Foreign doctors are being recruited from poorer countries to work in UK hospitals under conditions not allowed in the National Health Service, it has been reported.
Medics say they are being exploited and overworked to the point that they fear they are putting patients’ health at risk.
A BBC investigation spoke to several foreign medics, including a young Nigerian man who worked at the private Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital in 2021.
Augustine Enekwechi said working there felt like a “prison”. He said his hours were extreme and he was on call 24 hours a day.
Mr Enekwechi said he was not allowed to leave the hospital grounds.
“I knew that working tired puts the patients at risk and puts myself also at risk, as well for litigation,” he said.
The young doctor added that he felt “powerless … helpless” and was constantly working with the fear that “something could go wrong.”
He was hired out to the Nuffield Health Leeds Hospital from a private company - NES Healthcare, which specialises in employing doctors from overseas.
According to the British Medical Association (BMA), Mr Enekwechi is not alone.
The BMA, in collaboration with the Doctors’ Association, surveyed 188 resident medical officers, most of whom were employed by the NES, but some were with other employers.
It found that 92 per cent had been recruited from Africa and most, with 81 per cent coming from Nigeria.
According to the survey, the majority complained about excessive working hours and unfair salary deductions.
Emma Runswick, deputy chair of the BMA, described the case as a “disgrace to UK medicine”.
"Our international colleagues have come a long way to the UK, and have found conditions so exploitative it beggars belief,” she added.
A Nuffield Health spokesperson said: “The health and well-being of our patients and our hospital team members is our priority.
“We, like other independent UK hospital providers and the NHS, use NES Healthcare to engage Resident Medical Officers (RMOs) – junior doctors in training - to support our hospital services.”
The spokesperson added: “We are committed to continuous improvement in our workplace environment so that RMOs feel comfortable communicating openly about their workloads and well-being.
“We also closely monitor their workloads and stipulate regular breaks and rest days.
“Additionally, we are contributing to and supporting the IHPN’s work with the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh to develop educational resources to support RMOs in their role.”
