Recruiters should lobby the government to reverse a decision taken in November 2008 to remove midwives from the shortage list of occupationsunder current immigration rules. Richard MacMillan, chief executive of health recruiter Pulse, told Recruiter that the decision was “questionable” given a shortage of midwives, which the Darzi Review of the NHS estimated at 4,288.

Jennifer Lambe, a senior associate at law firm Mishcon de Reya, explained that, because midwives aren’t on the shortage list, employers wishing to recruit midwives from outside the European Union had to satisfy the resident workers test to show there was no one in the UK“ suitable and able” to do the job. Applications were taking a month longer than previously, added Phillip Allcorn, a consultant at immigration consultants Skillsclear.co.uk.

MacMillan added: “The industry needs to lobby the legislators to ensure those restriction are lifted.”