Doubling NHS surcharge “punishes” international doctors for working in UK, says BMA

The UK government is maintaining a “hostile environment” for overseas medics by doubling a levy paid by migrants seeking to work here, doctors’ leaders have warned.

The BMA said that the Home Office’s decision to raise the immigration health surcharge from £200 (€221; $255) to £400 a year was “absurd” and would “punish” international doctors working in the NHS at a time of major staffing shortages.

A BMA spokesperson said, “With Brexit mere weeks away, Britain must present itself as a welcoming and attractive place for doctors and other international healthcare workers to come and work.

“However, this move sends the exact opposite message and does nothing …