Major study reveals benefits of global clinical recruitment

The  Council of International Health Recruitment (CIHR), whose members represent 23 countries, has today published a major study of the benefits of global clinical recruitment by the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka and leading British health think tank the King’s Fund.

The study shows that ethical and sustainable overseas recruitment schemes are of major benefit to the clinicians’ home health service as well as the one to which they work for on a fixed-term contract.

The CIHR was set up by Remedium Partners, which is the largest provider of overseas doctors to the NHS. It is independently chaired by Chris Ham, former King's Fund chief executive.

Remedium  has established a number of sector-leading joint initiatives with health service leaders and governments all over Africa and Asia. Clinicians come to the UK on a fixed contract of three-to-five years with a commitment to return home with the expertise acquired while working in some of Britain’s leading hospitals, including University College London and Great Ormond Street NHS hospital trusts. The 'earn, learn and return' approach is regarded as best practice in recruiting international doctors and nurses to the NHS.

Under the Remedium scheme, while working for the NHS, overseas clinicians have the opportunity to enhance their clinical and managerial qualifications via study leave with Birmingham University School of Health Services Management and Liverpool School of Medicine.

Previous participants include Isaac Folorunso Adewole, now Nigeria’s Minister of Health, and Dr Rajitha Senaratne, who heads neo-natal health in Sri Lanka.

Those who have taken part in Remedium’s Leaders of Tomorrow scheme include the recently appointed head of reproductive health at the World Health Organisation.