LONDON

The UK has come under fire for slashing health aid to some of the world’s most vulnerable countries while simultaneously recruiting thousands of their nurses, according to new analysis by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on Monday.

The move has been described as a “double whammy” for fragile health systems already grappling with severe workforce shortages.

Between 2020 and 2023, UK aid for health-related projects in “red list” countries—those with the most critical healthcare workforce shortages—plummeted by nearly 63%, falling from £484 million ($607 million) to £181 million ($227 million).

Spending on initiatives aimed at strengthening healthcare workforces in these nations dropped even more drastically, by 83%, from £24 million to just £4 million.

Despite these reductions, the number of nurses from these countries joining the UK’s national register surged.

In September 2020, there were 11,386 nurses from these countries registered in the UK. By September 2024, that figure had risen to 32,543, representing a nearly threefold increase.

The cuts were initially driven by the Conservative government under Boris Johnson, which reduced the foreign aid budget from 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) to 0.5%, amounting to a £4 billion reduction.

In October’s budget, Labour opted to maintain this reduced spending, prompting criticism from international development advocates and healthcare professionals alike.

The RCN urged the Labour government to reverse the aid cuts and focus on increasing the domestic supply of nurses to reduce reliance on overseas recruitment.