A new Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report has strongly criticised the Home Office (HO) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) for their handling of the Health and Care Worker visa route — echoing concerns long raised by the care sector.
Care England has welcomed the report, which highlights serious failings in cross-government coordination, operational delays, and weak enforcement — all of which have had a damaging impact on recruitment and care delivery.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, said:
“The decision to shut off overseas recruitment for care workers without a fully funded and realistic domestic workforce plan is not only short-sighted, it risks undoing the fragile progress made in stabilising care workforce shortages. The government must now work with the sector, not against it.”
The PAC has urged the Home Office and DHSC to:
-
Clarify the implications of ending overseas recruitment
-
Protect migrant care workers
-
Improve interdepartmental collaboration
-
Monitor the long-term impact on vacancy levels