As concerns grow about high vacancy rates in health and social care, the government has drawn up plans to hire more overseas workers before demand peaks in the winter. According to a report in the Times newspaper, health secretary Steve Barclay has instructed civil servants to significantly boost recruitment from overseas, including India and the Philippines. There are 160,000 vacancies in a social care workforce of 1.6 million. National Care Forum CEO Vic Rayner said action was needed but added that it should be part of a broader strategic approach that included better pay, terms and conditions.
