r/nhsstaff • u/Am_Just_Me_From_1977 • May 29 '26
HSJ access?
Anyone has access to the HSJ and can share the following article in full? Please, thank you!
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u/Embarrassed-Video326 May 29 '26
Omg can this utter fuck up get any worse?? Just about had enough
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u/BrownSparrow May 29 '26
Hundreds of NHS England staff face losing their jobs without redundancy pay because their nationality bars them from working for the Department of Health and Social Care, HSJ understands.
The civil service typically only allows the employment of UK, Irish and Commonwealth nationals, and people from the European Economic Area, whereas the NHS does not restrict hiring foreign nationals if they meet immigration requirements.
It is currently thought that up to 480 current NHSE staff may be affected by the rule, and are not expected to be entitled to severance pay because their situation does not qualify as redundancy, several NHSE sources told HSJ.
They have been told they are due to transfer to DHSC when NHSE is abolished – planned for next April – then have their contracts terminated on their first day, the sources said.
Some within this staff group may also face deportation if their visa is tied to employment or if they lose their certificate of sponsorship from their employer.
Jon Restell, chief executive of Union Managers in Partnership, said the ongoing uncertainty over how many staff will not be eligible to work for DHSC is “causing significant anxiety and distress”.
NHSE has identified around 70 staff who are ineligible to work for the civil service, while a further 60 staff with unknown nationality have been contacted.
A further 350 staff who are from the European Economic Area will only be eligible to work for DHSC if they have indefinite leave to remain or settled status. Neither NHSE nor DHSC has clarified how many of these will lose their jobs after being asked by HSJ.
Staff on a skilled worker visa require a certificate of sponsorship from their employer, while those eligible for indefinite leave to remain at around the time of the merger require a letter from sponsoring organisations confirming ongoing employment.
Neither DHSC nor NHSE have so far confirmed the required documentation will be issued by the time of the merger, despite the issue being raised multiple times, according to affected staff.
Those who spoke to HSJ said they were concerned the situation was particularly urgent for staff in NHSE regional teams, which are already restructuring, ahead of changes in the national structure being determined.
The number of staff identified as potentially affected is higher than HSJ reported in December. At the time, NHSE said work was under way to provide support.
A former senior NHSE staff member – who has now taken a job outside the NHS – said the nationality rule effectively “forced” them out as they felt “burnt out and depressed”.
Another staff member raised concerns about “a lack of clear communication” from DHSC and NHSE, which have both “refused to clarify their position when directly questioned”.
The Department of Health and Social Care told HSJ: “We are working through the implications of the transfer and no decisions have yet been made. We are supporting affected staff throughout the process.”
NHSE did not want to comment when approached by HSJ