The United Kingdom (UK) will sign an agreement with the Philippine government to employ more Filipino healthcare workers in its medical services, Britain’s envoy to Manila said Thursday, July 22.
“There is a very healthy community of Filipino healthcare workers who have arrangements and commitments and contracts to work in the United Kingdom, particularly in the National Health Service (NHS),” British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce said in an interview with ANC.
Pruce however did not divulge further details saying only that the labor and health departments are looking at reaching a “very good” arrangement on the matter.
“The discussions are being constructed in a very positive and constructive way and I think it will be in the period ahead that we will see the establishment of a clear agreement,” he said.
Pruce said that the UK is “very mindful” of the importance of Filipino medical workers in dealing with the Philippines own “healthcare challenges” before reaching an agreement.
“We completely respect that and don’t seek to undermine that at all,” he said.
He emphasized the “enormous” contribution of Filipino healthcare workers in handling the COVID-19 pandemic in UK.
Filipino nurses in the UK have been hailed for their role in Britain’s fight against COVID-19.
