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Kenyan government denies it will receive cut of nurses’ salaries as part of UK deal

Unemployed Kenyan nurses will come to work in NHS to boost numbers

Unemployed Kenyan nurses will come to work in the NHS to boost numbers as part of a two-nation deal

Kenya High Commission UK insisted there would be ‘no cuts and no commissions' of salaries Kenyan nurses would earn in the UK
Kenya High Commission UK insisted there would be ‘no cuts and no commissions' of salaries Kenyan nurses would earn in the UK Picture: Alamy

The Kenyan government has denied claims it will receive a cut of the salaries of nurses coming to work in the NHS as part of a deal with the UK government.

In July it was announced that unemployed Kenyan nurses would be fast-tracked to practise in the UK for a fixed period in a bid to boost NHS nurse numbers.

On Sunday, Kenyan newspaper Nation claimed its government will get a percentage of the cash nurses would make in the UK. But the Kenya High Commission UK insisted there would be ‘no cuts and no commissions’.

Recruitment deal struck to help alleviate UK's nursing vacancies

‘The government of Kenya does not expect any fees of any kind,’ a spokesperson told Nursing Standard.

The Department of Health and Social Care also said the Kenyan government would not receive any monies from nurse salaries.

'Under the agreement, nurses will be employed by NHS trusts under individual contracts and their salaries will be paid directly to them,' a spokesperson said.

The recruitment deal was struck between the two nations to help alleviate the UK’s nursing vacancies. The UK government said the plan will help it fulfil a promise to train and recruit 50,000 more nurses by 2024.

Speaking at the time of the announcement, health and social care secretary Sajid Javid said the deal would be beneficial to both countries with the ‘exchange of knowledge and training providing first-class healthcare.’

No further details have been released around numbers, but Kenyan media has reported that as many as 3,000 jobless nurses could be eligible for the scheme.

Final details are still being worked out, the Kenya High Commission UK told Nursing Standard. ‘The work of the government is to facilitate the Kenyan nurses and it is doing so,’ the spokesperson added.


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