The hiring of foreign doctors in developed countries is increasing.

Doctors and nurses born abroad are increasingly numerous in the health systems of developed countries, highlighted a report published this Monday (3) by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

"The shortage of healthcare personnel, caused by the aging population, increased healthcare needs, and growing demand for medical services, represents a significant challenge for all OECD countries today," the organization states in its annual report on international migration.

"Many of them responded by strengthening their capacity to train healthcare professionals, but the international hiring of doctors and nursing staff also continues to increase," the authors state.

Data from the OECD, an international organization comprised of 38 member states, can be used by governments to guide their policies.

In its report, the organization points out that between 2001 and 2021, the number of doctors born in a country other than the one in which they practice their profession increased by 86%, and the number of nurses skyrocketed by 142%.

In 2021, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom were the countries with the highest number of foreign workers in the healthcare sector.

Over the past 20 years, the number of doctors from other countries has more than tripled in Finland, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, and Spain.

In the latter case, data from 2000-2001 shows that 7.5% of doctors were born abroad. In 2020-2021, that figure was 16.9%.

For comparison, those born abroad represent 22% of doctors in Germany, 18% in France, 54% in Australia, 49% in Ireland, 41% in the United Kingdom, 37% in Canada, and 30% in the United States.

A similar trend is observed in the nursing sector. In Spain, nurses born abroad represent 5.5%, in Germany 19%, in France 6%, and in the United Kingdom 28%.

Regarding the origin of the workers, Asia continues to be the main continent of origin for doctors (40%) and nurses (37%). But in the Spanish case, 76.9% of doctors born abroad are Latin American.

In the case of Portugal and France, the majority of doctors born abroad come from the African continent, with 39.6% and 49.4% respectively.

Similar patterns are observed among immigrant nurses. They not only represented a significant portion in Spain within the group of immigrant professionals (55.7%), but also in Italy (16.2%) and the United States (22.7%).

In its report, the OECD points out that "recognition of qualifications and authorization to practice remain significant obstacles to the professional integration of immigrants commensurate with their skills."

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many OECD countries implemented temporary measures to address the urgent staff shortage in the sector, the report highlights.

Chile, for example, authorized its national health services to hire foreign healthcare professionals regardless of their official recognition. Argentina and Peru, which are not OECD members but are candidates for membership, did the same.

In Colombia, these measures were also facilitated, specifically for Venezuelan healthcare workers who were already in the country.

The report also highlights Spain, the third OECD country to use doctors trained abroad, after the United Kingdom and the United States.

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