Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to reports that Theresa May overruled Cabinet ministers pleading for more doctors from overseas to fill empty NHS posts, said:

“It makes no sense whatsoever that the Government is turning away trained doctors who want to come and work here in the UK. Theresa May’s hostile environment policy is now directly damaging NHS patient care.

“The NHS is facing a massive workforce crisis. More than 100,000 NHS posts are now unfilled and vacancy rates for nurses and doctors are rising year on year, yet the Government is refusing visas for trained staff from overseas because of the rules drawn up during Theresa May’s time as Home Secretary.

“The visa rules clearly aren’t working in the best interests of NHS patients. Ministers ought to be doing more to keep patients safe and their priority should be making sure hospitals can get the right numbers of staff in place.”