.
Nurses exist on the skilled worker list, Annex 1, of the policy. There is also an exception to the £30,000 annual salary threshold for skilled workers, reducing it to £20,000, for Health Care Assistants in Annex 3 of the policy.