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Would you quit your NHS job and move to sunny Western Australia?

Aussies aim to lure UK nurses as RCN strikes over pay and working conditions ramp up
Kangaroo crossing road in Western Australia

Australian state aims to lure thousands of UK nurses and other key workers with promise of a better life Down Under

Kangaroo crossing road in Western Australia
Kangaroo crossing road in Western Australia ​​​​Picture: iStock

The Western Australian government has announced a mission to ‘steal’ thousands of UK nurses by promising a life of sun, sea, surf and a decent salary Down Under.

With pledges of a better life, politicians from Western Australia (WA) will arrive in the UK this week to launch a recruitment drive to lure nursing staff to work in their healthcare sector.

As the RCN ramps up strike activity over the current pay dispute, ministers in Perth are hoping they can exploit low wages in the UK and tempt nurses to make the move.

Delegation will tour job fairs looking for nurses, doctors, plumbers and teachers

‘We are here to steal your workers by offering them a better life in one of the most beautiful places on the planet,’ said Western Australia MP and recruitment delegation leader Paul Papalia. ‘Western Australia is a fantastic place to live and work. Our wages are higher and our cost of living is lower.’

The delegation will land in the UK on 25 February, touring job fairs in Edinburgh, Bristol, London and Dublin in a bid to poach 31,000 key workers including nurses, doctors, plumbers and teachers as part of its ‘It’s like no other’ campaign.

A man cycling over a bridge in Perth, capital of Western Australia
A man cycling over a bridge in Perth, capital of Western Australia Picture: iStock

According to the WA government, average wages in the state are among the highest in Australia, with registered nurses able to earn around £50,000 per annum.

Perth nurse Emily Regan, currently working as an emergency bank nurse in London, told the Nursing Standard she plans to return to Australia in September as ‘the system here is wearing me down’.

‘I love London but am moving back because I am fed up of busting a gut for no money. I earn the least out of all of my friends who are not in nursing, and I honestly feel like I work the most challenging situations.

Trade deal will make it easier to move jobs between countries

‘You know they’re not getting abused or spat at, or being physically run off their feet or emotionally taxed. They’re not working nights and weekends and compromising their health.

‘I’m burnt out here, the system is absolutely wearing me down. The money is so bad – I’ll never be financially ahead here. I’m fed up of working really hard and having nothing to show for it.’

The Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement that comes into force this year will make it easier for nurses to work Down Under as both countries have agreed a mutual recognition of qualifications for skilled workers.

Western Australia MP and recruitment delegation leader Paul Papalia
Western Australia MP and recruitment delegation leader Paul Papalia: ‘We are here to steal your workers.’

‘I had really good experiences nursing in Perth, I only have really good memories of it, even as a student,’ Ms Regan added. ‘Perth is beautiful, the beaches are wonderful, it is a really unique part of the world. It would be nice to have some previous NHS colleagues along with me.’

Unison deputy head of health Helga Pile said: ‘Not everyone can up sticks and head Down Under, but the prospect of working for a government that might actually appreciate its health staff and pay them more is likely to be rather appealing.’

But it is not all sunshine and barbecues. In November nurses in WA staged strike action in a dispute with the state government over pay. The WA government had offered a 3% pay rise but the Australian Nursing Federation WA called for 5%.

An RCN spokesperson said: ‘Governments across the world can see what Rishi Sunak cannot – that our nurses are valuable and deserve fair pay. Our members are highly skilled medical professionals and deserve to be paid like it – instead this government has cut their wages by 20% since 2010.

‘The prime minister should get his government back round the negotiating table immediately or our nurses will continue to leave the NHS in droves.’


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