An NHS trust has sparked fury after it warned protesting migrant doctors could be referred to the Border Force.
An unnamed medic from Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust sent a message to staff warning that the “absence” of a medic on a working visa going on strike would be reported to the Home Office – which would can do visa extensions “problematically”.
The news, which was shared on social media, drew the ire of young medical professionals and the British Medical Association (BMA) who said it would fuel “unnecessary fear and doubt” among doctors.
This is because young doctors are being forced to leave from April 11 as part of appeal no. 10’s deepening dispute over their pay for 96 hours.
The increasingly vexing blight has so far canceled 180,000 appointments after medics went on the campaign trail last month, with more disruption expected next week.
That message, sent by an employee at the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, included a veiled threat that the absence of young medics taking strikes would be reported to the Home Office.
University Hospital Lewisham is part of the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, where the member of staff sent the message to internationally trained junior medical specialists
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust admitted the message came from one of their employees.
However, a spokesperson insisted this was not their policy and apologized for the distress caused.
In a message sent via WhatsApp on Sunday, the chief medical officer, who is believed to be an adviser, said: “Any doctor who is on a Trust-sponsored visa and decides to strike, the Trust will enforce its boundary .” Report absence and it can cause problems when their visa is extended.’
They continued: “Please note that this is not an adviser’s decision but a trust’s decision and is in line with most (if not all) other trusts in London.”
Border Force is the law enforcement agency of the Home Office and is responsible for carrying out immigration checks on people entering the UK.
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The report recommended reducing the NHS’s performance targets to a maximum of ten to “focus” its efforts. Since the Covid pandemic, health services have struggled to meet numerous criteria, including waiting times for emergency rooms, ambulance arrivals and cancer treatment times.
Foreign-educated medics, who are becoming a growing part of the NHS workforce with a third of new hires coming from abroad, are legally entitled to join a union and therefore strike if a vote is successful .
As with British-born workers, it is illegal for employers to use participation in, or participation in, legal industrial action to influence visa applications.
The post sparked outrage among medical professionals on social media, who said it was “disgraceful”, “appalling” or “xenophobic bullshit”.
And the BMA also joined the line, with union leader dr. Latifa Patel said the message was unacceptable.
“We are deeply concerned about the impact of this announcement, which will create unnecessary fear and doubt among visa doctors in training about their legal right to strike,” she said.
“We, the BMA, are aware that we will not take any form of industrial action that affects the legal status of a doctor’s visa – neither in the future nor in the present.”
She added that the BMA would support any eligible member penalized for taking part in its strike action and issued a warning to other NHS trusts.
“To employers – we remind you of your responsibility to behave professionally – we have zero tolerance for bullying and harassment,” she said.
A spokesperson for Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust told MailOnline: “This is absolutely not our trust policy.
“We have and have fully supported the right of every individual to strike without judgement, fear or consequence.”
They added that the message was sent on a local WhatsApp group which “made a mistake”.
“This has been rectified internally at the highest level and we have assured all teams, including our international colleagues, that this is not our position,” they said.
Almost 325,000 surgeries and appointments canceled this winter due to NHS strikes
The spokesman apologized for the concern the news had caused staff at a time when “we are all working together to do our best for our patients”.
The upcoming BMA strike is scheduled for just after the bank holiday weekend when the NHS runs a ‘Christmas Day’ service and traditionally a busy time for healthcare.
Doctors in training want an inflation-busting 35 percent, which they believe is needed to counter years of wage stagnation.
The government and union have not committed to further negotiations after negotiations broke down last month.
BMA advice to junior medics on visa strikes warns that in certain circumstances they could be reported to the Home Office.
This also applies if they are absent from work for 10 consecutive working days and their salary falls below a certain limit as a result of the strike.
They add that this does not necessarily mean that the Home Office will take action against a doctor as it is at their discretion.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
