Thousands of refugee health professionals held back from NHS role as staffing shortages continue

Thousands of medically qualified refugees could help ease NHS workforce pressures if specialist programmes to help rebuild careers were expanded nationwide, according to charities and healthcare employers.

An estimated 2,000 refugee doctors are currently living in the UK, along with many more refugee nurses, midwives, psychiatrists and allied health professionals. Yet despite being legally entitled to work, many struggle to return to the professions they have spent years building.

This comes as the NHS continues to face persistent staffing shortages, with around 7,500 doctor vacancies and 21,600 unfilled nursing roles in England, contributing to mounting pressures on services and long waiting times for patients.

For healthcare professionals who have fled conflict, violence or persecution, returning to clinical practice in the UK can involve years out of work while asylum claims are processed, followed by further barriers including language, qualification recognition, regulatory registration and adapting to NHS systems.

Healthcare leaders say too many highly skilled professionals are consequently left on the sidelines.

Now the charity Helpforce - backed by NHS Employers, Breaking Barriers and the Ukrainian Medical Charity - is calling for greater investment in practical routes that help refugee medics re-establish careers.

Its ‘Volunteer to Career for Refugees’ programme places medically qualified refugees in structured volunteering roles across several major NHS hospitals, helping them rebuild confidence, gain experience of UK healthcare practice, strengthen communication skills and develop professional networks. It also enables employers to assess individuals' potential fit for future roles in real-world clinical settings.

Several other organisations offer complementary support, including preparation for medical exams, careers guidance and assistance with the costs of returning to practice.

Across these pathways, around 300 refugee healthcare professionals from countries including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria and Sudan have successfully transitioned into paid healthcare roles over the past three years, pointing to what could be achieved at much greater scale with sustained investment.

Amerjit Chohan, Chief Executive of Helpforce, said: "The NHS continues to face significant workforce challenges, while many medically qualified refugees - despite having been granted protection in the UK and the right to work - are struggling to find routes back into careers they have spent years developing. These are people with valuable clinical skills and experience whose lives have been uprooted by conflict, violence or persecution, and who want to contribute to the communities where they are rebuilding their lives.

“We have seen first-hand how structured volunteering can help individuals reconnect with their skills, understand NHS systems and move into frontline healthcare roles.

"With relatively modest investment, programmes like Volunteer to Career for Refugees could be extended to all parts of the country, releasing a torrent of talent and helping thousands of displaced healthcare professionals to put their expertise back where it belongs: caring for patients. No single initiative will solve healthcare workforce shortages, but this is one practical contribution that we urge the Department of Health and Social Care to closely examine.”

It costs around £900 to support a medically qualified refugee through Volunteer to Career. By comparison, the NHS can spend hundreds of thousands of pounds annually covering a single long-term vacancy with agency locums. A British Medical Journal investigation found NHS trusts and health boards collectively spent more than £674 million in 2024-25 on temporary consultant cover.

The impact of support pathways for refugee medics can be seen in the lives of participants like Yana Fylenko from Ukraine. The 36-year-old had built a successful career in Kharkiv as both a doctor and medical lecturer before Russia's invasion forced her to flee the country with her daughter in 2022. Arriving in Liverpool the following year, she faced the challenge of rebuilding both her life and her medical career while separated from her husband, who remained behind.

As she worked towards recognition of her qualifications, Yana joined Helpforce's Volunteer to Career for Refugees programme at Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust. Starting in a meet-and-greet role before moving on to support hospital wards including gynaecology and maternity, she says the experience helped restore both her confidence and professional identity.

"When you had a good job and a good life, and then you come to a new country and can't work, you can feel lost," she said. "Volunteering helped me improve my English, understand NHS systems and feel part of a medical community again. It gave me confidence that I could continue my career and contribute to the country that has welcomed me."

Yana has now passed all the language and medical examinations required to practise in the UK and last month she secured General Medical Council registration.

Ben Morrin, Chief Executive of NHS Employers, said: "Refugees bring resilience, dedication and valuable skills to the NHS workforce. Programmes like Volunteer to Career for Refugees help people rebuild their lives through meaningful employment while giving NHS organisations access to talented individuals who can strengthen teams and enrich patient care."

Oksana Lovochkina, Chief Executive of the Ukrainian Medical Charity, said: “Talent should never be lost because of barriers. As the leader of a community of more than 1,500 Ukrainian healthcare professionals in the UK who have been displaced by the war, I have seen first-hand the immense value these clinicians can bring to the NHS. For years, we have been advocating for practical pathways that create a win-win solution: enabling the health service to benefit from decades of clinical expertise while allowing Ukrainian healthcare professionals to maintain, develop and apply their skills.

“This is not simply about supporting refugees. It is about ensuring the NHS does not overlook a highly skilled workforce that is ready to contribute and strengthen patient care.”

One organisation where the volunteering pathway has been particularly successful is West London NHS Trust, which supports medically qualified refugees as well as those with other skillsets who can be matched to administrative and facilities roles. Carefully-chosen opportunities are also offered to asylum-seekers who do not have the right to work while their applications are being processed, but are still able to volunteer.

Maria O’Brien, Chief Executive of West London NHS Trust, said: “We have held several recruitment fairs for refugees and asylum-seekers – each attracting over 100 people. These individuals are a valuable part of our community, and some possess considerable clinical expertise gained in their countries of origin. Offering volunteering routes into employment is mutually beneficial as we are developing talented people while broadening the diversity of our workforce.”

Helpforce’s Volunteer to Career for Refugees programme is generously funded by the Rayne Foundation and currently operates at Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. It is part of the charity’s wider Volunteer to Career scheme which helps people from all walks of life – regardless of professional background – explore NHS jobs through volunteering.

Learn more about Volunteer to Career for Refugees