In extreme cases, nurses are tied to their roles for up to five years and face rewards as high as .000 14,000 if they want to change jobs or return home early. The Royal College of Nursing and human rights lawyers are calling for an urgent review by the government after an Observer investigation revealed evidence that the clauses are used in both the NHS and the private sector. Designed to retain staff and recruit recruitment costs, they often cover recruitment costs, such as flights to the United Kingdom, visas, and a language and proficiency test. In many cases, they also include the cost of compulsory training, which employees hired in the UK do not usually have to pay. Nurses affected by the repayment terms, many of whom served on the front lines at the height of the pandemic, said they had been pushed into debt or locked into long-term payment arrangements after leaving their roles, even in cases of bullying or family emergencies. . Others remain in jobs despite illness or poor working conditions, fearing they will not be able to repay, charities and unions said. Parosha Chandran, a United Nations lawyer and human trafficking expert who helped shape the UK’s modern slavery laws, likened the clauses to “debt slavery” and called for them to be reconsidered at the highest level. “This raises very serious concerns about exploitation,” he said. Patricia Marquis, director for England at the Royal College of Nursing, said she was “very concerned” by a practice that flourished “in a climate of chronic understaffing”. RCN knew that some employers were using penalties that could lead to employees being forced to pay thousands of pounds. “We have also heard of cases where employers try to intimidate and intimidate staff with expulsion threats if they choose to work elsewhere,” Marquis said. The UK is heavily recruiting from abroad in an effort to cover a shortage of 40,000 nurses in the NHS alone, with most recruits coming from the Philippines and India. Patricia Marquis, director for England at the Royal College of Nursing, said the charging of outgoing nurses had flourished “in a climate of chronic understaffing”. Photo: Victoria Jones / PA A contract seen by the Observer, which is used at an NHS hospital in the east of England, says international nurses have to reimburse unspecified “costs associated with [their] if they leave within three years. Those who leave within 18 months must return “100%” of the cost. Another, used by the Southampton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, includes a £ 5,000 repayment clause for applicants from the Philippines that is halved after one year. The Trust said the fees could include exam costs, flights, visas and accommodation, adding that staff retention is vital to its activities. In the private sector, fees may be higher. According to Unison, a nurse from Zimbabwe was asked to pay 8 10,850 when she tried to leave her job in a care home. He said it was obvious the charges were excessive, “but the manager said he would not report to me if I did not pay the full amount.” “They are taking advantage of these workers who have no idea about the rules in the UK,” said Susan Cueva, director of the Kanlungan charity, which supports immigrants from the Philippines. “They end up thinking, ‘I’d better sit tight, even though I’m suffering,’ because they can not afford to repay it.” He said it was unfair for employers to burden employees with hiring costs, as hiring internationally could save them huge sums. It costs between 10 10,000 and 12 12,000 to hire a nurse abroad, but employers can save £ 18,500 from the cost of office nurses in the first year alone, according to an estimate. By comparison, it takes three years to train a nurse in the UK and costs around .000 50,000 to 70 70,000. The government does not pay tuition, but provides maintenance grants of λι 5,000 a year. Stuart Tuckwood, a nurse at Unison, said the union was aware of cases where nurses were “trapped by immoral contracts” – including one where a nurse had to pay 14 14,000, even though her salary was just 16 16,000. He said: “The government must protect and support these nurses. This means that there are guarantees that can be applied properly. “Otherwise, the United Kingdom may be in breach not only of its obligations to individual nurses, but also of the agreements that have been signed with the nations from which they come.” The Ministry of Health said it was aware that the repayment clauses were being used to recover down payment when bidders did not meet the terms of their contract, but “would be concerned if the repayment costs were disproportionate or punitive”. A spokesman said: “We are clear that staff abroad should not be charged for hiring services when working in the UK. “We are grateful to everyone who came from abroad to train, learn and work in the NHS and social care.”
